2. Why pink? Not every breast is pink. My little friend here has a response to those who think pink ones are the only important ones:
:-)
Posted on 10/03/2009 2:33:01 PM PDT by nickcarraway
This month, like every October, a sea of pink ribbons washes over products from sneakers to snacks. While the effort raises research dollars, it leaves some breast cancer survivors feeling that companies are profiting from their pain.
When KimZielinski was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 at the age of 33, well-meaning friends inundated her with products bearing a little pink ribbon. Each product’s maker promised a cut of the sales price to a breast cancer charity, and these friends felt they were supporting the cause and, by association, Zielinski. A petite brunette who’s now 35, she was enormously grateful for the millions of dollars that these pink-ribbon products direct each year to charities that fund breast cancer research and education.
But it wasn’t long before she got a little sick of the pink. “I felt kind of hateful,” says the insurance company sales manager who lives in Charlestown. “I was like, ‘What makes you think I like pink now?’
“I think that the pink ribbon, as a symbol, tends to pretty up what is a pretty crappy disease. But a pink ribbon is easier to look at than the disease itself.”
Many breast cancer survivors like Zielinski find themselves conflicted over this little powerful ribbon. Some survivors feel companies are exploiting breast cancer, marketing themselves as philanthropic outfits that care about women when what they mostly care about is the pink ribbon’s enormous ability to boost profits. Some just feel overwhelmed by the constant pink reminder, especially in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, of a disease that has forever altered their lives.
Since she was diagnosed 2½ years ago, Anna Schleelein, a 26-year-old attorney in Newton, spends Octobers in a self-imposed pop-culture blackout. She tries to avoid TV, magazines, and, especially, shopping, to steer clear of all those pink-ribbon products.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Not to be sexist or anything, but prostate cancer strikes 80% as many men as breast cancer strikes women. Where is prostate cancer awareness month and the attendant multi-million dollar campaigns?
prostrate just doesn’t have the marketing appeal of boobs......
;^)
Yep. Keep that meme on rolling, Kris. Evil business exploiting sick victims. Always sells . Especially at the NY Times-Boston Globe propaganda beacon.
Wny? Becuase women contol the purse strings.
I’m not sure where you got “80%” from, but I seem to recall CDC numbers showing that both the incidence and mortality from prostate cancer are higher than the corresponding numbers for breast cancer.
I find it annoying, and won’t buy any product, or patronize any establishment, displaying the ribbon.
I sympathize, but I choose not to wear the ribbon.
Haven’t you heard? The NFL and maybe college sports, now have a red ballcap to bring attention to prostate cancer. I’m sure they must have an awareness month by now, too. Maybe it’s all rolled into the Jimmy V foundation and its basketball outreach. I’m sorry you’ve felt left out of victim recognition.
I have heard the Komen donates to Planned Parenthood. Can somebody confirm or deny, with support?
>>prostate cancer strikes 80% as many men as breast cancer strikes women. Where is prostate cancer awareness month and the attendant multi-million dollar campaigns?
<<
You Sexist and Racist scum!
Any statement that goes against the Mainstream Left is sexist and racist!
Can we have a donut and gloved hot dog campaign for prostate cancer awareness?
They are using a terrible disease to pad the bottom line. “We care, so buy from us”
There’s a breast-cancer awareness foundation called “Feel Your Boobies”. “Get A Finger Up Your...” just doesn’t have the same...uh, ring...to it.
2. Why pink? Not every breast is pink. My little friend here has a response to those who think pink ones are the only important ones:
:-)
I think it’s because women make doctors appointments and take care of their health more. Which is fine, good for them. I don’t like how they try to claim evil forces are preventing any money from being spent on breast cancer research.
No, it’s blue and it’s stupid.
I believe that the uptick in Breast Cancer is due to the ladies who loaded up on BC pills and had abortions. I buy nothing with a pink ribbon eventhough I’ve had family members die of breast cancer including my favorite Aunt and a Dear 43 year old cousin who left 4 small children behind.
The ribbons are annoying. I actually love the baby pink but will by nothing with the ribbons on them.
Men can, and do, have breast cancer.
I notice the packaging is pink.
It is true. Here is the link:
http://www.rnclife.org/blog/2007/10/susan-g-komen-awards-72-grants-to.html
Good luck to you and stay healthy.
They disgust me.. they donate money (that’s supposed to be for breast cancer research) to planned parenthood who kills millions of babies.
Last night we went to eat at a restaurant that was covered with the pink. Pink feathers around the lights, pink signs on the table, windows covered with pink lettering asking for donations. I told my spouse that someone other than the breast cancer women was bound to be profiting.
You aren’t the only one. I’m getting sick of it myself. Heck, Ford has a breast cancer awarness Mustang that has cute little pink trim on it. A portion of the proceeds go to breast cancer research, of course.
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z15163/Ford-Mustang-WIP.aspx#
This Koman thing is a big front for Planned Parenthood donations. I stopped giving to this maddness a couple years ago. I refuse to donate money directly or indirectly to the baby killers. How they got their bloody, filthy hands on this otherwise respectable fund raiser is beyond me.
Save the ta-ta’s
That’s something to look forward to. Let’s talk about men’s private parts even more than we already do now.
Adults used to put this much effort into their children’s wellbeing.
We'd all be far better off if corporations would forget all this philanthropy and let us make our own tax deductible donations to whomever we choose.
Besides, I'm getting extremely cynical. How many years have we been fighting this war on cancer with very little to show for it.
I geuss Prostrate Awareness Month is pretty much whenever there is a baseball or football game on. Its impossible nowadays to watch a game on tv and just be bombarded with these Viagara and prostrate cancer type ads. Its kinda ridiculous.
Nope. No one wants to see that. And what would the designated color be?
I’m a four year survivor and I’ve been sick of it for a few years. It was all fine and well the year I was going through chemo, LOL! But really, I don’t remember it being so pervasive before then.
i tell my friends and family, if you want to feel good about breast cancer, don’t but a pink stand mixer. Send the money to city of Hope, or the American Cancer Society.
But under no circumstances support Susan G Komen, even if it’s as simple as a chocolate bar.
MLB has a week every year where every home run nets mega bucks for prostate research.
To me, that is adequate proof that Komen is more of a feminist "sisterhood" than anything else. If they have a excess funds (how does that happen with a non-profit, anyway?), let 'em donate to other areas of cancer research where funding is needed. At least that'd make sense.
I guess helping the fight against testicular cancer *is* a bit much to ask..
I remember Laura Bush on the occasion of her trip to the middle east re breast cancer praising komen.....I must trust that she was unaware of their diversion of funds to planned parenthood abortion mills......
Once we were checking out at the grocery store one October, and the cashier asked if she wanted to contribute to the fight against breast cancer. My wife said "no, I've already contributed a breast".
So few women die of breast cancer these days—far more than men do of prostate cancer. Both have high survival rates. How come we don’t see women wearing a color (blue?) to “support” prostate cancer?
What is the point of "awareness"? Everyone is aware of these diseases, and the pittance of cash raised by Komen and other charities as like a grain of sand in the multi-billion dollar cancer research budgets of Big Pharma. These people are accomplishing nothing except making themselves feel important. It is just silly egotism.
I hate to admit, I have always been envious of the attention that breast cancer receives; well any cancer, for that matter. As a person with a much less well-known disease, myasthenia gravis, I would love to have some research dollars go towards finding a cure. Granted, my disease is not fatal, usually, but it would be nice to get some research interest. I guess I’m selfish...
I am with you - I believe there is some behavioral nexus, and we really ought to admit to it and deal with that.
I agree. I especially think it’s stupid that these companies that get involved in these causes (buy our product and we’ll donate $$ to this cause)—it’s just stupid. Just donate the money, already.
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