No Love for Edgy Message: Cancer Bracelets Rankle Schools

ABC News Medical Unit ^ | Sept. 2, 2010 | KIM CAROLLO,

[Daffynition]

A 1-inch thick rubber bracelet has caused quite a stir in schools across the country, despite the positive message its wearers believe it sends.

The bracelets say "I [heart] Boobies" and are part of a nationwide campaign launched several months ago to make young people more aware of breast cancer.

The Clovis Unified School District in central California is one of the latest to ban the bracelets. District spokeswoman Kelly Avants told ABCNews.com they violate the school's dress code.

"We have an existing dress code that specifically states clothing, jewelry or accessories with sexually suggestive language or images is not allowed at school, said Avants. A number of other school districts require students to flip the bracelets inside out so the word "boobies" is not visible.

Despite some schools' cracking down on the bracelets, students have been vocal about the novelty items on blogs and other sites such as Facebook, saying they want to wear them in support of what they believe is a good cause.

On one of several Facebook pages dedicated to the bracelets, one student wrote, "I wear like 47 boobie bracelets, supportin' cancer research is the way to go!" Another student wrote, "[T]o all the principals who think it's PERVERTED for us to wear them, its [sic] called THE FIRST AMENDMENT."

[snip]

[who knows what evil?]

What about a “I heart penises” campaign for erectile dysfunction or prostrate cancer awareness?

Exactly...can't wait to see THOSE bracelets...

[fightinJAG]

The excerpt from the website — what a pathetic, lame bunch of crap.

Do they really think anyone believes that kids have any problem whatsoever talking about boobies, ta-tas or whatever? What a load.

All this does is make breast cancer “funny” to kids who are still so immature they giggle over words such as “boobie” and “ta-tas.” These are kids who are so used to the fact that many women voluntarily go have their breasts sliced open so various gel packs can be inserted, that they are hardened to the real issues a woman may deal with when she has a mastectomy.

Losing one’s breasts to masectomy and then having to sit behind a yahoo’s car with a “save the ta-tas” bumper sticker has to be the worst. Ha ha! Save the ta-tas! Save the boobies! That’s what’s really important — to keep those breasts going strong because everybody loves ta-tas! Ha ha!

Sickening.

[fightinJAG]

You’re proving my point.

[trisham]

Agreed.

[trisham]

Well said.

[fightinJAG]

I absolutely agree and have posted same on this thread.

Would people be laughing and think it was cute if there were "save the balls" bumper stickers for testicular cancer awareness? "I heart ****" for erectile dysfunction awareness? Would they think this is an appropriate way to educate kids on cancer or other diseases?

Yes -- save you breath, you who are about to post, "Uh, I think that's funny."

It's not funny to many people who have cancer. They don't want to be reduced to their sick body part. They can't imagine that others think they are expressing concern when all they are doing is glorifying a body part, and that, it often seems, almost for their own viewing or other pleasure!

Save the life of the person with cancer. Stop acting like it's okay for people to make cracks about a woman's breasts just because she has cancer. That is cretinous.

[fightinJAG]

Or how about “lot’s of letters.”

This is sad, not rad.

[fightinJAG]

Thank you.

This is a peeve of mine and I hope more people speak out against these sick “awareness campaigns.”

[who knows what evil?]

This is sad, not rad.

:-)

[metesky]

1. Boobies
2. Titties
3. Breasts
4. Jugs
5. Puppies
6. Tits
7. honkers
8. hooters
9. my girls
10. the twins
11. Assets
12. Jublies
13. Gunzagas
14. Bosoms
15. Rack
16. Boobs
17. Milk Depot
18. Airbags
19. Knockers
20. Bangers
21. Norks
22. Fun Bags
23. Headlights
24. Watermelons
25. Sweater Kittens
26. Tata tots
27. Milk Duds
28. Twin Peaks
29. The Ladies
30. Fleshy Milk Cartons
31. Fun Bubbles
32. Boulders
33. Sin Cushions
34. Melons
35. Bottle Rockets
36. Cantelopes
37. Bouncers
38. Bongos
39. Baloons
40. Snuggle Pups
41. Bumpers
42. Yummies
43. Udders
44. Chesticles

[trisham]

I hope so too.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

Then again, on the 1960’s TV series “Lost in Space,”
Dr. Smith used to call the robot a “Bubble-headed boobie.”

[hopespringseternal]

Some kid has been wearing one of these to church. I thought he and his parents were just being tacky.

And they are.

These moronic "raise awareness" campaigns stem from the silly belief that every ill can be solved by politics.

This is nothing more than a cynical ploy by political groups to use trajedy to go after political power.

[Kozak]

[momtothree]

Thank you and do you feel better now? Have you ever been in the situation where a close family member or friend had to go through this disease? The surgery is horrific and extremely painful for months. The chemo is horrific and extremely painful. If it is too advanced, their death is horrific and painful. Perhaps I am too “sensitive” to any sort of sexualization of a cancer (any cancer) or minimizing the pain for the patient and their family. But, hey, thanks for the list. I am sure I could have gotten all of them and more from some middle school and high school boys. Just a thought

[metesky]

No-no on the nay-nays?

[Mr. Blonde]

Just to clarify, are you speaking of “awareness campaigns” in general or these specifically?

I’m not sure what is sick about say the Livestrong campaign. It has been successful both in raising money for research and for raising awareness. Due to who started it I think a lot of that awareness is for a cancer that can induce snickers too.

[PalmettoMason]

I have a friend who is fighting breast cancer. Last summer, she lost her only sister to the same illness. She often wears breast cancer awareness t-shirts, etc. such as the "Save the Ta-Tas" ones.

I haven't seen the "I (heart) boobies" bracelets yet, but if it is good enough for my friend, so be it. It is appropriate for HER, but I think for kids in school to wear it kind of trivializes the message. For them, it is a fad that will soon go the way of Pet Rocks and Clacker Balls.

After seeing my friend and her sister go through what they have endured, my favorite breast cancer slogan is "Fight Like A girl!"

Put THAT one on a bracelet, and see how popular they are with the school kids. (Especially the boys.)

[Daffynition]

Best wishes to your friend for a complete recovery.

Your observations are spot on. Part of me remains suspicious as we have learned from past experience how often a very small percentage of donations to causes go for a cure/help. That fact has given rise to the term *pinkwashing.*

Think Before You Pink

Critical Questions to Ask Before You Buy Pink

1. How much money from your purchase actually goes toward breast cancer? Is the amount clearly stated on the package?

When the package does state the amount of the donation, is that amount enough? Fox Home Entertainment, for example, sold “DVDs for the Cure” for $14.95 and donated 50 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Is this a significant contribution, or a piddly amount? You decide. If you can’t tell how much money is being donated, or if you don’t think it’s enough, give directly to the organization instead.

2. What is the maximum amount that will be donated?

Many companies place a cap on the amount of money that will be donated. For example, Give Hope Jeans, sold by White House Black Market for $88, donated “net proceeds” from the sale to the organization Living Beyond Breast Cancer. But they’ve capped their contributions at $200,000. This means that once they had reached the $200,000 limit they stopped contributing, no matter how many pairs of jeans were purchased.

In some cases, that cap is a generous amount. In some cases it’s not. But you should know that, whenever there is a cap, your individual purchase may not contribute anything to the cause, depending on when you shop and whether the cap has already been met.

3. How are the funds being raised?

Does making the purchase ensure a contribution to the cause? Or do you, the shopper, have to jump through hoops to make sure the money gets where it’s supposed to go? Lean Cuisine, for example, had a pink ribbon on its boxes of frozen meals, but the purchase of the meal did not result in a donation to a breast cancer organization. Instead, consumers had to visit the Lean Cuisine web site and buy a pink Lean Cuisine lunch tote. Only then would $5 of the tote purchase be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. 4. To what breast cancer organization does the money go, and what types of programs does it support?

Does the product’s package tell you where the money goes and what will be done with it? For example, Penn is selling pink tennis balls and the package states that 15 cents of your purchase will go to “a Breast Cancer Research Organization.” It doesn’t tell you which organization or what kind of research will be done. Will the money go to fund the same studies that have been ongoing for decades (which already get enormous financial support)? Or will it go to under-funded, innovative research into the causes of breast cancer?

If the donation is going to breast cancer services, is it reaching the people most in need, in the most effective way? The Breast Cancer Site store, for example, donates money to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, which helps pay for mammograms for women who cannot afford them. But mammograms are already covered for low-income women through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program. Although this screening program does have limitations, what is most needed is the funding to get low-income women treatment if breast cancer is found.

5. What is the company doing to assure that its products are not actually contributing to the breast cancer epidemic?

Many companies that raise funds for breast cancer also make products that are linked to the disease. Breast Cancer Action calls these companies “pinkwashers.” BMW, for example, gives $1 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure each time you test-drive one of their cars, even though pollutants found in car exhaust are linked to breast cancer. Many cosmetics companies whose products contain chemicals linked to breast cancer also sell their items for the cause.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Daffynition.