An Unpopular Opinion
Well, it’s October. And that means that it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I am about to go on a rant here, please pardon me for a moment.
I want to preface this by saying that I am all for breast cancer awareness and all for finding a cure for breast cancer. I mean, I have breasts and I’m pretty fond of them. I’d like to keep them healthy and all that. And I personally know three breast cancer survivors, one of whom is my aunt and two of whom are friends my age. But this pink ribbon stuff chaps my hide.
First of all, I think that many, many women cling to this as “their” cause because they, like me, have breasts and are fond of them. Breasts are such a symbol of our femininity and it does seem to strike at our core that something so inherently female could be the cause of our demise. But the fact is that more women die every year of heart disease. And yet there is no ribbon campaign for that. In fact, most women I think live comfortably with the mistaken belief that their husband is more likely to die from a heart attack than they are. I think that many women feel like they are taking charge of their health by doing their self exams every month and getting their mammograms. I say this based on the experience I have had of talking with many women, my mother included. My mother will buy any pink ribbon item you put in front of her face. Telling her that she should stop smoking, get some exercise and eat better yields nothing but blank stares. But by god, every year when she gets her mammogram, she wants….. well, she wants a pink ribbon. Never mind that we have no family history of breast cancer (my aunt who is a survivor is an aunt by marriage). Never mind the fact that her father died of a heart attack. All she needs to do to get her pat on the back and feel good about taking charge of her health is do her self exam and get her mammogram. And buy some pink ribbon stuff for good measure. I hardly think she is the only woman out there who thinks this way.
The pink ribbon people have done an excellent job of marketing this disease, but I think to the detriment of other things. What about ovarian cancer? This is also uniquely female - actually breast cancer isn’t even uniquely female; men sometimes get it also - and much deadlier as it usually tends to be found much later. Where is the ribbon for my ovaries? Where is the awareness? Why don’t we do a three day walk for our ovaries? What about colon cancer? We could have a brown ribbon for that, of course. Colon cancer is very deadly and hard to treat. What about our lungs? Lung cancer is also more deadly and contrary to popular opinion, doesn’t occur only in smokers. Take Dana Reeve for instance. Or my aunt for that matter. She had cancer all over her body (although not in her breasts) but it was the cancer in her lungs that killed her at age 40, and she never smoked a single cigarette in her life. What about prostate cancer? This is a uniquely male cancer and I have seen one product (Anthony Logistics for Men) that proudly states it donates a portion of its profits to prostate cancer research. There is a blue ribbon campaign out there for prostate cancer, but I doubt many people know about it.
A friend brought up a good point about the fact that companies are totally pimping the pink ribbon thing and we as a society are buying it hook, line and sinker. Take that popular yogurt company that says they will donate ten cents for every pink yogurt lid we send in, up to $1.5 million. Why should we have to send in the lids? If they are that committed to the cause, why don’t they just make their donation? Because the pink ribbon is a huge marketing tool and they are cashing in on the pink ribbon gravy train. If we buy enough yogurt, donating that $1.5 million won’t even affect their profit line but they still get the tax break. Breast cancer has almost become trendy. And please, I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way (see above note about two friends and an aunt with breast cancer) but you know I am right. When a character on Sex and the City got cancer, did she get ovarian or colon cancer? No, she got breast cancer. It’s the cancer of the moment.
Now again, don’t get me wrong. I think that the Komen organization has done wonderful things. I know that when it was founded, times were different for people diagnosed with breast cancer. I am not taking a shot at Komen or breast cancer.
I just think that it’s high time we took our pink blinders off and maybe took note of the other cancer research that needs to be done and that could use our donations and support and awareness. I support all cancer awareness and research. I’d really love to see Komen move its fund-raising and marketing focus in a more general cancer direction. They have the ability to do it and do it well. Maybe market a joint venture of some sort with the American Cancer Society would be the way to go.
Alright, my rant is over for now. I know I have pressed a button for some of you out there and I hope that no one takes my thoughts as disrespectful or insensitive, because I certainly do not mean them in that way. I just think we need some pink ribbon reform, that’s all.
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Here’s something that you might want to mark on your calendar in February: http://www.goredforwomen.org/go_red_in_your_own_fashion/participate_in_national_wear_red_day.html
Also, you missed several opportunities in September:
National Ovarian Cancer Month
Childhood Cancer Month
Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month
Prostate Cancer Awareness Week (Sept. 16-22)
National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
Take a Loved One for a Check-up Day (Sept. 18)
It does all come down to marketing. Some do better than many. Don’t worry if your opinion ends up as someone else’s fodder. I think many of the awareness functions are more “popular” b/c of either how simple the screening is or how willing those who have been diagnosed are willng to talk about it.
Who knew what breast cancer was 50 years ago? It was cancer of the chest, according to my Mom. Now take a disease that men will get, prostate. They have their male pride to protect, blah, blah, blah. Look at poor Bob Dole doing commercials for E.D. and he was lambasted and ridiculed. Who wants to follow that?
Women like their breasts. They want to keep them. Men like the women’s breasts. They want to keep them. It’s funny how a cause can build momentum when it’s wrapped up in vanity.
My stepmother (beloved–not evil) survived breast cancer only to die from some abdominal tumors that may or may not have been related to the original cancer. I watched her go through chemo, be sick, lose her hair and her sense of self. I also have my mammograms and do self breast exams. However, when I strolled into my local grocery store–I was assaulted by pink. Pink soup cans, pink cookies, cupcakes and cakes in the bakery. THe pink yogurts you mentioned. In a weird way–these things almost offended me. My mother died of an aortic aneurysm. Where is all her shit? I guess it feels like it has been done to the point of overdone-ness. I feel any money raised towards cancer research is a good thing, but it also seems like an exclusive club. And it took the girliest color of all.
All cancer is evil. Period. Awareness is good, but I totally get your drift. It seems like an awareness trend.
How about more awareness for living healthier lifestyles? Everything in moderation, exercise, fresh air, working out your brain as well as your body and of course taking time to slow down & de-stress?
Maybe we should start our own movement…?
I loved this entry! You are so right!! As for heart disease, they have the color red and the women are encouraged to dress in red? I believe they even have a little red-dress pin! However, it is way under the marketing that the pink stuff has succeeded at.
Pink is cute and marketable, and sadly I believe that’s why companies jump on the bandwagon, not purely out of good intention.
My thought is, and has been for a few years, that breast cancer gets so much attention, marketing and funding because men like breasts. We, as women, may feel breasts are a symbol of feminity, but for men, they are a symbol of sexuality. And let’s face it, sex sells (and evidently creates a large amount of fundraising dollars).
It has become SUCH a marketing bandwagon. I see companies all over ‘levarage’ the pink ribbon thing, and I don’t know what bugs me more: the companies that do it or the people who buy into it.
I think Amy hit the nail on the head in regards to sex selling. God help a woman if she loses a breast or both breasts. But if she gets knocked off for the unseen ovarian cancer or heart disease? Well, I suppose that’s OK because at least no one has to see the scars of those diseases.
My granny had breast cancer. I’ve had scary lumps in my breast. But I’m more worried about other types of cancer and disease than breast cancer.
I’d love to see someone make, say, stroke awareness SEXY. Or how about diabetes? Good luck selling those illnesses. They just don’t resonate as well as a C-cup can.
I feel the same way about those Lance Armstrong Live Strong bracelets.
It’s annoying.
Yet, the more prevalent in-your-face something is, the more you are likely to remember.
you’re a god and i’m not! i love this post. i mean, breast cancer DOES run in my family, but it’s being exploited like a mofo.
The “pink ribbon” has been successful in the great movement to make breast cancer a less scary Dx for many and to fund a myriad of research efforts. Additionally, many treatments used for breast cancer have also been used successfully for ovarian cancer. My mother is an ovarian cancer survivor. Awareness of this disease, you’re right, is lacking. September is ovarian cancer awareness month, and their fund-raising and celebration event for survivors is the Walk for the Whisper” held in many communities during the month of September. There is a teal ribbon to raise ovarian cancer awareness and a long-running campaign to launch an ovarian cancer awareness postage stamp. The Koman Foundation and its pink ribbon has blazed a trail. Perhaps ten years from now the teal ribbon and the Ovarian Cancer Coalition will have done for ovarian cancer what the pink ribbon and the Koman Foundation have done for breast cancer.