I believe cancer awareness is a good thing. Especially in considering the things that put you at high-risk for different types of cancer, such as:
• Smoking and other excessive breathing of harmful chemicals,
• Worshipping the sun or tanning booths too much,
• Excessive ingestion of harmful chemicals, and
• Family predisposition, to name a few.
It is the parts of illness that are uncontrollable, and the implied insensitivity to those who have been affected by the disease that lead me to my latest rant.
What is the deal with all the pink? It’s creeping into other months too, but this month especially, is awash in a Pepto-Bismol® hue. Seriously! I’m am pink’d out, and I’m willing to bet based on a recent article I found online, “Pink Overload: Are Companies Taking Advantage of Breast Cancer Awareness Month?” everyone else will be soon, if they aren’t already.
I now have my soup with pink ribbons on the package, pasta too, my Shane Company pink ribbon hat with the crystal pink ribbon on it, a breast cancer bracelet, my pink swim goggles, my pink ribbon’d cereal box, my pink running shirt, and have seen other pink ribbons on everything from NFL football game gear, to M&Ms, and office products. What do my office products care about my breasts? And buying something with a pink ribbon on it will not shield me from getting cancer, or give me a tax deduction.
Do all these things really need to be pummeling me about breast cancer until I’m looking for a red ribbon to comfort me so I can think about women’s heart disease and stroke for a second? And what are these things really accomplishing? I don’t exactly grasp my breasts and check for lumps every time I see a pink ribbon. Are people who have breast cancer living longer now than before everything came with a ribbon on it? And why isn’t there a cure for it yet, with the cash cow the disease has spawned? I realize these things take time, and I’m not trying to sound completely ignorant, just venting.
Related to this is new information, heard today on NPR’s All Things Considered, about the American Cancer Society possibly deciding to change it’s position on routine early breast and prostate screenings based on research that has shown early detection hasn’t turned up more high-risk aggressive cancers as previously communicated it could. While that could be a good or bad thing, could we possibly be desensitizing ourselves to the real message these pink ribbons are supposed to be relaying to us?
According to Dory Devlin, writer of the ‘Pink Overload’ article, not all the products that seem to be supporting breast cancer causes are even truly donating to the foundations the pink ribbon adorning their product might lead us to believe. Some products merely have the pink ribbon and note that it supports awareness efforts, but don’t mention a specific charity they donate to or how much they are donating per purchase, etc. It probably means that the company doesn’t donate to the cause and your dollars are not helping anything but that company. Another good point raised, is that some companies linked to higher incidence of cancer, such as cosmetics, and car emissions which fly the pink ribbon flag as if they are trying to help, when really they are the equivalent to cigarette manufacturers supporting children’s programs. Ugh! There are terrorists in our midst, and they’re called marketing executives, big business, and the media. I’m not against people making money, but I don’t appreciate dishonesty, and I for one am going to look harder at my products before I turn over my hard-earned bucks.
As usual, the best thing you can do is be aware. Not only of breast cancer risks and other types of cancers, but of what is being thrown at you and your family. Just as you’re not about to barracade yourself up in your home without a TV to avoid a terrorist attack, you can instead maneuver through the media and marketing onslaught by being smart, and making good choices about what you fill your life with. And try not to notice that stores are already putting out Christmas stuff.
Resources:
Pink Overload: Are Companies Taking Advantage of Breast Cancer Awareness? By Dory Devlin
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/pink-overload-are-companies-taking-advantage-of-breast-cancer-awareness-month-525251/;_ylt=AsOGgkLTT5q49xTOsEJ8q1OkfqU5
Cancer Society Shifts Stance on Screenings, NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114012289
Christine Jeffries is a writer/editor for work and at heart, and lives in a home of testosterone with her husband and two sons. She started a women’s group, The Wo-Hoo! Society, in the interests of friendship, networking, and philanthropy. The group meets separately on a monthly basis in the areas of Phoenix and Kansas City. Christine is interested in women’s health and promoting strong women.