The month of October is my favorite time of year, I think. I also REALLY love the dead of summer where it is blazing hot, everything is in bloom, and boating is the most frequent thing on my mind.
Anyways, October. I love the leaves, the crunchy ones and the bright ones on the trees. I love the beginning of boot and jacket season. I love cozy fires, warm houses, and hot tea. You know what I don't love? The stupid PINK Breast Cancer campaign.
1. Not because I don't support breast cancer research.
2. Not because I hate Pink.
I hate it for several reasons
1. Why do we assume Pink=women=breast cancer. Men get breast cancer too. And lots of women hate feeling labeled by pink.
2. It feels SO inappropriate to me how many "save the tatas" "barbells for boobs" "booze for boobs" etc events there are. We are not pouring billions into research for BOOBS. We are researching for LIVES. The women, the men afflicted by the disease. Do we as a nation forget that most people with breast cancer LOSE their breasts? How insensitive is it to be behind propaganda that FOCUSES on the boobs when a large percentage of these patients have LOST theirs.
3. The money. Oh the money. Can we please consider, for a moment, that Donatos is donating only 25 cents each pizza from their pink-ness campaign. I mean really? Or that Nike only donates "a percentage" well what the fuck percentage friends? Why are we willing to pay more for a pink product when so little is actually going to the cause? because it is popular! And who benefits-- BIG COMPANIES -- not women, men, or BOOBS.
4. There are few things I hate more than NFL Pink. While I know it has raised funds, let's be real. NFL could not be a more masculine setting and they are wearing pink for the boobs. How much more Disney Princess -- the prince will rescue me can we get. It is nauseating. Not to mention the teams, Nike, Addidas, etc make millions off of making pink versions of their gear. That money is not spent on research. It's profit people.
5. Consumer philanthropy makes people lazy...they bought that pink spatula so now they don't need to volunteer, they don't need to donate to cancer research. Well this is just crap. I mean it's real, but it is also real stupid. These color campaigns have led to LESS money in the hands of those doing the research because people believe they have already done their share. Well the fact of the matter is that you didn't do your share...and people's lives actually depend on your assistance for researching better treatments and actual prevention.
While I get that awareness is good--yes, everyone knows pink=breast cancer, this isn't the awareness we should be wanting. We want money given to research institutes. Money given to non-profits that provide cancer screenings, assistance for cancer afflicted families, and more. This is what is NOT happening.
Lastly, my last rant is this: Why are we so focused on breast cancer when it isn't the most common? When it is NOT nearly the most deadly? We have made excellent strides in treatment, but still know nothing about other cancers, like my mom's. I can tell you why-- we are a sex obsessed culture. Get this, the two most funded cancers? Prostate and Breast. This is no accident. What is an accident is that all this pink stuff makes people believe breast cancer is their biggest risk of death, or even the most likely type of cancer they will get--but it IS NOT.
What I beg of you is to 1. read this article by a breast cancer survivor. and 2. please think twice before supporting every single companies pink campaign--and instead support research and non-profits actually doing the work.
Anyways, October. I love the leaves, the crunchy ones and the bright ones on the trees. I love the beginning of boot and jacket season. I love cozy fires, warm houses, and hot tea. You know what I don't love? The stupid PINK Breast Cancer campaign.
1. Not because I don't support breast cancer research.
2. Not because I hate Pink.
I hate it for several reasons
1. Why do we assume Pink=women=breast cancer. Men get breast cancer too. And lots of women hate feeling labeled by pink.
2. It feels SO inappropriate to me how many "save the tatas" "barbells for boobs" "booze for boobs" etc events there are. We are not pouring billions into research for BOOBS. We are researching for LIVES. The women, the men afflicted by the disease. Do we as a nation forget that most people with breast cancer LOSE their breasts? How insensitive is it to be behind propaganda that FOCUSES on the boobs when a large percentage of these patients have LOST theirs.
3. The money. Oh the money. Can we please consider, for a moment, that Donatos is donating only 25 cents each pizza from their pink-ness campaign. I mean really? Or that Nike only donates "a percentage" well what the fuck percentage friends? Why are we willing to pay more for a pink product when so little is actually going to the cause? because it is popular! And who benefits-- BIG COMPANIES -- not women, men, or BOOBS.
4. There are few things I hate more than NFL Pink. While I know it has raised funds, let's be real. NFL could not be a more masculine setting and they are wearing pink for the boobs. How much more Disney Princess -- the prince will rescue me can we get. It is nauseating. Not to mention the teams, Nike, Addidas, etc make millions off of making pink versions of their gear. That money is not spent on research. It's profit people.
5. Consumer philanthropy makes people lazy...they bought that pink spatula so now they don't need to volunteer, they don't need to donate to cancer research. Well this is just crap. I mean it's real, but it is also real stupid. These color campaigns have led to LESS money in the hands of those doing the research because people believe they have already done their share. Well the fact of the matter is that you didn't do your share...and people's lives actually depend on your assistance for researching better treatments and actual prevention.
While I get that awareness is good--yes, everyone knows pink=breast cancer, this isn't the awareness we should be wanting. We want money given to research institutes. Money given to non-profits that provide cancer screenings, assistance for cancer afflicted families, and more. This is what is NOT happening.
Lastly, my last rant is this: Why are we so focused on breast cancer when it isn't the most common? When it is NOT nearly the most deadly? We have made excellent strides in treatment, but still know nothing about other cancers, like my mom's. I can tell you why-- we are a sex obsessed culture. Get this, the two most funded cancers? Prostate and Breast. This is no accident. What is an accident is that all this pink stuff makes people believe breast cancer is their biggest risk of death, or even the most likely type of cancer they will get--but it IS NOT. What I beg of you is to 1. read this article by a breast cancer survivor. and 2. please think twice before supporting every single companies pink campaign--and instead support research and non-profits actually doing the work.
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