This is a
very good summary of the “Pink Movement” by thinkbeforeyoupink.org. They give several examples of things to
consider before buying a pink product.
Sad but true, selling pink ribbon products has become a huge revenue boost
for many companies, with little to no money being given to cancer research or
patients. And actually many “charities”
give little back to the cancer patients who really need it. Breast cancer is not a pretty pink
ribbon. Anyway here it is:
Breast Cancer Action’s 2014 Think Before You Pink® campaign is a direct call
to
STOP THE DISTRACTION of pink ribbon marketing and culture.
We
are calling attention to the countless ways the breast cancer industry, and the
culture of pink it has spawned, distract attention away from the bold action we
need to successfully address and end the breast cancer epidemic and to achieve
health justice for
all women in
all communities.
Pink ribbon culture distracts from meaningful progress on breast
cancer in six fundamental ways:
1.
Pink ribbon products spread empty awareness. “Awareness”
has failed to address and end the breast cancer epidemic. Who isn’t aware of
breast cancer these days? Pink ribbon trinkets on store shelves that promote
“awareness” ultimately change nothing. We have more than enough awareness, but
not nearly enough action that will make a significant difference to whether
women get breast cancer or survive it. By making the public think “awareness”
is the end goal, pink ribbon culture defuses anger about breast cancer and its
devastating impact, and distracts us from the meaningful actions that will
achieve health justice for us all.
2.
Pink ribbon promotions spread misinformation.
Whether by over-inflating women’s risk of developing breast cancer, spreading
the myth that “early detection is your best protection,” focusing on a
five-year cure rate for a disease that remains a risk throughout a woman’s
life, or other ways of cheerfully fudging the statistics, many pink ribbon
promotions fail to tell the whole truth. These inaccuracies allow pink ribbon
marketers to manipulate consumers’ emotions through fear-mongering and false
promises—in order to sell more products.
3.
Corporations exploit concern about breast cancer
for profit. Each October, marketers take advantage of people’s sincere
concern about breast cancer to make money and generate good publicity.
Companies sell products, make profits, and seek customer goodwill by claiming
to care about breast cancer. Yet, most of these promotions ultimately benefit
corporations far more than they help women living with and at risk of breast
cancer. By tapping into our generosity and genuine desire to help, these
companies avoid transparency about where the pink ribbon money goes and too
often leave consumers unable to accurately evaluate the promises made in
product advertising.
4.
Some pink ribbon products are linked to causing breast cancer.
Years ago, Breast Cancer Action came up with a term for this,
pinkwashing: the outrageous corporate practice of selling
products linked to an increased risk of breast cancer while claiming to care
about (and profiting from) breast cancer. It is outrageous and deeply
hypocritical for companies to make money and gain customer goodwill from
products that increase the risk of the very disease they claim to care about!
5.
Pink ribbon promotions often degrade women
by objectifying and sexualizing women’s breasts and bodies.
From “save the boobies” to “save the ta-tas” to “save second base,” campaigns
like these demean and insult women—and distract from the true focus of saving
women’s lives. They highlight narrow standards of beauty (thin, white,
able-bodied, and young), depict women as coy sex-objects and too often promote
the fantasy of “perfect” breasts. These sexy/cute campaigns hide the lived
experiences of women in all their diversity and complexity.
6.
Pink ribbon culture obscures the harsh reality of breast
cancer by creating a single story of triumphant survivorship based on positive
thinking, beauty tips, and sanitized, carefully chosen images of women. Breast
cancer is not pretty and pink, and many women who “fight hard,” “fight like a
girl,” and try to “beat breast cancer” develop metastatic cancer and still die
from the disease. Breast cancer is only profitable when it’s palatable, and the
pink ribbon covers up the devastating, harsh reality that so many women and
their loved ones are dealing with.
Stop the Distraction
Each October across the country, all of us face an endless tidal wave of
pink ribbon products. This flood of products and the widespread culture of
“pink” have hijacked the breast cancer movement. Where once the stated aim
of the pink ribbon was to draw attention to women with breast cancer, now the
pink ribbon itself is the center of attention and overshadows the women living
with, dying from, and at risk of the disease. After 20 years of pink ribbons
and awareness campaigns, the pink ribbon is now a distraction, diverting
attention away from the critically important work of addressing and ending this
breast cancer epidemic.
Despite all the awareness and all the money raised, breast cancer remains an
urgent public health crisis and a critical social justice issue. While
corporations make billions off the disease, we have not seen nearly enough
progress in breast cancer treatment, prevention, survival, and inequities.
Today, 3 million women in the U.S. are living with breast cancer. Up to
one-third of all breast cancers will metastasize, even when found in the early
stages. Black women are still 40% more likely to die of breast cancer than
white women. And each year, 40,000 women die of breast cancer despite all the
awareness and pink ribbons.
This October, we’re calling it like is – the huge and overwhelming pink
ribbon culture is distracting us from effectively addressing and ending the
breast cancer epidemic. We challenge the breast cancer industry to Stop the
Distraction!
