Pink Responsibly
We're approaching October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I wish I weren't so aware. I am already starting to see the pink products and advertisements popping up promising to donate money to the cause and news stories about all of the breast cancer "secrets" you need to know about. On one hand, this awareness is great; I may not have been diagnosed when I was if I wasn't so aware. And if you have to have cancer, it's better to have one that they know something about. But on the other hand, I feel like companies are profiting off of the disease that has cost me so much. And when do we stop putting so much emphasis on awareness and start looking for a cure?
Go to just about any major store, be it Target or a department store or grocery store, and you'll see pink stuff. Companies promise millions of dollars to breast cancer if you just buy this tchatchki. But if you pick it up and actually read the fine print, it's kind of disturbing. Make sure the item specifies an amount and a charity. It should say something like 5% of the proceeds, or $.025 from the sale of each item, will be donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, or the National Breast Cancer Research Foundation, or some other specific group. If it just says "A portion of the proceeds will be donated to breast cancer research," put it down and walk away. Did they spend more money marketing the product than they are actually donating? Does the product itself contribute to cancer risk factors? Breast Cancer Action has a great list of questions you should consider before buying pink. Of course, if you're already in the market for a $300 Kitchen Aid mixer or a Dyson vacuum, and you want a pink one, go for it. But don't let the pink make you feel guilty and suck you in. If you want to make a difference, you might have better luck mailing a check directly to the organization you wish to support.
Go to just about any major store, be it Target or a department store or grocery store, and you'll see pink stuff. Companies promise millions of dollars to breast cancer if you just buy this tchatchki. But if you pick it up and actually read the fine print, it's kind of disturbing. Make sure the item specifies an amount and a charity. It should say something like 5% of the proceeds, or $.025 from the sale of each item, will be donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, or the National Breast Cancer Research Foundation, or some other specific group. If it just says "A portion of the proceeds will be donated to breast cancer research," put it down and walk away. Did they spend more money marketing the product than they are actually donating? Does the product itself contribute to cancer risk factors? Breast Cancer Action has a great list of questions you should consider before buying pink. Of course, if you're already in the market for a $300 Kitchen Aid mixer or a Dyson vacuum, and you want a pink one, go for it. But don't let the pink make you feel guilty and suck you in. If you want to make a difference, you might have better luck mailing a check directly to the organization you wish to support.
Maybe next year I'll feel differently about October and be able to view the pink as a sign of support and encouragement. Right now, I'm feeling used by corporate America to make a buck. I'm cynical and I'm bitter and I don't have a lot of rah-rah survivor spirit. They've combined a great color and a great month into something so corrupt it's painful to even shop! So please, pink responsibly. And I beg of you, please don't buy me anything pink or with a ribbon on it. Unless it's pink M&Ms. Those I can get behind.
Comments
I think the one that bothered me the most was a pink something or other I found at a sporting good store. The motto of it was "Save a Lifestyle!" and I kept thinking "What? Not having breast cancer is considered a lifestyle now?"