I know I’m going to hell for this but I can’t contain my disgust any longer: I hate the Susan Komen Foundation and I hope every regional office, every pink ribbon, every piece of crap Race For The Cure literature blows away in a huge hurricane-slash-earthquake-slash-wave-of-pestilence (or just for the irony, AIDS). Every September, we start to see the pink stuff everywhereand everybody is wearing their stupid pink ribbons. It started with some flyers in my mailbox about a Race For The Cure, which I moved from the mailbox to the trashcan with the cool efficiency of someone who has discovered anthrax spores on the mail. Then yesterday I breezed into the market and -bam- first thing any shopper saw was an enormous display of pink “Susan G. Komen” pink cupcakes, rice crispie treats with pink icing, pink cookies, and whatever else – probably things that are not recommended for fighting cancer. I didn’t stand there and stare because the mere sight of it filled me with rage so violent that I had to dig my nails into my wrist to keep from uplifting the table and sending it hurling across the baked goods section with a scream of triumph ripped from my white throat and the look of a marauder who barely stops seething enough to ask, “Who is next?”
I realize the Susan Komen people don’t want me to feel this way. They want me to support women with breast cancer. They want me to feel up my boobs in the shower and then donate a coupla bucks to their (very worthy if completely insane) organization. They want to instill in me a feeling of purpose when I see pink cupcakes and pink ribbons, all Adult Purpose like George Washington crossing the Potomac.
In reality, all I see is a bunch of nutcases who just do not know when to quit.
Must they oppress me with their presence everywhere? I tolerated it when they came into the shower with me with their little ads and their little “Check yourself for tumors like we all live in Chernobyl” voice. But some things are sacred. Like cupcakes. Do not market to me on my cupcakes. Doesn’t that seem queer to you? I do not want to think about breast cancer when I am trying to enjoy a cupcake, just like men probably don’t want to think about testicular cancer as they’re enjoying meatballs. Just doesn’t work. Fails on every level.
The night of my market rage, I made the mistake of grabbing my Self Magazine to take with me into a long, hot bath. There it was, on page 24, the pink. My cerebral cortex began to swell and itch. Calm down, I told myself. There’s little chance I would encounter the Evil Pink two times in a single day.
Lo, it is BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH and boy oh boy, Self Magazine is going all out. Every page is pink. Everything in it is about breast cancer. Not cervical cancer or leukemia or brain hemorrhaging – which is what I really needed an article on at this point. Just breast cancer because, as we all know, breast cancer is the only disease that is worth losing your flipping mind over. Apparently the Susan Komen Foundation had simply bought the entire magazine for the whole month. So you know I’m not overreacting, here is the proof (and keep in mind my pink rage was so acute by this point I stopped about 1/4 of the way through the magazine; I simply had pink saturation; I could not endure another pink page or the word “cancer”. Also, I only took pictures of the first page of the article – so basically every page here represents three or four more pages of pink.)
This is too much in a single publication. But it doesn’t stop there. Walking into a women’s sports store these days is like being mobbed by the ghost of every woman who ever had a cancer scare in her life. There are posters on the walls and displays and pink bras and pink Race For The Cure branded sneaks and shorts and watches and water bottles and energy bars. They will not leave me alone. They’re with me when I buy my cupcakes, when I run to burn off the calories from the cupcake, and when I go into the shower afterwords.
I don’t even know what they’re hoping to accomplish anymore. It doesn’t even seem to be about raising money, just infiltrating every corner of every woman’s life with a pink breast cancer traffic signal. I will never, ever donate a dime to the foundation – not because it’s not worthy (it certainly is) but because it fills me with such violent, choking, paroxysmal fury that if I have a choice between giving a charity dollar to the Susan Komen Foundation and any other organization, even if its for male pattern baldness, I will give it to the other one. I will not only give it to someone else, if I have the chance I will actually steal money from the Susan Komen Foundation to give to some charity that deals with childhood diseases. After all, these predatory marketing professionals have obviously lived long enough to not only survive but annoy the living bejeesus out of all of us who have never had the disease. Might as well give the kids a chance to at least grow up.
I believe the Susan Komen Foundation has become actually disgusting. Its coffers must be insanely fat to fund all the Self Magazine layouts, the local and national races, all the pink cupcakes and other branded merch, all the crap that they throw out there in the blind hope of raising awareness. It’s not even about the cancer victims anymore; I don’t know what Komen does except advertise itself and instill in me a hatred for all things related to this charity.
They can’t even fix it now. The hatred is so entrenched in my soul that even if I were stricken with the disease tomorrow, I would plead with my friends to have nothing to do with this self-important jagoff organization. I would be ashamed to be associated with it. It would be as horrific as being associated with NAMBLA.
If you’re a cancer victim and Susan Komen has done great work for you, then I’m pleased. Obviously all the pain they’ve put me through has resulted in some goodness. But I’ve had enough. I am reclaiming my breasts and my shower-time.
Join me, people. Free yourselves from the Pink Menace! The pink ribbon has bound you! It is time to free yourself, to walk bravely into the daylight.
Not for the Cure.
But for your own peace of mind.
The survival rate for breast cancer is over 80%… How much money do we need to spend on “awareness”. AIDs and breast cancer charity money is the most disproportion waste of medical research in the US.
I just saw Magic Johnson on the Chris Rock show, hell, he was diagnosed with AIDs the same time as my mother got stomach cancer and she passed away 15 years ago.
How many people know that colon/rectal cancer kills more Americans than breast cancer? Or the pancreatic cancer has a mortality rate of well over 90% making it almost as deadly to the US population as breast cancer?
And what is this bullshit about “awareness”… Isn’t that just a code word for “significant revenue for Ad agencies”?
Race for a cure? We already have a pretty solid cure, compared to other cancers.
I’m not an expert on medical research, but I suspect that many breakthroughs come from research that is *not* disease-specific. Certainly, the original work on DNA/RNA was not directed at curing any specific disease. Neither was the development of the CAT scanner or the MRI scanner, or the extremely precise X-ray therapy machines made by companies like Varian.
The focus on politically-correct-diseases-of-the-moment may actually detract from the research community’s ability to do what needs to get done.
There are those, and I am not saying I am one of them, that have put forward the idea that modern feminism constantly needs to paint women as victims. Given the huge (and justified) amount of attention paid to end domestic and violent abuse, feminism was running out of enemies. Breast cancer is largely a female issue – men can’t do anything but stand on the sidelines and look concerned and write checks. So, pink is new black eye.
Does anyone actually know how the Komen Foundation distributes their money? I confess that I’ve never actually looked into it, but, it seems that they collect a huge amount of money and I never see what it’s actually used for. And, I don’t like that I mainly targets women when men have been known to get breast cancer too – just not in the same numbers as women. Do they support men too?
“The survival rate for breast cancer is over 80%”
It didn’t used to be, back when early detection was much rarer. And it still isn’t for many types of breast cancer.
Alls I know is that if my mom hadn’t had her mammograms faithfully every year, her grade 3 (that means fast-growing and aggressive, kiddies) IDC tumor probably would have killed her, or at least made her a hell of a lot sicker. As it is, 6 months of her life were taken over by it, but it’s over now, she’s probably cured, and her scars and side effects aren’t too terrible. So me, I’m kind of glad there’s a focus on “awareness” of a disease when awareness often means the difference between life and death. Does it suck that other cancers exist? Sure. But I don’t see that as a reason to shit on this campaign’s success.
My mom’s awareness came from the death of a friend many years ago. Maybe someone else’s awareness comes from the ubiquity of the pink ribbon stuff. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. I don’t get the anger.
although the cure rate is high. so is the number of cases. I would like if a cure for “all” cancer would be available. I know it’s there.. But we won’t see it for a while due to the big money racket to treat it instead of preventing it. My own mother called the chemo center a money mill for the chemo doctors, most who were not from the US. So many, many patients lining up to be poisoined and charged thousands of dollars for it… what a racket. apparently it works, but there has to be a better way.
I think its time for you to change the color scheme of your site banner, not to reflect your rage of course!
Russ, everyone loves boobies! But I did see a ribbon thing in a grocery store about prostate cancer once.
You’re right Russ — we need a high profile prostate cancer victim to do the Ellen/Oprah circuit!
Sort of off-topic–Don’t men sometimes get breast cancer too? I know its mostly a female disease, but it seems discriminatory to make it all about pink. I don’t get annoyed by the pink stuff–in fact I kind of like the pink kitchen appliances, but I do agree that it seems a bit disproportionate. I have thyroid cancer, which has something like a 95% cure rate. So I know its not high priority but I’ve never seen a magazine add promoting thyroid awareness. The only thing that annoys me are those dumb yogurt tops! I think its lame that you have to actually send them in for Yoplait to donate the money. What a waste of energy and stamps! If you are going to donate money to breast cancer research, then just do it. Its just nasty to want people to send in their nasty licked yogurt tops!
Yes – men get breast cancer. They just don’t like to talk about.
In college, I caught a yeast infection from some gal too.
Yes, men get breast cancer, rarely. My boss’s dad died of it. Pink is for all breast cancer, not women’s breast cancer only. Is it “discriminatory” that it’s a “girly” color? Why?
If you want to raise awareness about thyroid cancer, go ahead. Start your own foundation. Breast cancer did not have an 80% cure rate 26 years ago when Nancy Brinker started her foundation in memory of her sister Susan, or 28 years ago when the founder of the NBCF was diagnosed. It still doesn’t if you don’t catch it early. Metastatic disease is still pretty much a death sentence, but it’s so easy to catch it before it goes that far – that is why it’s so important for people to check themselves and get checked. Early detection is why breast cancer is now a much easier diagnosis to deal with – it’s not that it’s a not-very-deadly cancer. It’s that you’re now much more likely to be finding out you’ve got a malignant tumor when it’s 1 cm at your annual mammogram instead of when it’s 5 cm and you can’t help but notice it.
Seriously, people. I don’t get it. Quit bitching and start your own movement if you think your favorite disease isn’t getting enough attention. Breast cancer awareness and fundraising efforts are so successful because a) it’s about boobies, and everyone loves boobies and b) because awareness actually helps a lot with the early detection thing, and funding things like screening for underserved communities feels like a concrete way to help prevent preventable deaths.
Russ, the Safeway stores did a Prostate Cancer awareness campaign recently. Every time I went to buy groceries, some checker (usually a young girl) would ask me if I wanted to donate money to help fight prostate cancer. It’s being done don’t worry.
AMEN! You are sooo not alone.
Please check out Jeanne at assertivepatient.com. See how breast cancer patients feel about pink crap.
The site of pink makes me want to hork (although if I knew how to change the color of my blog, I would – but I have no clue). Did anyone know that September is Leukemia awareness month? I bet none of y’all did.
And yoplait? They make a gazillion dollars off that nasty lid licking campaign. Don’t get me started on marketing causes that are just b.s.
Debutaunt,
I’m glad I’m not the only one. I love the color pink – maybe I was unclear about my color preferences – and I do not countenence its being taken over as the official color of cancer. Basically anything the Komen foundation does, I hate. Glad to see others are as right-minded about this as I.
“Please check out Jeanne at assertivepatient.com. See how breast cancer patients feel about pink crap.”
I wasn’t aware that my mom had elected Jeanne to speak for her.
you go girl
-signed,
a breast cancer patient who loathes pink ribbons
http://chemorox.vox.com/library/photo/6a00d414245b856a4700e398b791e10001.html
BRCA1 Bitch,
I tried to post a comment at your site but had to register and lost my stamina. I wanted to thank you for your comment. I am pleased so many cancer patients agree with me on this. I hope you’re doing well.
whoops… I meant the sight of pink marketing cancer every October (and year round in some places) makes me sick. Knowing that people are making money off of someone’s misery.
I love pink. I wish they had picked a different color though. And I think Komen is disgusting. If you really want to help someone with breast cancer, but they some groceries or pay their electric bill or babysit their kids. There’s no magical fund for cancer patients and Komen doesn’t hand out money to people that need it. They are too busy spending it on marketing!
If someone isn’t *aware* about breast cancer now, they must be living in a cave. I can’t tell you how many people didn’t realize that leukemia is a cancer. They always assume that b/c I’m a woman, I have had breast cancer.
Fight back!
The Assertive Cancer Patient blog hosts the Second Annual “How LOW Will Komen GO?” contest, which was won last year by blogger Debutaunt with her entry, Jingle Jugs.
This is a month-long competition to find the TACKIEST, most TRIVIAL, most OFFENSIVE pink-ribbon products endorsed by Komen, the 800-lb. gorilla of pink-ribbon cause marketing (i.e, retail therapy for softies).
NOTE: You do NOT have to buy the product to enter it, but please send a digital image with your entry if possible. Use that cell phone camera …
Here’s the link to the contest:
http://www.assertivepatient.com/2008/10/the-battle-for-october-a-contest.html
Thanks,
Jeanne
The Assertive Cancer Patient
http://www.assertivepatient.com
Oh I have this won hands down. I’ll just have to go to the market to take a picture of the ridiculous pink Breast Cancer Awareness cupcakes.
Thanks Jeanne!
Ok, I’m only imagining ( *)(* ) cupcakes.
Cara, you’re cool! I challenge you this year. My winner last year came from when I Googled Komen and Meat. I actually found your site when I Googled Komen and disgusting.
I’m determined this year. That Selfish magazine is puke-worthy though!
Thank you!!
The Self Magazine is just over the top. Did you notice the contact lense solution advertisment that’s pink? “Now when you clean your contact lenses, you can help fight breast cancer.”
Really? That stuff cures cancer? Somebody better tell the Centers for Disease Control.
I’ll see if I can get a picture of the cupcakes. It was just over the top and insane. I don’t remember if they were specifically boobiecakes, but I would not at all be shocked if they are.
I’m so glad you guys are on my side. I was worried about offending cancer patients, so I’m really glad that not only did I not offend you, we’re actually in agreement!
Everyone’s aware of breast cancer these days? Really? I wonder why that is?
HEY GUYS MAYBE IT’S ALL THE MARKETING?
I just seriously don’t get the anger or the cynicism. Why is it such a bad thing to raise money or awareness for breast cancer? Oh my gosh, a yogurt company combines business with philanthropy and awareness! OH NOES. I’m not noticing any such complaints about the box tops for education. There’s a lot of philanthropy that could be short-cut: why sponsor someone to walk or ride for this disease or that social problem? Why pay for an expensive gala fundraiser ticket? Why buy girl scout cookies or wrapping paper from neighborhood children? Why not cut out all the middlemen involved in that kind of an event and everyone just go begging? But all the different ways of getting people involved are GOOD things, not bad things.
Sick of the pink stuff? Fine. But this goes beyond that: this is claims of unfairness to other diseases, thinly veiled insinuations of fraud, and barely restraining the urge to destroy well-intentioned baked goods. Seriously, where is this anger coming from? It concerns me. Do people who are sick of Christmas have to restrain themselves from raging out on the Christmas cupcakes?
I just don’t buy that this is a zero-sum game and every ounce of attention paid to breast cancer is an ounce taken away from leukemia (which, I’m sorry, everyone knows is cancer) or prostate cancer.
As for Self Magazine… well, “women’s magazines” are pretty much all piles of vacuous crap and 90% ads anyway, so I can’t take any complaints about their content very seriously.
Because its done. Everyone is aware. It’s intrustive and cloying. Several cancer patients – who run cancer blogs – have commented here and on their own sites agreeing with me (or actually I agree with them, since they were offended by this onslaught long before I.)
Go here and check out the “How Low Will Komen Go” contest. Check out the piece of crap that won last year: “titties and beer.” Oh yeah, that helps women with cancer: market to frat boys with the promise of seeing nipples. It’s disgusting.
Cancer of the testicles would never be treated like that. Can you imagine a marketer honestly trying to get women to contribute to testicular cancer research by promising the opportunity to check out some balls and drink some beer? I can do that at home, thankyouverymuch, and it costs me nothing. (Or I could if I had a boyfriend.) But the point remains, THAT isi what’s cynical. I thought for sure that as a feminist you’d be outraged.
Pingback: Marketing Eficiente » Blog Archive » Dear Cancer Patient, Have A Cookie
As a breast cancer survivor I love this month. Atleast I have an organization behind me TRYING to find a cure. If you don’t want a pink mug…don’t buy it. Even if just a few pennies from the purchase go towards research…so be it…it’s better than NOTHING.
I truly wish there could be a cure for all cancers, however it’s not Komen’s fault that other organizations aren’t out there marketing themselves the same way and getting the same sort of support. Bringing the urgency of breast self exams, mammograms etc. into the mainstream media has done NOTHING BUT HELP bring awareness and forced more people to actually look to see if there is a lump there. And that’s bad?
The only way I could see Komen angering someone is if 1)you suffer from another type of cancer that is not garnering the attention. or 2)you were recently diagnosed and the “pink” that surrounds you this month is tough to take. Otherwise…way to go Komen!!
I have supported the Boycott October movement for two years. I’m glad you wrote this.
Hey Karen,
I had leukemia and I can’t even remember how many times that I had to explain that it IS a form of cancer, so please don’t go there. Or exactly what a stem cell transplant is and how I wasn’t transplanted with aborted fetuses. (and btw, many of my floormates on my transplant floor were breast cancer patients; find a cure for leukemia using stem cells and you find a gateway for cures for many many other cancers)
My grandmother lived with breast cancer for over 30 years, and I have a dozen or more friends who are/were dealing with breast cancer, so I don’t take finding a cure lightly. So it’s not one cancer vs. another. That’s just ridiculous. We’re all in the same boat.
And yay for Komen for raising awareness. I’m glad they were there. I don’t so much have any beef with Komen other than they are market whores, spending millions on marketing, and will take money from anyone (see this article –
http://blogs.denverpost.com/lewis/2007/09/12/this-breast-cancer-thing-has-gone-too-far/
Two words: Jingle. Jugs. Komen took 50k from them. And they also had a topless bar mogul as title sponsor for one of their events. (or is that the tit-le sponsor?)
But moreso – yes, it’s money. It’s needed. But at what cost? Does it matter anymore to anyone about awareness? How could you not be aware since there is the puking of pink all October?
I think what these corporations do is evil. They get goodwill with the community, but make enormous profits. Yoplait will not disclose the profits they make off the campaign for pink lids. Yes, they’ve donated millions, but the estimates of what they’ve profited from this campaign alone is in the billions.
What’s been in the news lately? Lipstick on a pig?
Profits. It’s all about greed.
If you want to use your money wisely, donate directly to a charity and skip buying pink. Or better yet, help out someone who actually has breast cancer by doing something for them. Buy them dinner or groceries or meds (my meds cost nearly $500 a month and I have insurance). I can tell you (from experience) that means more to them than some dumb pinked teddy bear.
If you want to be like the other sheep, that’s your prerogative. But I prefer to put my money where my mouth is instead of buying Campbell’s CEO a new Ferrari.
“If you want to use your money wisely, donate directly to a charity and skip buying pink. Or better yet, help out someone who actually has breast cancer by doing something for them. Buy them dinner or groceries or meds (my meds cost nearly $500 a month and I have insurance). I can tell you (from experience) that means more to them than some dumb pinked teddy bear.”
I guess you guys believe that my own mother somehow doesn’t count because she doesn’t hate this month like all breast cancer patients should, but:
My mom doesn’t need money or groceries. Cancer runs in our family: she had cancer insurance which covered everything that her regular insurance didn’t.
She really doesn’t even need help around the house or special treatment anymore since she finished all her treatment except the Tamoxifen.
What she does need is a cure, so she doesn’t spend the next 50 years (I hope – she’s 51) worrying about a recurrence or me (her only daughter) getting it or her granddaughters (all 3 of them).
Yes, people could give directly to charity, and I hope they do. But if you’re already buying M&M’s…. or you want to get a cancer patient a little something… what, exactly, is your problem with it being something pink that donates proceeds to research? Just because my mom won’t see any of the money doesn’t mean it isn’t touching or helpful.
As for the tasteless jingle jugs thing, haven’t we already established that charities will generally take money from whoever wants to give it. I can have a problem with Jingle Jugs, or anyone else who chooses to use the Pink tastelessly to give money to Komen, without having a problem with Komen for taking their money.
“I had leukemia and I can’t even remember how many times that I had to explain that it IS a form of cancer, so please don’t go there.”
Oh, I’m sorry. So let me get this straight, just so I don’t make any further mistakes:
It’s ok for you guys to bitch and moan about Breast Cancer Awareness Month – which a lot of people clearly find inspirational – and say that everyone knows everything they need to know about breast cancer, even though I’ve personally been asked several times in the 7 months since her diagnosis, “So, wait, when should women start mammograms?” But, it’s not ok for me to say that everyone knows leukemia is a cancer.
Also, information from leukemia research could benefit breast cancer patients, but there’s no possible way that research on breast cancer could benefit, say, leukemia patients.
To recap, I’m insensitive, but it’s not insensitive when you do the same thing 10 times more ragefully. And your cancer research is universally useful, but my mom’s isn’t. But! It’s not one cancer against another, here. Got it.
Your sense of evil (and business) is pretty warped if you really think Yoplait is making BILLIONS more than they would have without their pink lid campaign and that they are evil for trying to influence people’s yogurt choices by giving to charity and advertising about it.
A small amount of googling turns up some interesting financial information about Yoplait:
Yoplait is a division of General Mills. In their FY2007, General Mills’ net sales – for ALL of General Mills – was $12.4B.
“Net sales for the Snacks division increased 10 percent to exceed $1 billion for the first time, led by grain snacks such as Nature Valley granola bars and new Fiber One bars. Yoplait sales grew 6 percent, led by Yoplait light varieties, Go-gurt and Yoplait Kids yogurt fortified with DHA Omega 3.”
So Yoplait – part of the snacks division of General Mills – couldn’t possibly have netted even one little billion – and that’s sales, not even profits – all by itself, considering it’s not even the leader of the division that just made $1B for the first time.
They didn’t say in that press release what their profit margin was. Let’s say it’s 30% and that yoplait sales were half of all snack sales. 30% of $500M is $150M. That’s their yogurt profits. Only some of that would be from yogurt that even HAD pink lids. Let’s say half again. $75M. And let’s be REALLY generous and say that a quarter of those yogurt cups wouldn’t have been sold without the pink lids. (Damn, that’s some successful marketing.) Ok, so now they’ve made almost $19M that they wouldn’t have made without the lids. They donated over a $1M to Komen in 2007. Seems like a pretty good cut of my WAY generous estimate of what they actually made off the campaign in 2007. How much would have been enough for you?
And I think it’s pretty prudish to get all snooty about charity money just because it was earned and donated by a strip club owner or some frat boys. Last I checked, strip clubs were legal, and I’ve been to a few myself. Maybe I’m conflicted about the feminist implications of stripping, but I’m not
I just really don’t get the RAGE part of this equation. Cynicism? Ok. But rage? Wanting to stick forks in people’s throats because of a display of cupcakes? Why on earth?
Oops, left out a part:
Maybe I’m conflicted about the feminist implications of stripping, but I’m not going to manufacture indignation about strip club owners who give money to charity and the charities that love them.
(By the way, the lid thing has been going on for 10 years. Assuming that those evil bastards really did make an extra $18M a year every year… let me get out my calculator…
Nope, $180M is nowhere close to “in the billions”.)
Karen – I see you’re still an irrational tw@t – err twit – good to see some things never change.
I guess there is no explaining to you, Karen. Pink ahoy!
Leukemia is a cancer. So is lymphoma. Most people honestly don’t know that fact. (because we all know there *is* no other cancer other than boobie cancer, right?)
So what if people ask when to get mammograms? That’s great. It’s easy to get mixed up at what age people should get them because they’ve come out with several different age brackets. At least they know to get them & I’m sure, unless they’ve had a lobotomy, they know that breast cancer is a cancer. That’s where I objected to what you so condescendingly said about leukemia.
Where exactly did I say that breast cancer research isn’t useful? Oh. Couldn’t find it?
Glad your mom is ok, financially and otherwise. That’s a very very rare occurrence that she’s not financially and/or emotionally destitute after her experience. So glad her cancer was all pretty and pink and cute, wrapped up with a nice little pink satin bow. Please buy her some rBGH-filled Yoplait for me, will you? http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org/
So you have no problem with companies who profit off the of the pink marketing even if they don’t have to donate much, if any, to the “cause.” That some pink ribbon can be sold somewhere in a store and they don’t have to give any proceeds whatsoever to any type of non-profit? Because they can. It’s marketing. It’s not charity. No one is enforcing it, but they know you will buy pink out of fear or guilt. Oh well, I’m buying it anyway. But where does the money go? Really? Do you know?
I think stripping is exploitative and disgusting – but that’s just me (I’m no prude either). I think jingle jugs is abominable – “The trophy rack you’ve always wanted.” Jeanne asked if they would make one that had a mastectomy – the answer was no.
Sorry, but there are people that find the pinking of October insulting. Yippee for you (and on behalf of your mom) that you don’t. Glad you spend your money on it. More power to you.
PS. I think the pinking isn’t an awareness factor to the reality of breast cancer.
I got my awareness at age 10 when I had to help my grandmother get dressed and saw her mastectomy scars for the first time.
No one’s speaking for Karen or her mom, BTW.
Oddly two comments got caught by the spam filter and I can’t get them out! Sorry ladies, try again?
Here is the first one by Jacqueline:
this essay had me laughing my ares off. so thanks!
i’m a bit confused why those that support the big “pink ribbon” ploy always make those that DON’T -seem like haters. it’s funny because that’s EXACTLY how the marketing works- if you’re not out walking, running and consuming for the cause and it’s breast-less “victims” then you just don’t care. god forbid we simply conserve our personal energy by NOT walking and avoid purchasing unnecessary pink crap by NOT consuming and give to the charity DIRECTLY. how much money is spent putting on those mulitude of “walks” and “events” anyway?
i don’t hate the pink “campaign”- i loathe it. and not because it over-rides other diseases and causes of death. i loathe it because it is sexist and undermines almost everything women- true feminists- fight to transcend. it’s an oppressive plight that uses body image and bloated old-age ideologies about our bodies and our place in the world to scare women into being “AWARE” at the expense of our integrity while practicing the sweet pleasures of capitalism. it is simply a “fear losing your breast because it has everything to do with your femininity”- thus the PINK ribbon. it’s a frightening day when some one says with a light, careless air in their voice- “save the ta-tas” IS ok- it’s breast cancer- it IS all about the breast, after all. Komen is no different.
i’ve been diagnosed twice with a mastectomy the second time around with no re-construction. my grandmother had breast cancer and a bi-lateral mastectomy (no re-construction) in her 60’s and died 20 years later with lung cancer. i move forward in her/our honor by NOT supporting breast cancer organizations that use the disease and women’s bodies so carelessly and without a social or feminist conscience. any campaign that uses a headless women’s torso and talks about “save the breast” to bring attention to it’s cause is NOT working in MY name or my grandmother’s ( http://randomsocialthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/01/picture-of-week-sexist-komen.html & http://latestobsession.wordpress.com/2007/01/24/violence-against-breast-cancer/ ). in other words KOMEN does NOT speak for me. we who march to a different drummer certainly are allowed to have and voice our keen socially/politically observant opinions – despite that they may go against the comfy zone of mainstream popularity.
on my blog http://www.rebel1in8.blogspot.com in the right column i place some interesting information “ON PINK”.
in the same vain as my opinion “on pink” i design clothing for women who have had mastectomies and choose NOT to impose society’s politics and ideologies on their already traumatized bodies and do not have reconstruction or a wear the blob (aka the prosthesis). it is the very first clothing line to EMBRACE the single breasted or no breasted body… http://www.rheabelle.com
talk the talk. walk the walk.
And this one is from jayananda:
Wahoo! Thanks for the rant. I needed that.
Karen, Jeanne is not speaking for you, just for herself and other “survivors” (like me), who happen to agree with her.
Debutant, Not only is the Yoplait campaign annoying, they’ve actually been branded by the Breast Cancer Action Network as a “pinkwasher” (A company that purports to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribbon campaign, but manufactures products that are linked to the disease.): “Yoplait yogurt is made with milk from cows that have been injected with a synthetic hormone called recombinant bovine growth hormone (called rBGH or rBST). There are numerous health concerns surrounding rBGH, and breast cancer is one of them.” http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org/Pages/TakeAction.html
I love you Karen.
It’s unfortunate that alot of jealousy stems from the fact that their particular cancer is NOT backed by an organization that is as successful at fundraising as Komen is. You don’t like pink…don’t buy anything during the month of October supporting breast cancer. You don’t like the jugs…don’t buy them. I’m not a fan of half the things out on the market these days…I just don’t buy them.
Is it sexist…some of the crap that’s out there. Maybe…who the hell really cares. Are you really that friggin’ uptight? As long as a portion (and I don’t mean all) of the money goes to support a good cause then so be it.
So sorry that other cancer organizations don’t know how to get their name out there…it’s unfortunate that jealousy comes into play with something like CANCER. It really is pathetic!
“So glad her cancer was all pretty and pink and cute, wrapped up with a nice little pink satin bow. ”
Fuck you.
No seriously, really, fuck you and the horse you rode in on, “Debutante”. The more I sit and think about that comment, the madder I get. Where the fuck do you get off, saying something like that? Who the fuck do you think you are? What kind of upbringing did you have that would make you think it’s ok to make fun of my mother’s cancer ordeal?
You can’t be happy with just not participating in the pink campaign yourself if you don’t like it, or with not buying yogurt with scary, scary rBGH in it if you think it causes breast cancer. No, you have to go around shitting on everyone who thinks it would be nice to buy pink M&M’s or bring in some cupcakes to work. You have to shit on experiences like this one:
http://kaiso.typepad.com/kaiso/2008/06/breast-gig-ever.html
And make sure that everyone knows just how insulting and demeaning and horrible you find it that someone would participate in an event like that, and how stupid people like me are who find it uplifting. Nevermind that if I was writing about, say, my friend who’s doing Team In Training, I bet you’d be all about it.
I’m not going to waste any more of my time trying to defend how it’s not evil or horrible to donate to breast cancer research, no matter how or why or who does it or trying to figure out why it would cause so much rage for you guys.
After all, when I actually do some research to debunk your absurd notions about Yoplait’s profits, I get called an irrational twat. Lovely. You guys are so nice! Look me up next time you’re raising money for the LLS – I’ll be happy to show you the same kind of courtesy.
They don’t call me debu_TAUNT for nothing.
I think if they use the pink to sell their shitty stuff, they should be required to donate ALL profits (post tax) to charity – just like Paul Newman has done for over 25 years.
Spend away, lemming.
I’ll donate my money where I want to.
Have a nice day, Karen.
Sorry, Russ. I was being facetious, but since none of y’all know me….it didn’t quite carry over.
Karen was the one that said her mom didn’t need someone to buy her groceries, run errands, babysit , pay her utility bills or pay for meds. That she had cancer insurance. It sounded all nice and neat to me.
Most of us who have gone through cancer (of any kind) are either emotionally or financially destitute (or both). All cancers are horrible. They are exhausting and disheartening and really traumatic. Yes there is hope, but for the most part, I don’t think there is anything neat or inspirational about “Happy Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” (as Jeanne said, it’s like Happy Domestic Violence Awareness month – which is also in October) “Happy month of a disease which has killed millions of people & there isn’t a cure yet.”
I went through my treatment and it’s a bit different because most stem cell transplant patients have a lifetime of post-transplant related issues. I’m not able to work yet (I’m immunosuppressed), moved home at age 39 (after being independent for over 20 years), and still deal with graft vs host disease; where your body rejects your new cells. Yes, I’m a very hopeful person, but cancer and the ribbon crap is not at all inspirational to me. It’s just a bunch of consumerism and just a reminder that I will never be fully out of the shadow of cancer. That people buy crap and there still is no cure.
Cancer was a pain in the ass both emotionally and financially to me and my entire family (my company did not have cancer insurance, btw). I’m now losing my insurance, so it’s going to get even tighter. But it is what it is. I’m glad to be here, but would be even happier if I could figure out how to pay for my $671 monthly premium. (and no. Medicare screwed up and I can’t apply yet until Jan even though I’m eligible).
Karen said all the pink is inspirational. Not to all. I can’t image it would be if you are scarred for life or living with the breast cancer that can’t be “cured” and eventually will kill you (as is Jeanne Sather @ assertivepatient.com)
I can see how the Komen walks, however, would be inspirational. We’ve done them before as we also have done the Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia Society, Diabetes Walks, Aids walks. A gathering of that magnitude of people who all care about the same cause would most certainly be inspirational. That’s why I do donate to friends directly when they walk.
And Russ, why I said *required* is solely because the companies get the goodwill of the pink marketing and they look like the good guys, but honestly they all still make lots and lots of money off of cause marketing. It’s worked very well for Paul Newman’s company. Ok, so if not all, perhaps they should be required to donate say 50-75% of their post-tax profits. I think I could sort of stomach the pinksplosion if I knew x% would actually go to where they say it goes instead of some generic breast cancer research. It just wouldn’t feel as exploitative to me.
Karen,
I’ve never understood why you are so angry about everything. You need to clean up your language, its ugly.
Debutant,
I’m sorry that you are dealing with cancer and all of the financial consequences of it. I hope we see a cure for cancer in our lifetime. And I’m glad I’m not the only one annoyed about Yoplait yogurt tops!
Jessicarrot,
Excuse me, did you just complain about MY anger? On a post called “Pink Rage”? One where I was plenty composed while Cara and others sputtered incoherently about how utterly unbearable they find Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and too much pink, and how no more work needs to be done, or maybe more work does need to be done but Yoplait shouldn’t try to do any of it unless they stop using milk that everyone else uses, or how Yoplait should be forced to donate 100% of the profits from a product THEY SELL ANYWAY if they decide to donate any part of them, or how Self Magazine just went too far in dedicating a whole issue, and how egregious it is to eat cupcakes and be happy that people are surviving and battling and raising funds and trying to find a cure?
Why don’t you guys listen to Russ, if you can’t listen to me? He thinks it’s all a little overboard – which I totally understand – but he manages to be rational about it and tries to bring a little voice of moderation and tolerance into the discussion.
And that’s all I was trying to do, if you’ll notice. I wasn’t angry, even when I was exasperatedly debunking an absurd idea about Yoplait’s “huge” profits compared to how much they donate. I wasn’t angry until Deb started in on my mom.
I am, actually, quite angry at this point about Debu_TAUNT’s attitude, and now a little angry about yours. Why is it ok for her to literally base her online persona on her tendency to be a bitch, but when I respond with valid anger to one of her “facetious” “taunts”, I’m the crazy one? Did you read what she said about my mother? Holy crap, she deserved a little language.
Ugly? Yeah, my language was ugly. It was in response to something even uglier – Deb’s comment about my mom, her belief that her suffering excuses her from common decency, and the bizarre, incoherent rage over the fundraising/awareness campaign just because it isn’t directly addressing HER and her problems (Deb) or because they have taken it upon themselves to feel personally insulted by the whole thing since it’s too late for them (Jeanne) or… well, whatever Cara’s reason is, something about frat boys and feminism and Self Magazine and omg cupcakes!
This is why I don’t comment much anymore – unless something really moves me. I get called out for being angry when everyone else is much angrier about something much dumber. I get called irrational when I do actual research. It’s par for the course, really, and I can’t stand it.
Russ, thank you for being the only one to stick up for me instead of the bitch who called my mom’s cancer “pretty and cute”. Claudia and Deanne, thanks for the support on my “Gee, it’s kind of a weird thing to get mad about” point.
Deb,
My mother IS scarred for life. That’s kind of what happens when you have half of your breast removed, you know. It’s not (avert your virgin eyes, Jessicarrot – I’m still angry about this, strangely enough) fucking CUTE. You were not being facetious, so don’t try to back out of what you said. You did, and do, think my mom’s experience wasn’t difficult.
“Karen was the one that said her mom didn’t need someone to buy her groceries, run errands, babysit, pay her utility bills or pay for meds. That she had cancer insurance. It sounded all nice and neat to me.”
Yeah, omg, we’re so LUCKY that cancer kills everyone in our family, so much so that it makes financial sense to have insurance especially for it. And, less sarcastically, yeah, we are lucky that a) the cancer waited until her kids were grown and she was semi-retired and b) my parents have been successful enough that money and insurance haven’t been a problem for them and c) that there were plenty of people able and willing to help her when she WAS physically devastated by surgery and chemo.
I’m sorry you are going through a tough experience, but you don’t get to dismiss my mother’s experience as trivial just because it doesn’t exactly mirror yours.
“Most of us who have gone through cancer (of any kind) are either emotionally or financially destitute (or both).”
Oh, I’m sorry, now you’re admitting that the toll of cancer can be emotional (like it was for my mom) more than financial for some people? Nice. I guess it’s just my mom, specifically, who enjoyed her pretty, cute, pink, beribboned, easy, fun cancer and thus deserves your insults.
“Karen said all the pink is inspirational. Not to all.”
So what? The world has no obligation to protect you from everything you don’t find to be inspirational. I never said it was inspirational to everyone – I said it was inspirational TO ME. You’re the one who has decided that I am wrong and bad to find it inspirational, that bakeries are wrong to celebrate the event with baked goods, and that Yoplait is pure evil because they might possibly make more from the campaign than they donate, even though your original numbers were ridiculous and show that you clearly have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re more than welcome to find pink ribbons or pink coffee mugs irritating or trivializing or whatever. You’re more than welcome to be cynical about people’s motivations for participating. What I don’t get is the boycott aspect, the rage aspect, the bizarre and anticapitalist idea that companies should not be allowed to donate to causes unless they either do it secretly or donate ALL of their profits. It’s like you’ve never heard of a win-win scenario before.
Breast cancer research and services get funds they wouldn’t have had before. I get tasty yogurt with a vague aftertaste of philanthropy. Yoplait gets a boosted corporate image, and perhaps a little extra market share. Actually, I’d call that a win-win-win. Unless Yoplait is lying about how much they’ll donate, guess what sugarbutt? They aren’t doing a blessed thing wrong, and I’ve spent my money exactly how I wanted to. Ah, the free market. C’mon Cara – you’re a conservative! You LOVE the free market – you should be on my side about this Yoplait nonsense.
Please stop pretending the world would be a better place if Breast Cancer Awareness Month were wiped out of the public consciousness. Stop acting like it’s a big con being pulled over on an unsuspecting public and you’re just so smart because you’ve figured out that companies (gasp!) benefit from having a philanthropic image. Stop saying that people think breast cancer is the only cancer that exists, or the only cancer that women get – that’s just not true, and cancer awareness is not a zero-sum game. More breast cancer awareness does not equal less leukemia awareness.
Don’t worry Karen…debutaunt is a huge insecure, self-centered pain in the ass. Her comments do not surprise me!
Karen,
I should leave well enough alone, but I get a kick out of your epistles. If you think you are coming across composed and intelligent, check your tone. You may well be as smart as you think you are, but you are coming across as condescending and needy. Not a good combination. And btw, you are angry about people’s anger? Just allow people to have their feelings. Its honest and refreshing for people to voice their annoyance at things we’re all supposed to be polite and P/C about. I’m sorry for your mom, cancer sucks. It sucks for EVERYONE. If the Komen foundation comes up with a cure for cancer I’ll buy only Yoplait yogurt for the rest of my life.
BTW, there are many milk products out there that aren’t made with growth hormones. Since everyone in your family dies of cancer, Karen, perhaps you should do your homework on organic dairy (and other) products. We use them in our home as I have a young, growing daughter.
And Claudia, guess you are the expert on all things Debutaunt? If you were, you’d know that self-centered isn’t a word that anyone would use to describe me whatsoever (except maybe some lame trolls on my blog). So glad you know me so well.
Funny, not one time have I been rageful about the pinksplosion, Karen. It’s not unfounded, nor bizarre, nor incoherent. I don’t get rageful. Even though my life is complicated, I still live in a pretty mellow world.
“….And btw, you are angry about people’s anger? Just allow people to have their feelings. Its honest and refreshing for people to voice their annoyance at things we’re all supposed to be polite and P/C about.?”
Thanks, Jessicarrot. We aren’t allowed to get disgusted by what we are bombarded with? Or think it’s hypocritical that companies are making lots of money/corporate goodwill. That breast cancer patients should embrace the color. Sorry, but many many just don’t. It’s not a pretty Breast Cancer Barbie world (on sale for $49.99 – no lie). There’s no pink fluffy ballgown in the cancer ward. There is fear, sadness, anger, hope, scarring and emotional loss. Even when you are “cured,” you still are forever in the shadow of relapse or worse. It’s a daily fear for all of us, but you go on.
You try to say that we should just ignore the pink – well most of the time I do. I don’t care that idiots like you spend your money on pink mixers, soup, velveeta cheese whatever. There are some of us who don’t think this is a win win. The only ones winning are the greedy companies who make profit off of a disease.
I fundraise for the LLS. Mainly because they helped me financially when I went through treatment, have a great forum for support, and 70% of their donations go directly to research, but mostly because they don’t spend ANY money to fundraise. I think it’s sort of noble that they can raise BILLIONS of dollars anyway. I like it that they *could* do what Komen does, but they don’t. Simply because they want to get as much money to research and patients as possible and not to marketers. Gleevac anyone?
Regardless, cancer sucks donkey balls. All kinds of cancer. But no one can deny that the emphasis is in on breast cancer – the boob cancer – oooohhh boobies, breastssssss. Karen said it.
Cancer is horrible and shouldn’t be made cute with a neat pink ribbon wrapped around it. (and that was my point – and was facetious) When it strikes you or your family it isn’t pink nor pretty. Whether you survive it or not, it’s a lose-lose situation. There’s nothing win about it.
I have been watching from the sidelines and just have to say – that Karen and I are polar opposites on most ideologies – but wow, if someone said that statement – “pretty and pink and cute, wrapped up with a nice little pink satin bow” – to me after what I had written, I would have responded in exactly the same tone Karen did.
There’s a lot to be said about being passionate about a subject, and the sides have stated their arguments well. But decorum is decorum, and it shows the level of human being you are. Give a gift, walk away, is sometimes the best part of valor.
Uhm, I know Debutaunt, and she *was* being facetious. The tone of that comment was dripping with sarcasm. Her point was exactly that even with insurance, sound financial footing, and social support, cancer is still not fun and anyone saying
‘my mom does not need any help’ through breast cancer is frustratingly disconnected from reality. Agree or disagree. But it was sarcasm. Breast cancer is scary, isolating, and painful no matter who we are or what our financial situation is. If it weren’t, Karen, you wouldn’t be so indignant.
October also happens to be Lupus Awareness Month. Heard of it? Know what it is? Our color is purple. Symbol is the butterfly. Yeah… thought so. But I support the honorable search for the answer to all malfunctions of the immune system and not just for altruistic reasons, either. I have taken Methotrexate, Cytoxan, Imuran, and other organ rejection and chemo drugs, developed for cancer. What helps cancer and AIDS also helps autoimmune disease.
The problem I have with Pinksploitation is that companies are manipulating people’s emotional reactions in order to make a profit. If you go to the store, you may see two thermoses, for example, and be tempted to buy the best value for the money. Ah, but then… a pink ribbon one jumps out at you. You suddenly imagine drinking your coffee, chicken soup, or Ensure out of one of those. You can be a hero. Everyone can see what a good person you are. You can help people with breast cancer by paying $2 more for it. Most people don’t know or care if $1.98 of that extra mark-up goes back to the manufacturer and 2 cents go to Komen. It’s emotional manipulation and it’s a cynical abuse of consumers who would like to think that they can do good in this world by buying things with pink ribbons. Because there are no standards, companies can make a minimal donation, cap their donation without disclosure, and sell marked products after the donation agreement is maxed out. It’s like those products that say ‘made with real fruit juice.’ How much fruit juice? What kind? Is that ‘made with real fruit juice IN MIND’ or ‘in the same room?’
When companies collect money for charity, they should be required to disclose up-front the amount that’s being donated. Otherwise, it’s shady!
Please feel free to tell me to go fuck myself or something else just as insightful, but to a person with mammary tissue, October sometimes feels as if it were designed just to remind every woman that she’s a ticking time-bomb. And some women just seem to get an incredible high off of all of the ‘hope’ being crammed down our throats. Dare I go this far? Yes. Some women seem to be CODEPENDENT on KOMEN. They get off on the ‘battle’ fought by wearing pink and walking five miles. A sustained, measured, real response would be more sincere and more progressive than a pink public relations junket.
The point is valid: instead of buying a pink Komen sun visor and pink Komen cat litter and pink Komen bottled water, how about cutting through some of the hysterical charity marketing and donating directly. Buying M&Ms for the cure will not help you stave off cancer, will likely not contribute much to the ‘cure’ and will not put a salve over the pain your heart gets when a loved one dies of breast cancer. If a pink ribbon lipstick makes you feel like you’re a warrior, out fighting cancer, then you are easily distracted from the facts. If a pink ribbon convinces you to pay more for a product, not knowing how much of the money really goes to Komen, then you are negligent. If it convinces you to buy something you don’t need, putting needless pollution into our air and water, hormones or fat into our bodies, or trash into our landfills, then it has probably encouraged the very disease you are hoping to cure with the purchase.
product + unknown amount charity contribution doesnot= unimpeachable good
Rachel Y.
I think I’ve just figured it out for myself. I don’t hate the Komen foundation at all. I just resent the cult of celebrity built up around Breast Cancer. Breast cancer seems to be the person who’s popular in high school. She’s no smarter, kinder, nicer, or more deserving than you. But she’s the *it* girl and she gets advantages denied others just because she’s the popular girl. The popularity of pink is not based upon rationale. It’s based upon slick marketing that tells us that if we don’t wear pink we don’t care about breast cancer. All the cool kids are doing it. Don’t ask questions. Don’t try to figure out why you should like her. Just pretend to worship her like everyone else does. Otherwise, you’ll look like the angry, bitter goth kids in the corner of the cafeteria.
Jessicarrot, you overestimate how important your approval of my tone and intelligence is to me.
“And btw, you are angry about people’s anger? Just allow people to have their feelings. Its honest and refreshing for people to voice their annoyance at things we’re all supposed to be polite and P/C about.”
But somehow it’s not honest or refreshing for other people to then comment on those feelings of “annoyance” – rage – with a different perspective.
“Since everyone in your family dies of cancer, Karen, perhaps you should do your homework on organic dairy (and other) products. We use them in our home as I have a young, growing daughter.”
Well, excuse me for not being as organic as you – I assure you, my daughter is more “young and growing” than yours (I’m 8 months pregnant with our first.) But also, you might want to shut up about habits of mine that you have no idea about. We choose to do non-organic dairy in moderation – that is what we feel is right for our family. You choose to cut it out entirely – FINE. Nice that you feel so very smug about your choices. That’s as pleasant as the La Leche League crazies who come up and lecture bottle-feeding moms and give them guilt trips without even knowing what the situation is.
(And, given your track record, you are now going to assume that I must be intending to bottle-feed my daughter. Aaaand, you’ll be as wrong about that as you are about how much money I’ve spent on pink mixers and soup and cheese. We’re trying as hard as we can to make cloth-diapering, baby-wearing, breast-feeding, co-sleeping, and home-schooling work. The way we do that is a lot like we do organic food: we work in these choices where they can fit for our family. So sorry that it’s not exactly like yours.)
“There are some of us who don’t think this is a win win. The only ones winning are the greedy companies who make profit off of a disease.”
Well, there are some people who think the moon is made of green cheese, but neither “opinion” is supported by the facts.
And there are some of us who get really ticked off when people spout nonsense about a beneficial campaign just because they’re jealous of the “popular girl”, as Rachel has admitted is her problem. Guess what? The idea that “all the cool kids are doing it” and that anyone thinks anything about you not wearing a pink ribbon? It’s ALL IN YOUR HEAD.
So, how hard was my win-win-win explanation to understand? Let’s go over it again – I buy yogurt that I like. (The organic kind that my store carries is ok – omg! yes, I actually eat it about half the time! Again, maybe you should try not assuming things about me! But the texture is kind of crappy and sometimes I like my Yoplait.) If I remember to save the lid, I give it to someone collecting it. Yoplait gets to have a nice image and rake in all those delicious, delicious “billions” (hahahahahahaha). And money goes to breast cancer funds.
“It’s emotional manipulation and it’s a cynical abuse of consumers who would like to think that they can do good in this world by buying things with pink ribbons. Because there are no standards, companies can make a minimal donation, cap their donation without disclosure, and sell marked products after the donation agreement is maxed out.”
I happen to have a Yoplait lid right here. It says, “Help us raise up to $1.5 Million to fight breast cancer. Yoplait will donate 10c per lid up to $1.5 million* to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for each Pink lid received by 12/31/08. For more information visit http://www.yoplait.com. *$500,000 guaranteed minimum donation.”
Seems pretty transparent to me. It’s right there on the lid – and at the website, you can find out how many lids they have already. So… what’s the problem? It seems to me that if the product doesn’t explicitly say what the policies are, caveat emptor – and realize that you may be paying only for the pink ribbon. Some people may still want that, for whatever reason – including some that are nice, but also including image-creating and ego-stroking. Which, actually, people are still allowed to want to do, last time I checked.
“how about cutting through some of the hysterical charity marketing and donating directly. Buying M&Ms for the cure will not help you stave off cancer, will likely not contribute much to the ‘cure’ and will not put a salve over the pain your heart gets when a loved one dies of breast cancer.”
Sure, go ahead – donate directly. But this idea that everyone thinks that M&Ms “stave off cancer, contribute lots to the cure, and will salve the pain in your heart” is just absurd, I’m sorry. Apparently your problem with this campaign is that you think everyone except for you is a total idiot.
“If a pink ribbon convinces you to pay more for a product, not knowing how much of the money really goes to Komen, then you are negligent.”
Not by any definition of negligent that I’m aware of. Maybe you just want a reminder – for yourself and others – on your coffee mug or something else you use every day, and you’re willing to pay for it. I guess in your philanthro-fascist world this isn’t allowed.
“If it convinces you to buy something you don’t need, putting needless pollution into our air and water, hormones or fat into our bodies, or trash into our landfills, then it has probably encouraged the very disease you are hoping to cure with the purchase.”
I’m sure you have never bought anything you didn’t need for survival, thus giving you a position from which it makes sense to throw stones. I’m not saying people should buy random crap they don’t need. That’s personal responsibility. But “need” is a relative term – does anyone actually *need* lipstick? No, and I don’t wear any myself. But a lot gets bought anyway. So it seems that you don’t have a problem with it unless some of the proceeds go to breast cancer, which just strikes me as awful.
“Uhm, I know Debutaunt, and she *was* being facetious. The tone of that comment was dripping with sarcasm. Her point was exactly that even with insurance, sound financial footing, and social support, cancer is still not fun and anyone saying
‘my mom does not need any help’ through breast cancer is frustratingly disconnected from reality.”
Maybe this would make sense if I had come anywhere close to saying that my mom didn’t need help. I said she didn’t need FINANCIAL help. I said, right after that, that what she needed was a cure, so she could stop constantly worrying about a recurrence and so she could stop worrying about me, since I’m probably going to get it someday and we STILL DO NOT KNOW WHY despite Deb’s insistence that consumerism and rGBH are clearly the causes.
The tone of her comment was dripping with something, but it wasn’t sarcasm, and I don’t care if you’re her sister.
Pink ribbons and pink stuff doesn’t mean everyone thinks breast cancer is cute and fun and pretty and awesome. This, again – ALL IN YOUR HEAD.
“Please feel free to tell me to go fuck myself or something else just as insightful,”
Only if you keep insulting my mom.
“But to a person with mammary tissue, October sometimes feels as if it were designed just to remind every woman that she’s a ticking time-bomb.”
Guess what? You kind of are. But guess what else? Monthly self-checks and yearly mammograms will help defuse the bomb. And guess what ELSE? Treatments are getting better all the time, because of RESEARCH – research that costs money, research that DOES give my mom hope that if her cancer does come back in 5 years or 10 years, the state of the art in treatment will be further along than it was in 2008.
That’s the reason you sound bitter, jealous, and otherwise horrible when you talk so meanly about people who walk in the walks and find hope in the solidarity and fundraising that goes on in October. If you think there’s a better way, by all means, do it. But you’re not – you’re just complaining about people who actually ARE doing something and trying to take away from their accomplishments by painting everyone involved as either craven capitalists, idiot consumers, hypocritical fakers, codependent crazies, or “hope fiends”.
Please stop fighting to get people to NOT give money or show support for the fight in the way they see fit – whether that be direct contributions or a homemade pink ribbon on their lapel from which -OMG THE HORROR – Komen will not see a single cent.
(P.S. If you do, heaven forbid, develop breast cancer during what I hope is a long, happy, and healthy life from here on out, do you plan on turning down the most modern treatments in favor of pre-Komen, pre-awareness-month technology? Or do your “anti-pinksploitation” principles only extend to the point where *you* would actually benefit from research that has been partially funded by these hated Pink Instigators?)
Gee Karen, you’re superfantastic.
Hope you enjoy riding in the Yoexploit CEO’s new Ferrari.
Again, a good example of a cause marketing company is Newman’s Own. I respect them and I am loyal to their brand – they even sell organics.
Have a great day.
PS We eat only organic dairy and meat products because a) I’d rather my daughter not get her period this year. My OBGYN at MD Anderson told me that girls are getting them younger and younger because of the extra hormones they get in their food. and b) we think Yoplait tastes like shit. But I’m not judging or assuming what the frick you do, Karen. More power to you, earthmama.
Debu_TAUNT
(and I knew it was Lupus awareness month too, Rach. My cousin died of lupus this year.)
Debutaunt…I’ve seen your blog. I have to wonder how many organics you ate BEFORE your stem cell transplant. And I’m sure you’ll say all the time because you don’t want to be wrong, however it’s only once your graft vs. host went out of whack and you became immuno-suppressed did you change… come on, admit it!!!!!
In support of Karen…yet again…cool by me if the CEO has a friggin’ Ferrari, as long as Komen and other breast cancer organizations got some $$ as well! So be it…welcome to America. Have you been out of the country for awhile. I don’t get it.
Good for Paul Newman. It’d be great if everyone just threw the money towards an organization, however these are tough times and companies are hoping for a buck towards their earnings as well…Again…welcome to America.
P.S. Komen has a wonderful support system on it’s message boards as well…it’s not just LLS that does that. Though I’m sure you and your jealous ways will insist the LLS one is MORE supportive.
Ugh…you need a hobby.
I think we need Ann Coulter to come in and smooth things out. As she asks, when did it become not allowed to critically evaluate and discuss people’s opinions just because someone they know may have died from the issue in question? We’re not really having a contest to see who has been most afflicted by cancer here are we? We not really having a “cancer-off” here are we?
I think in coping with cancer, all of us are going to handle it differently, especially depending on which stage of cancer it is with which we are dealing. For some the pink month feels good, for others, not so much. Isn’t that about it?
I came back from a charity I’m involved with, (we don’t even get a month, I think our colour is plaid), and it turns out we found out about someone who was recently suffering from the disease in question, and there is no way the mother of this child is yet prepared to seek our support. For her, I think, it would too much of an admission that her child will die in a couple of years. It is very sad – but very real. That’s fine, when and if she wants our help we’ll give it to her.
Everyone, it’s called: Charity — and the Lord loves a cheerful giver! Not an angry or obliged one.
David, thanks for the comments. You are correct about the cancer-off.
But the pink-lash started when it stopped being charitable and started being big profits for the companies. When the company spends more on the pink marketing campaign than the actual donation (3-M). I would just be curious if perhaps research-wiz Karen could find out the % of what is given to what is actually made off of ALL of the campaigns in total. Jeanne (who is a reporter) has asked some companies about their donations and many won’t answer her questions.
And Brooke and others who claim to know me or all about me, I’ve been eating as much organics as I can since college – I went to school back in the weird, hippie Austin days and used to shop at the co-op and the dinky original, Lamar, non-chain Whole Foods. I definitely don’t let my child have non-organic dairy and meats as much as I physically can do so.
Ugh… rightbackatcha Brooke. I have lots of hobbies. Helping spread Jeanne’s words during October just is one of them.
You’re going to have to be a little more specific, Deb, but I’m happy to research any particular brand you have a problem with.
The reviled M&M’s, for example, on their website:
“The M&M’S® Brand is part of The Komen Million Dollar Council, a special group of corporate partners. In addition to a financial contribution of at least $1 million, each partner has found new and innovative ways to spread two important messages: early detection saves lives and only through research can we find a cure.”
“Mars Snackfood US will donate a minimum of $1 million to aid Susan G. Komen for the Cure in their promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever.
The M&M’S Brand will invest $450,000 in the M&M’S Brand/Komen NASCAR race, with an estimated ad exposure of up to $4 million.”
Gosh, what evil, evil bastards.
They sell some pink merchandise and, of course, pink M&M’s – 10% of the purchase price is donated from that. That’s purchase price, note, not profits – so it’s a significantly larger percentage of the profits. Probably 1/3 to 1/2. Considering Mars did all the work, seems fair to me…
(And by the way, I’m STILL not clear on what percentage of the profits, exactly, crosses the line in your head from nice, acceptable win-win scenario smart marketing-donation campaign into the land of evil, greedy exploitative corporate Ferrari-driving CEOs. Do you have a specific number in mind? Do you telepathically determine the sincerity factor of the people responsible? Or does it vary depending on how much you like the company’s product? Yoplait may “taste like shit” to you, but do you maybe like M&Ms? Oh, sorry, they probably don’t make organic M&Ms, so they get dinged for “contributing” to a disease we don’t know the cause of. Since consumerism is another of your peeves, do pink mixers get more slack than pink ribbons, since mixers are at least actually useful?)
Karen,
“But somehow it’s not honest or refreshing for other people to then comment on those feelings of “annoyance” – rage – with a different perspective.”
No, its not. Your perspective is the expected one. Its normal. Its only interesting/refreshing that people are enraged about pink month because its totally NOT what you expect people to be mad about…get it?
Actually, diabetes runs in my family, so we don’t eat M&Ms. My daughter rarely eats sweets, but likes frozen grapes, veggies, nuts and fruit. An Icee once in a great while. I don’t get crazy about food, but there rarely is candy in this house. (and before I moved home with my parents, I never had any unhealthy food in my apartment) We’re not perfect, but I know that personally if I eat poorly, I feel terrible, so I don’t.
The companies have learned pink will sell more. Very rarely do they give a big percentage of their profits. I don’t know. Say someone used a picture of my daughter to sell a disgusting product without my permission and were paying me .05 on each purchase to sort of legitimize it all. Well yeah, yay for the .05 cents, but who the hell are they to use her picture to sell their crap? I’d say no to the profits and fight back.
[aside]
I mean, come on – lick lids and pay to send them in where they most likely aren’t counted for .10 each. I mean, whose disgusting job is it to count all those gross lids?
I just think cause marketing is evil. They should have to pay to play – e.g. Newman’s Own. Perhaps all these charitable companies should branch off to have specifically a pink all profit line? Someone’s getting rich, and no one’s getting cured. The ROI on all of this pinkage is still not high enough.
We will never agree on this subject. But buy away. Shopping makes people happy and will make them forget all about their cancer!!!
(although breast cancer patients write to Jeanne all the time and say they hate October because of the reminder – CANCER EVERYWHERE!! Happy Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Have a pink balloon.)
Hey, Karen, here’s a question for you. People keep saying ‘if you don’t like it (pink merchandise), don’t purchase it.’ Right? Well, what are you doing on a blog where cancer patients come to vent about what’s bothering them, posting to a thread about Pink Rage and raging about the rage? You don’t have to come here, read this, or put up with our lousy, ignorant opinions. You’re too good for us. You obviously don’t have to calm down enough to even consider another viewpoint because you already know you’re right!
I, however, can’t avoid the thing that makes me feel not-so-perky. I had to walk through Target today where Kitchenaid had pink teflon-coated (look up the health implications) kitchen tools on display right next to the pink Dyson vacuums and the pink tweezers and the pink paper clips, etc., ad nauseum.
I am not Debu’s “sister.” I have never even had the privilege of meeting her. I know her through her writings. And I’m not “jealous” of the celebrity of breast cancer. I’m just one of a number of people who can see that Emperor Komen has no clothes. Many years and billions of dollars later, breast cancer has no definitive cure. Sure there have been advances. Are they because of Komen or because of advances in technology that have come from other sources? Shouldn’t this research be funded by the Centers for Disease Control or the United States Department of Health? Don’t we pay taxes so that the government can finance health research?
Pink Ribbon Merchandise is a slight-of-hand. If you don’t want to acknowledge that, then I have a bridge in Alaska to sell you. Just because you’re spending a great deal of money on something does not mean that you are doing a good thing.
And guess what? When companies doing the research for your benefit and mine put a patent on our genome and try to make more money and hold cancer patients hostage by charging more than anyone can afford to pay for treatment (much less that elusive cure) everyone makes money – the manufacturers, the merchants, the drug companies, the insurance companies, the biotech and testing companies – everyone except the patient who can’t afford to treat the cancer. She gets screwed in the name of capitalism and she’s advised to let pink thoughts be the buoy that keeps her afloat. It’s a bridge in Alaska. It’s pork-barrel politics in the private sector.
Yes, I admit it. I’m have socialist leanings. So bring out your pitchfork, Karen, and roast me for being a communist. I believe that every American should benefit from the brilliance of America’s best minds, funded by the taxes we pay.
Seriously and with all equanimity aside, I truly hope that someday there is a cure for every cancer. If our children never have to think about Komen (except perhaps on V- Breast Cancer Day), we will all be better off. I hope your mother does well, Karen, and that you don’t have to face this yourself. Wouldn’t it be great if we could look back at this discussion as the frustration of people who didn’t know that the cure for cancer (and other diseases) was just over the horizon?
Ok, so Jessicarrot feels that I should only be allowed to express my opinion if it’s “not normal”. Noted.
Deb, for crying out loud, I don’t CARE whether you eat M&Ms or grapes. I was making a point about your arbitrary/undefined standards.
“Very rarely do they give a big percentage of their profits. I don’t know. ”
No, clearly, you don’t know. You keep saying this as if it’s a unarguable fact, but two of your big “offenders” have turned out to be pretty good, actually.
“Say someone used a picture of my daughter to sell a disgusting product without my permission and were paying me .05 on each purchase to sort of legitimize it all. Well yeah, yay for the .05 cents, but who the hell are they to use her picture to sell their crap?”
Well, that would be illegal. Your daughter is a person. Cancer is not a person, and neither you nor anyone else gets to “own” the publicity rights or decide which products are “too disgusting” to be allowed to use it.
“I just think cause marketing is evil.”
Sigh. All marketing is “evil”. (Unless it’s Paul Newman doing it.) It’s all manipulation and profits. Welcome to the real world. I’d rather them try to appeal to my better nature – even if my better nature isn’t perfect – than try to appeal to my vanity, sex drive, or insecurities. I’d rather them exaggerate how helpful they are as a company than exaggerate, say, how healthful and wonderful their product is. Yes, you have to make sure you know what you’re buying and make smart choices when it’s cause-marketed. Guess what? You ALWAYS have to make sure you know what you’re buying and make smart choices. I don’t understand getting all worked up about this small, relatively decent backwater of the marketing industry. Companies that abuse the words “organic”, “healthy”, “all-natural”, etc – now THERE are some evil deeds.
I understand not liking the reminder, but that’s a personal preference – some people like it, some don’t, no problem – and it is NOT the problem you have with the month.
“Shopping makes people happy and will make them forget all about their cancer!!!”
Strawman. No one is saying or has ever said that October or pink-ribbon products make people forget about their cancer or will somehow make up for the suckiness of having cancer. This is the “all in your head” part. You’ve imagined that everyone but you is super-dumb and thinks this, and used that imaginary and absurd “fact” to justify your anger. Just like Rachel has imagined that people are judging her for not wearing a pink ribbon.
“Well, what are you doing on a blog where cancer patients come to vent about what’s bothering them, posting to a thread about Pink Rage and raging about the rage?”
This is not “a blog where cancer patients come to vent”, Rachel. Check your facts. RTG/CJ/CE is a political blogger. As for why I’m posting and reading, it’s because I came here to check in and was surprised and hurt to find her venting crazy rage about a month dedicated to raising funds and awareness about a disease that everyone hates and wants gone, and that has affected me deeply this year. Of all the things to be pissed off about… Cara says it herself, she knows she’s “going to hell for this one.”
“I, however, can’t avoid the thing that makes me feel not-so-perky.”
You know what I can’t avoid? The fact that my mom has cancer. You have a choice to ignore these products, just like I ignore the waves of other useless crap from which 100% of the profits go to the companies. I don’t have a choice to ignore breast cancer.
“You obviously don’t have to calm down enough to even consider another viewpoint because you already know you’re right!”
Yeah, I know, how arrogant of me to have confidence in that crazy, mixed-up opinion that yes, giving money to breast cancer research and showing support and stuff – not to mention consumer choice – actually IS a good thing.
Tell me I should check on and be wary of companies that claim to be donating in order to sell me something, and I will never disagree with you. Tell me people are sometimes tacky and inappropriate – sure. Tell me some cause-marketing campaigns are focused more on the marketing than the cause – of course they are, it’s the American Way.
Where I start to have a problem is where you then turn around and smear the foundations that benefit, like Komen or the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, that both get a 4-star rating on Charity Navigator, as basically inherently evil. Your logic is fuzzy, your reasons are bogus:
1) They haven’t found a cure yet, after all this time.
Um, duh? Neither has the MS Society, the LLS, the American Cancer Society…
2) Breast cancer research shouldn’t need any private funding. The government is capable of doing it all, should do it all with our taxes, and private drug companies have no right to profit from their investments.
Um, no? I’m sorry, again, I have to ask where Cara is on this. Most of the people who agree with you, Cara, have turned out to hate capitalism, dear.
I’m moderately liberal. I at least understand where you’re coming from on the drug company issue, though I don’t have quite as much faith in the wisdom and brilliance and omnipotence of the government…. Cara, on the other hand, is a raging, hard-right, Enron-loving conservative.
Anyway, until you start fighting every other research-funding foundation for the same reason, forgive me if I don’t take this argument too seriously.
3) Komen and the BCRF are insulting to breast cancer patients because they chose to use pink ribbons to symbolize the fight.
…as opposed to yellow ribbons, red ribbons, puzzle-piece colored ribbons… everyone uses ribbons for causes. Why is this one in particular insulting? Does a yellow ribbon for suicide trivialize or make “pretty and cute” the loss of my high school friend who hung himself last year?
4) Their campaign has captured the attention of the public, including marketing execs. They may have benefited in this from the appeal of the body part involved.
….and what do you suggest they do? Be less successful? Turn down funds? Illegally demand that people and companies not use a simple, uncopyrightable pink ribbon design wherever they choose? Lecture people about how their special attachment to their boobs isn’t strictly rational?
It sure would be nice if someday there were a cure for all cancers. Kvetching about pink overload – a fad that will pass – and smearing a perfectly nice organization like Komen are not constructive ways to work towards this goal.
See Karen, you do care what I think!
C’mon, just let me have the last word.
“C’mon, just let me have the last word.”
No.
LOL!
Just out of curiousity…who is this Susan Komen person? Like, here in Canada, we have the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. There are a lot of pink ribbons around, we have a run for the cure (I’ve taken part several times), but we also have the Canadian Cancer Society. I think their month is April. They sell daffodils and have a ‘relay for life.’ I’ve donated to both of these societies…and I do own a lot of pink ribbon stuff. But I’m getting the impression that there’s a lot more of it down in the states…is this true? And do you not have a general “cancer society”?
Cone – I actually was also thinking about who the heck she was as well, just last week when the pink pandemonium was coming full tilt. You should google her name. You’ll get tons of information about her; it was actually her sister who started this whole thing in her memory as a promise to eradicate breast cancer.
Umm… I heart you. You may be going to hell, but I’ll reserve the condo right next to you and bring the marshmallows so we can roast some smores.
I actually just resigned from working at the American Cancer Society, as their Director of Fundraising. I didn’t leave ACS because of any bad taste- I actually returned to school and will be applying to medical school next year in hopes of becoming a Pediatric Oncologist. Now I am involved with an organization called “I’m Too Young for This”. Since finding i[2]y, my eyes have been opened to the LACK of services that any other org provides for young adults. I had cancer at 15, 19 and 22 years of age. I’m young, feisty, fun and spunky, and i[2]y is rad just like me.
As I learn more and more about the morphology of cancer, I get more and more fired up over the ignorance and lack of research for our demographic. And, while pink is my favorite color, it does bring back a bit of the nausea I once had with chemo, due to the fact that breast cancer is one of the most treatable cancers, with one of the highest survival rates, while cancers like mine (Ewing’s Sarcoma) has about a 10-20% survival, with no changes in the past 30+ years. I am so sick of hearing all about breast cancer. Feel for boobs, and if you find something, you’re likely to be cured after they scoop it out. 
I think what drives me nuts is that I’m a girl, I like pink, but I get annoyed with the fact that I can’t just go buy something pink without having to support an organization. I just want to buy pink shirts, pink mugs, pink whatever without feeling taken advantage of. If I wanted to donate, I would. Personally, I have better places to spend my money, such as finding a cure for my own type of tumor and rare disease.
Kim,
That org sounds really cool – and for that matter so do you. I am just awed by all the people who have commented on this thread, the folks who are living with cancer and kicking its ass. You really do offer so much inspiration.
PTG, I love pink too, but I just can’t stand the whole “buy pink because it means you support breast cancer research” meme. Makes me nutso!
And a friend of mine had the right idea: how about we have Erectile Disfunction month where we all wear droopy blue ribbons. We can start a new slogan, “STAND ERECT, AMERICA!”
This is the greatest thread ever. We might as well through some McCain/Obama and Jesus/Atheist dialog along with this orgasm of fabulousness. To be anti-pink is not to be anti-breast cancer. It is to be pro-consumer.
I encourage everyone to read this essay – “What Would Susan Do?” Link: http://imtooyoungforthis.org/media/costofliving/wwsd.pdf
Matthew Zachary
12-Year Young Adult Survivor
Founder, CEO
I’m Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation
http://stupidcancer.org
*TIME MAGAZINE BEST 50 WEBSITE 2007*
“Just out of curiousity…who is this Susan Komen person?”
I really don’t mean to be a smartass, but you’re already on the internet – why don’t you use it? This information is not hard to come by.
Susan G. Komen was the sister of the woman who started the foundation (Nancy Brinker). She died of breast cancer back in the very early 80′s, and Nancy started her organization to honor her and find a cure for the disease that killed her sister. Not, as most people here apparently believe, for the benefit of marketing execs, her own personal glory, her desire to appropriate the color pink and cutify breast cancer, and her evil plan to make everyone forget that other cancers exist.
“To be anti-pink is not to be anti-breast cancer. It is to be pro-consumer.”
I think you mean it’s “not to be pro-breast cancer”.
I suppose you could believe this, but only if you believe consumers shouldn’t be allowed to choose to buy cause-marketed products simply because the possibility exists that they are being taken advantage of by unscrupulous marketers. And also if you like throwing babies out with the bathwater.
Seriously, Cara. This is so unconservative.
Consumers can do whatever they want. This isn’t socialism. This is objective consumption. I would just hope pink purchasers are educated and vigilant. Nine times out of ten, these campaigns have caps (a max $25K or something to Komen) so you’re buying pink things where zero of your money benefits the cause since caps are generally reached within the first 7 days of October. It borders on exploitation since they should ethically only produce the quantity that would generate revenue up to the cap. In addition, many pink products are associated with causes of breast cancer like BGH-laden Yoplait, Revlon Cosmetics, Ford automobiles and scores more. This was mentioned above but I would recommend you visit a very credible organization’s website – http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org. I’ve been in advocacy for 9 years. I’ve consulted for Komen, BCRF, YSC, Y-Me, NABCO and the ACS. Pink cause marketing has gotten out of control and everyone knows it.
“it does bring back a bit of the nausea … due to the fact that breast cancer is one of the most treatable cancers, with one of the highest survival rates, while cancers like mine (Ewing’s Sarcoma) has about a 10-20% survival, with no changes in the past 30+ years.”
*headdesk*
YES, it’s one of the most treatable! But if you don’t treat it, you still die from it. If you don’t find it before it metastasizes, you’re right down to that 10-20% survival rate. And sometimes it metastasizes anyway, even if you treat it. And survival rates are much lower for people on the lower socio-economic strata. It’s also an extremely *common* form of cancer, so much so that even with the admirable treatability, relative ease of screening, and 10-year survival rates for the localized disease, it is *still* the second most lethal cancer for women, behind only lung cancer.
I’m sorry you have such a terrible, rare, and difficult cancer. It doesn’t follow that you should feel nauseated because there’s a campaign on to reduce the number of women who die from a similar disease that happens to be both much more common and significantly easier to catch while it’s still localized.
Breast cancer foundations have been successful at convincing the public that theirs is a worthy cause because it IS a worthy cause. It’s been embraced because it’s so embraceable – big enough to affect a lot of people, small enough to feel focused, susceptible enough to treatment to not feel futile, deeply personal and at the same time very accessible.
And I’m sorry, but if you’re complaining about this, you do sound like you’re saying that preventing ~40,000 deaths a year from breast cancer isn’t a worthy cause, because of all its “advantages”, but preventing ~20 deaths a year from Ewing’s Sarcoma would be. The truth is, they’re both worthy.
Sometimes ugly feelings happen, but that doesn’t mean they always need to be expressed and celebrated.
Wow Karen, you are actually telling someone with cancer how they should feel about it. Such providence!
It’s unfortunate…truly unfortunate that it all comes down to jealousy. “Why is MY cancer not getting the same attention…why, why, why?” Start and organization like the SUSAN G. KOMEN organization and it just might!
If I’m going to buy pink anyways…hey great I’m helping someone out as well. WONDERFUL…! You have a really cold heart to feel otherwise.
Karen,
You really just can’t stop? I can’t believe you want to tell people with cancer what feelings they should express.
“Sometimes ugly feelings happen, but that doesn’t mean they always need to be expressed and celebrated.”
Too true. You should remember that next time someone offends you and you search for the right words to punctuate your anger.
Since you find pink inspiring though, I will recommend one book for your daughter’s library if you don’t have it already. “Pinkalicious” by Elizabeth and Victoria Kann. Girls love it.
Mathew,
Great Article. I never thought that much about breast cancer awareness month or the Komen foundation before Cara’s post. One thing I’ve noticed though is that a lot of people think that pink month IS about all cancers. When I got thyroid cancer a good friend of mine joked about buying all those pink appliances to support cancer research (then she checked herself and realized it was all for breast cancer). But I just got an email from someone who sells pampered chef products and they have a line of pink stuff on sale this month. I read the little note at the bottom of the add and, interestingly, it said, “The Pampered Chef® will donate $1 from each product sold to the American Cancer Society®.” So either Pampered Chef doesn’t know the difference either, or they have decided it wasn’t fair to only support one type of cancer… Anyway, my eyes are now open.
Thanks Cara.
84 comments. Holy cow. Working in women’s health, it’s one of my responsiblities to educate women about breast health. I have worn pink ribbons, as well as stickers/buttons that say things like “feel your boobies” and “save the tatas”. (I have not, however, licked the yogurt lids to send back, because quite frankly, I can’t bothered.) It never really occurred to me that I might be offending some people. It’s just a cute little reinforcement for something I’m already teaching. However, since this thread started, I suddenly noticed the pink explosion going on all around me, and I understand the visceral reaction that some of you must have every time you walk into a store, or open a magazine. It really has become somewhat excessive. I don’t have that same reaction, and I will probably continue to wear pink ribbons sometimes, BUT I do understand why you feel the way you do, and I’m sorry for your pain.
I think the thing is that people feel forced into buying and supporting the Komen foundation when maybe, that’s not where they want their money to go. I don’t want to be forced to support something just so I can have a pink kitchen. Maybe I just want a pink kitchen because I like pink. Maybe I just want to buy something pink that DOESN’T have a ribbon on it. I just like pink. Like the bear at Build-A-Bear. They have a pink bear this month, I really liked it and thought it was cute, until I noticed the ribbon on it’s foot. That’s taking it a little too far. I just wanted a darn pink bear and to do so, once again I have to support a cause that already has tons of support. I’d rather my money go to supporting less funded causes. I wonder if they’re planning on making a grey bear with a ribbon on it in May for Brain Tumor Awareness Month?? I think I’ll ask them.
Did everyone read what Matthew wrote? Because this is the heart of most people’s problems with the Pink Product Parade (spacing added to emphasize the points I found most relevant):
“Nine times out of ten, these campaigns have caps (a max $25K or something to Komen) so you’re buying pink things where zero of your money benefits the cause since caps are generally reached within the first 7 days of October.
It borders on exploitation since they should ethically only produce the quantity that would generate revenue up to the cap.
In addition, many pink products are associated with causes of breast cancer like BGH-laden Yoplait, Revlon Cosmetics, Ford automobiles and scores more.”
Isn’t it ethically challenged to promote a product as helping to support breast cancer research when after a certain numbers of items are purchased/redeemed, no futher money is being donated, but profits are still being made – bolstered by the idea that the purchase of that item will acutally do some good?
And while I find it hypocitical for companies that create products that are associated with causing cancer to make profits off of fighting those same cancers, the first point is really the most relevant.
Not all companies are shady but there are a lot of companies participating and only minimal amounts of information on which companies are perverting the system to make minimal donations for maximum profits. That is enough to spark cynicism in people personally touched by cancer and the need for real efforts to support people dealing with its effects. Does anyone resent a sincere effort to help? No. Do people get irritated when a real problem is used as a money making scheme for an untold number of companies? Yes.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Matthew.
I don’t “rage” about it. I have been thinking about this post alot and pinking October just kind of makes me sad and disgusted. I had read the article Matthew posted about and saw the website, thinkbeforeyoupink. And both at least make you think twice before you spend your money on these items. Which is what some of us hope to accomplish.
Matthew’s completely right about the caps on donations. That’s one of the biggest things I object to. Our grocery store lets you donate $1, $3, $5 to x, y, z charity, but if you read the fine print there is a cap. So they donate $50,000, but they make $80,000 – they get to keep the extra 30k, while consumers think their small donation goes to the charity. IMO, that’s just really unethical.
There is no jealousy from me about my cancer vs. your cancer because I know the LLS has raised hundreds of millions of dollars. I know many people who do team in training and the Light the Night walks. I benefited from the LLS’s patient financial program. I know many of the researchers funded by the LLS (some are my own MD Anderson doctors) and I know many patients who have received Gleevac, a drug founded by a LLS researcher.
I’ve donated directly to the LLS, but I wouldn’t purchase a product that donates a “portion” to the LLS or has a cap. I want the full benefit of my money to go to the actual LLS, in the same way as I have donated directly to Komen (supporting friends who do RFTC).
All cancers are terrible. I have had friends/family die of breast cancer. I have many friends that have or are living with breast cancer. I don’t begrudge the money spent on research for breast cancer; a cure would be wonderful. Amazing. A cure for ANY cancer is great. Saying anti-pinkers are pro-breast cancer is ridiculous.
Seriously, if you want to buy pink crap, more power to you. I’ll spend my money on more important things, the meds that save my life, my health insurance, and taking care of my child. I don’t need the feel good button for buying pink crap for the cure, and will actually go out of my way NOT to buy it and reward companies who profit off of a cause or spend more on marketing than the actual donation they make.
Karen: “Breast cancer research shouldn’t need any private funding. The government is capable of doing it all, should do it all with our taxes, and private drug companies have no right to profit from their investments. I at least understand where you’re coming from on the drug company issue, though I don’t have quite as much faith in the wisdom and brilliance and omnipotence of the government….”
Oh, Karen. I see. The problem is that you don’t get it. The government itself doesn’t have a Department of the Tumor where Dubbya’s cronies sit and play with immunological assays and make cat’s cradles. They have a funding from taxes they collect from you and from me and those funds are apportioned to various departments. One of those is the Department of Health and Human Services. That department should be helping us. They should be funding cures for all cancers and other fatal diseases, including heart disease in women, which kills far more people than does breast cancer. They should be giving grants to promising research that helps cure any disease, not just funding any research on a specific disease. See, the US government makes grants to places like Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic and other places where brilliant doctors and scientists who know what they are doing carry out research. I’m not suggesting that we should not buy pink things and instead take our money to our nearest postal worker and ask her to come up with a cure for cancer. I’m saying that I don’t think that giving money through buying pink merchandise is the best way to fund research. With all the middle-men, it’s certainly not the most bang for my buck.
And you’ll note that I DID NOT say that private companies have no right to profit from their investments. But that’s not the way it works. They charge what the market can bear for their drugs – what they think they can get from desperate people before the patent runs out. And they make a LOT of profits while people who can’t afford their products die. You know that. But you’d rather misinterpret my words so that you can staunchly deny, once again, that anyone on this thread who disagrees with you has a right to her opinion.
Karen: “You know what I can’t avoid? The fact that my mom has cancer. You have a choice to ignore these products…”
Wow, another puzzler… where to start? Karen, I’m sorry your mom has cancer. I can’t avoid my chemo and the nausea and the drugs to counteract the side-effects of the drugs and the disability and the expense and the fact that I’m worried that my 7-year-old will grow up without a mother. I can’t avoid the port-a-cath in my chest and I can’t pretend the scars are not there when I want to look sexy for my husband. Do you really think that the fact that your *mother* has cancer should be the reason your opinion matters more than ours? I think you really need to examine why you are so dependent on your identity as the DAUGHTER of a breast cancer patient. You come here about every day to tell us all how wrong we are. Why do you have so much ownership of your mother’s cancer?
Okay, I’ll take it as read. Fuck me.
Karen: “This is not “a blog where cancer patients come to vent”, Rachel. Check your facts. RTG/CJ/CE is a political blogger. As for why I’m posting and reading, it’s because I came here to check in and was surprised and hurt to find her venting crazy rage about a month dedicated to raising funds and awareness about a disease that everyone hates and wants gone, and that has affected me deeply this year.”
Oh, you know, you have me on that one. This is not a BLOG about pink rage. Mea culpa. It’s a THREAD about pink rage, clearly identified in the title. So answer the question. Why do you keep coming to a place where cancer patients are posting about their feelings and frustrations and get “hurt” and offended about our “crazy” rages? If I were so offended and so convinced that everyone on a particular blog, board, or thread were wrong, I don’t think I’d go back and check it just to get the last word in. But you’re just that way.
Rachel,
I don’t think my opinion is better than yours because my mom has cancer. I think my opinion is better than yours because it is sensible: Susan G. Komen for the Cure is not evil, Yoplait is not evil, and the pink campaign is no reason to get so pissy that you want to “stab forks in people’s throats” and upend tables at the grocery store.
My identity isn’t wrapped up in being the daughter of someone with cancer – although I will get pissed off if someone actually makes fun of my mom and calls her cancer cute and pretty and easy just because she wasn’t financially devastated by it. I also don’t own her cancer, but it is my closest experience with breast cancer and it does inform my opinions on this matter. This is not unreasonable of me. I’m guessing you disagree, but frankly, I don’t care.
I just have this silly idea that if I can just find the right way to explain it, people will understand why I think what I think – so if I think you’ve misunderstood me, I have a hard time leaving it at that without trying to rephrase. And I expect the same from other people. And I hate, hate, hate misinformation with the fiery intensity of 1000 suns. And I am pretty tenacious and think debate is the best way to clarify one’s opinions and philosophies.
All of this taken together means other people usually give up on an argument long before I would have. Which means I usually end up with the “last word” (although I’m sitting there waiting for the new “last word” from the other person). You call it needing the last word, I call it not being lazy.
You’re just as welcome to stop reading this thread as I am, if my comments bother you so much, so I wouldn’t get so wrapped up in that particular “point” against me if I were you. It cuts both ways.
My opinions on this are really pretty innocuous. I’m basically saying, hey, if you don’t have anything nice to say about this, try not saying anything at all, since yeah, sorry, you do look petty and jealous and mean-spirited when you do. There are plenty of reasons to still raise money and awareness for breast cancer, and plenty of good reasons why it’s so popular to do so. This, too, shall pass. We all have to live with things we don’t like. No one is trying to make you feel bad on purpose. Almost everyone’s heart is in the right place, and people are not as dumb as you think, and the policies are usually right there for consumers to read and consider. Of all the possibly ethically troubling practices in the world, cause marketing that might benefit a company more than it benefits the cause is NOT the major issue facing us. Would it be more efficient if we cut out all the middlemen in all fundraising everwhere for everything? Sure, but what fun is that? Etc etc.
For some reason, though, y’all are determined to find me as offensive as you possibly can – unless I pretend to find your arguments cogent and convincing or somehow find a way to make “you’re wrong” sound like “you’re right” to your sensitive, sensitive little ears.
Hate on Breast Cancer Awareness Month as much as you like. But don’t expect me to act like I think it’s a perfectly nice and reasonable thing to do. I don’t.
Karen: Hyperbole (hy-PUR-bol-ee) is a figure of speech that uses an exaggerated or extravagant statement to create a strong emotional response. As a figure of speech it is not intended to be taken literally. Hyperbole is frequently used for humor. [credit for definition to Englishclub.com]
I can’t really speak for Cara, but I do believe that perhaps she was using this literary device – hyperbole – when she mentioned cupcakes making her feel murderous. I think that was intended as hyperbole, as was her statement that she was ‘going to hell for this one.’ They were overstatements made for humorous effect. Maybe I’m wrong about her motives and flawed baked goods really do just send her over the edge, but I don’t think so. I know that I don’t think of Komen or Yoplait or booby cupcakes as being evil – merely capitalist to a fault. When I am in a store I don’t confront those wearing pink or buying pink things. The people who posted here aren’t making plans to pipe bomb Yoplait.
But I’ll be damned if I’m going to ignore the comment when a person who has spewed forth as much venom as you have starts telling me that if I don’t have anything nice to say I shouldn’t say anything at all. As you pointed out, this is a political blog. Political blogs are full of opinions and they won’t always match yours. Neither are things as black-and-white as you’d like to pretend. Komen is neither satanic nor saintly.
There is no one on this thread that has offended me enough to make me want to leave. The fact that you throw around obscenities, hate, and accusations of stupidity while telling us all that we have to tolerate that which *you* deem worthy amuses me. Meanwhile, you have had so many people reacting negatively to you that you’ve felt the need to streamline your responses into larger, more inclusive posts.
Your last post was enlightening. You think that if you keep reiterating and keep explaining yourself that we are all obliged to admit that you’ve been right all along. It’s not that we don’t understand you Karen. We simply disagree. And since there’s no objective measure of whether giving 1% of profits up to $10 is enough to qualify a company as ‘good’ or whether it takes 100% of profits with an unlimited ceiling, it’s up to each of us to decide. That means we all get to draw the line where we see fit.
Rachel, you’re ridiculous. I have not been throwing around venom or hate, except for the incident with Deb, who deserved it. I’m sorry, but that’s how it works: you say my mom’s cancer (Real Cancer! Complete with surgery to remove part of her breast and several lymph nodes, several rounds of nauseating, baldness-inducing chemotherapy, weeks of daily, skin-blackening radiation treatments, years of hormone-blocking treatments that might not even be at all effective against her tumor type but do come with some fun side effects, and last but not least, the ever-present fear that we missed one little cell!) is cute and pretty and easy and nice, you incur my righteous wrath. I’m sorry my language gets a little salty for you, but really, this is a grown-up blog for grown-ups. I don’t expect you to run away crying if I say ‘evil bastards’ or ‘hell’ every once in a while, and I do expect a little understanding when Deb says something that awful (though you’re so tight with her, you’re willing to overlook just how awful it was, of course, because she can do no wrong, being Your Friend) and I respond with anger and f-bombs.
I’ve reread all my posts, and I just don’t see any venom, any “hate”, or any accusations of stupidity. Take out the incident with Deb and my mom, and all I see is a little bit of eye-rolling and sarcasm. I mean, seriously – Yoplait makes billions off this? “Who is Susan Komen, anyway?” We have brains and the internet, people. Use them. Being wrong doesn’t make you stupid, but not doing easy research does make you lazy.
But, hey, I get it. Like I said, you’re determined to find me as personally offensive as possible, and… ahem… “darn” the facts – because I disagree that all the anti-Komen, anti-pink sentiment in this post is rational, reasonable, and nice. I am not telling you how to feel. I am telling you how you look: mean-spirited and jealous and vindictive. You’d rather breast cancer research get NO money than one company make money off the idea of breast cancer research getting money. You’d rather take away a lot of people’s inspiration and hope that they get from this month and all the pink, just so a few grumps and delicate flowers don’t have to look at it. That’s awful. You don’t get a free pass on that from me simply because you also have cancer.
Also, rereading reminded me that several people reacted *positively* to me, too. So I’m not sure what your point is about people reacting negatively to me. Are we taking a poll? I assure you, I’m always this long-winded. It’s that whole thing I have against sacrificing precision for concision, and my desire to respond as fully as I can. Sorry I’m not pithier, really.
“You think that if you keep reiterating and keep explaining yourself that we are all obliged to admit that you’ve been right all along.”
No, but I do think you are obliged to either respond to my points or concede them. You’ve done neither. You just get angry and me and call me venomous and a hater when I point out that, actually, despite what has been said here, there’s
– still quite a lot of work to be done on breast cancer and
– still quite a lot of women who are dying from it and
– still quite a lot of research still needed on screening for it, preventing it, treating it, and, yes, what the causes are, despite your false claims that we know what the causes are (it’s rBGH and smog, of course! Duh!)
- quite a lot of people who like this month and everything it means, hence the popularity that you despise so much
Etc.
“since there’s no objective measure of whether giving 1% of profits up to $10 is enough to qualify a company as ‘good’ or whether it takes 100% of profits with an unlimited ceiling, it’s up to each of us to decide. That means we all get to draw the line where we see fit.”
But that’s not what you’re doing, hon. If you could tell me where you see fit to draw that personal line, and which companies, specifically, crossed it, and that’s ALL you were complaining about, that would be one thing. But blasting the entire concept and the entire month, saying that there’s no need for funds for breast cancer, vaguely insinuating that every company that participates is unethical to the extreme, and hating on people who embrace it as idiot ultra-consumers who believe M&Ms cure cancer – that’s overboard.
I’m so sorry that I haven’t let your little hate-fest about all things pink proceed unmolested by me and my pesky facts and logic.
(I’m not really sorry.)
An example of how Komen (or other “foundations”) could help women but doesn’t.
My friend needs the drug Tykerb to stay alive. Her cancer is treatable but not curable. She will eventually die from breast cancer and the metastases she has now. She has Medicare and has a prescription drug program through them.
The co-pay for this drug will cost her $1,600 a month. Which is more than what her disability pays her per month.
I am now uninsured from now until November 1st. My premium payment is going to be $671 a month which is half of what I get for SS disability. I am not allowed to get reimbursed for this payment, otherwise they consider it a conflict of interest. I have applied at every major company and am considered “uninsurable.”
I could go on and on all day about things like this. It’s a very common thread among my friends who are surviving or in treatment for cancer. Why have awareness when once you get cancer you are not able to afford treatment, meds, insurance?
I consider Karen’s mom’s case pretty rare. Not many places offer “cancer insurance” or catastrophic illness insurance.
Hope that none of y’all find yourself in this situation.
I wonder if Karen would feel any different if her mom was left destitute or uninsurable if she didn’t have cancer insurance. Or if she had actually not made it through her treatment.
And I was being facetious about the pretty, cute cancer. If you can’t understand that Karen, then you are even more of a shitbird than I thought you were originally. Get over yourself.
No one is “right” in this situation. I will never change your mind, Karen, and vice versa. We are allowed to feel as we do. We are allowed to be grouchy. Just because it’s PINK doesn’t make it pretty or nice or better or easier. It’s a popular month because companies have discovered they can make money off of pink and cancer.
“Pesky facts and logic” don’t come into play when dealing with emotion. I am allowed to feel disturbed about this. People are allowed to feel rage or annoyance. If you don’t realize someone is making money off of this, then you are stupid. There’s a pesky fact for you.
Deb…
I missed the part where Karen didn’t realize that people were making money off of this. I did, however, understand the fact that it’s something worth overlooking as long as a portion…doesn’t need to be all…gets donated towards cancer research. Karen knows this.
And Rachel…FULL SUPPORT of Karen here! Sorry, but I see her point and I get it.
Brooke, I am happy that you support Karen. I also *see* her point and choose to disagree with it. I don’t expect anyone to apologize for agreeing with anyone else. You, and Karen, have as much right to your opinions as I have to mine.
“You’d rather breast cancer research get NO money than one company make money off the idea of breast cancer research getting money. You’d rather take away a lot of people’s inspiration and hope that they get from this month and all the pink, just so a few grumps and delicate flowers don’t have to look at it. That’s awful. You don’t get a free pass on that from me simply because you also have cancer.”
I need to clarify this because I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding: I do not have cancer (that I know of). I do have a port-a-cath, I have had 8 abdominal surgeries in a short time, I do have chemo, I do have scars, I do have pet scans, CT scans, interventional endoscopies every 6 weeks, etc. but I don’t speak for cancer patients. Only for myself.
And I would not deny breast cancer its funding. I only believe in full disclosure and I retain my right to roll my eyes at Komen merchandise and speak critically of Komen. I don’t think the P.R. campaign is the best way. It’s not all or nothing, Karen.
We are at an impasse. No further understanding can come out of this.
Deb, it honestly sounds like your problems are with the Medicare program, healthcare, drug, and insurance industries. I share your concerns there, but I’m not sure what this has to do with Komen. They are a foundation looking for a cure, not a foundation set up to fund individual treatments.
The more you talk, the more I get the idea that you’re just confused and angry and have a very strong sense of entitlement. If a foundation isn’t paying for your friend’s medicine, it’s wrong and bad? It “isn’t helping women”? Sorry, that’s not the way it works. It’s not like Komen makes it a big secret that their focus is on a cure (it’s even in their NAME now), not services for current patients, much less paying their expenses.
“And I was being facetious about the pretty, cute cancer. If you can’t understand that Karen, then you are even more of a shitbird than I thought you were originally. Get over yourself.”
No, you weren’t. You’re just backpedaling now because you’ve realized how crappy it made you look to basically say that because my mom ISN’T destitute from her treatment, it isn’t a hard road for her, that her life is basically cake, her cancer isn’t a big deal, and she doesn’t deserve to have a foundation looking for the cure for her cancer. Calling me a “shitbird” for “not getting” how cute and funny you were being only works if what you said was in any way cute or funny. By the way, don’t let your friend Rachel hear you talking like that. She’s very sensitive to obscenity.
“I only believe in full disclosure and I retain my right to roll my eyes at Komen merchandise and speak critically of Komen.”
And I retain my right to point out that the companies you’re complaining about DO fully disclose their policies, and yet you’re still complaining about them, which doesn’t make a whole lotta sense. And I also retain my right to point out that Komen is a perfectly decent foundation doing great work and that you rolling your eyes at it makes you look bad and the “criticisms” you have of Komen are basically bull and come down to “they take money from organizations that I irrationally believe are unethical even though they fully disclose their policies”.
(By the way, deb, one way I can tell that you were actually quite serious about your insulting comments about my mother is that you’re still doing it. You’re still saying that since my mother will probably survive, has survived this far, and isn’t poor – it’s simply been *too easy* on her and on me, and that if we REALLY had it tough, I’d agree with you.)
Karen,
Can’t you just agree to disagree on this one? I promise you that you won’t change any of our anti-pink minds anymore than you will change your pink-loving mind.
I have a response to your comments to me, but I’m restraining posting it to see if you can really get over the “I know you are but what am I” type of comments and just simply agree to disagree.
And please (I’m trying to be nice and wave a pink flag here) don’t speculate on my state of mind unless you actually know me. I promise I will stay out of that area with you.
I’m not speculating on your state of mind, I’m stating the fact that you said something horrible and now, instead of bucking up and apologizing like a decent human being, you’re trying to say, “Oh, just kidding, haha.” The only problem is, it wasn’t funny in the slightest. The words were offensive, the meaning behind them was offensive, and you haven’t backed off from that meaning one bit, so don’t tell me I’m a shitbird because I took offense.
“Can’t you just agree to disagree on this one? I promise you that you won’t change any of our anti-pink minds anymore than you will change your pink-loving mind.”
Well, I can’t actually *make* you address all the various problems I have pointed out with your “anti-Komen, anti-pink” reasoning that you think ought to change my mind, so I guess at some point I will have to just give up.
I agree that we disagree. I don’t agree that your opinion is just as valid, and that we’re working with the same set of facts and system of logic, and that this is just a matter of two people with different philosophies. Until you address the problems in your reasoning or counter with an explanation of why they actually aren’t problems, “agreeing to disagree” is a lazy farce.
If you would like to characterize that as saying “I know you are, but what am I”, go right ahead.
Pingback: Pink pink you stink « Jessicarrot
Hay people. Karen is a good person as I am sure the rest of you are. She has some very deeply held positions and will not give. Yes she is sometime overly sensitive. Its best to just say what you have to say and let it go because rightly or wrongly, on her issues, she becomes a pit bull and will not let go.
Thanks Larry
Am I a pitbull… in lipstick?
Chapstick is more likely. Or lip gloss. I never got the hang of real, grownup lipstick.
Lipstick. Thats funny.
Seriously though, I think its great to be passionate and be firm with your ideals but I think its maturity and not laziness to walk away. It means you know that being heard is more important than being right.
A lot of us could take heed of jessicarrot’s thought.
cara, i very much enjoyed your essay on YOUR blog and find it imperative to speak our minds on any topic that goes against the comforts of mainstream popularity. it’s so important to share our observations of the events around us and i’m personally grateful that some people observe the world from alternative views- with clarity, passion and individuality. thank you for posting my earlier comment.
Cancer Parity in Advertising. Thanks Jeanne.
http://viv.id.au/blog/?p=2306
hope that link works.
Pingback: The Pink Rage! (Two *must read* Blog Posts) | Breast Cancer Blog
I don’t know whether anyone is still reading this thread. A few weeks after her posts here, Debutaunt discovered that she is having a relapse from her leukemia. She has been undergoing aggressive treatment, including chemo injected directly into her spine. According to her blog, she took a turn for the worse on 12/11 and is now in a coma and on a ventilator. She has a 7- or 8-year-old child. Please pray for her if you are so inclined. You can post comments to her blog which her family is reading to her, hoping those expressions of support and good will can help her find the strength to get through this. http://www.debutaunt.com
I know it’s 5 months after the last entry in this discussion, but thought anyone still paying attention here might wish to know that Debutaunt, a.k.a., Debby Greer-Costello, passed away Monday, May 18 of Leukemia after beating it twice. She will be missed.
Rachel Y.
Rachel.
I am so very sorry. I sent her a few emails but she never answered. I’m so sorry. I loved her vivaciousness, even in the face of such a terrible disease.
I am saddened by this and will keep good thoughts for her.
Could you email me please? My address is blog.caraellison@gmail.com.
Thank you.
I hate pink too…. its such a wimpy color for starters. I always tell people (and I beleived it) cacner fucked with the wrong girl. I beat all odd spent a couple yrs in the hospital, had fun never was depressed because I knew I was going to kick its ass.
I’m not mad at fundraisers but I am sick of breat cancer. I had a very rare blood cancer. I needed boxing gloves and some skulls…………….