Pinktober

Another excellent article from Betsy de Parry, distant cousin and NHL rock star. This one is called "The commercialization of breast cancer: do your research before contributing to the cause," and it details Betsy's frustration with seeing so much pink merchandise this month, apparently in the name of breast cancer research, awareness, and support.

Betsy isn't the first person to feel cynical about all the pink. I certainly feel that way, wondering how much of my $2.00 pink-wrapped bread purchase will actually be going to breast cancer research. Mary Elizabeth Williams has a nice piece in Salon from earlier this week, and, as Betsy notes, the group Breast Cancer Action has a "Think Before You Pink" campaign that calls into question the "pinkwashing" of so many products.

It would easy to dismiss all of the criticism as mere cynicism, or maybe even jealousy -- there are no lime green bagels at Panera in September for blood cancer awareness, after all. The breast cancer folks have really done an amazing job at getting their awareness message out.

But, as Betsy writes, no one wants to hear about lymphoma. Unlike breats cancer, "it's just not sexy," Betsy was told when she tried to push lymphoma stories to the media.

And that's where the difficulty comes. Breasts are sexy; lymph nodes just aren't. It's not simple jealousy. People (the people who can spread a message) just aren't interested. And, as I ranted about recently, when they do get interested, they screw it up.


I will say that the breast cancer awareness campaign has done a very good job of making people aware, and of removing the stigma associated with breast cancer, which was one of those cancers that just couldn't be talked about, because breasts have so many complex cultural associations that go along with them. So, my congratulations to the folks who got that message out. They really should be commended for that.

But I'd like to hear more from the people who sell bread and bagels in the name of awareness, and find out exactly where that money goes, and how much is going. And, to trumpet Betsy's suggestion, now that we're more aware, maybe some of that money could go to helping breast cancer patients directly, like paying for treatment for women who couldn't otherwise afford it?