Her.meneutics: Don't Think Pink

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« Christian Woman Sentenced to Hanging for Blasphemy | Main | When Mom and Dad Move In »

November 22, 2010

Don't Think Pink

Breast cancer awareness campaigns often raise everything but real, tangible support for survivors. Just ask my mom.

Gina Dalfonzo, guest blogger

“Why are the comics pink?” my mother wanted to know a few weeks ago, glancing at the Sunday funnies lying on the kitchen table.

“Breast cancer,” I explained.

Enough said. Anyone who hasn’t been living on Neptune for the past few years knows that pink is shorthand for, “I care about breast cancer patients.” Especially during last month, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the whole world seemed awash in pink. From football players’ chinstraps to bracelets to the omnipresent ribbons to, yes, the comics, the color of awareness was everywhere.

It’s odd, then, that some breast cancer patients and survivors — like my mom — are getting a little tired of it all.

“Especially during October, everything from toilet paper to buckets of fried chicken to the chin straps of NFL players look as if they have been steeped in Pepto,” writes Peggy Orenstein, another survivor, in The New York Times. “If the goal was ‘awareness,’ that has surely been met — largely, you could argue, because corporations recognized that with virtually no effort (and often minimal monetary contribution), going pink made them a lot of green.”

What does all this awareness actually accomplish? In Orenstein’s opinion, not much: “Rather than being playful, which is what these campaigns are after, sexy cancer suppresses discussion of real cancer, rendering its sufferers — the ones whom all this is supposed to be for — invisible.”

My mom feels much the same way, which is why the pink comics left her less than impressed. When she had her own battle with breast cancer a few years ago, the parade of pink was little more than background noise for her, and not very pleasant noise at that. For all the efforts to correlate cute pink accessories with the message “I care,” none of those things made her feel cared for at all. It was the turning of a disease into a trend — something that’s been done with every disease from AIDS to Alzheimer’s to acid reflux. And in the long run, it felt more dehumanizing than encouraging.

It’s true that sometimes the sale of pink stuff is used to raise money for research. But then again, some aspects of the awareness campaigns are worse than useless. Remember the Facebook fiasco last year when women were supposed to post their bra colors as their status to “raise awareness of breast cancer”? Right. The only awareness that was raised had exceedingly little to do with cancer. And that’s not even the worst example of what Orenstein calls “the sexualization of breast cancer.” I’ve even seen “Save the Ta-Tas” onesies for infants, which opens up a whole other can of worms.

I’m not condemning the motives of well-intentioned people who are trying to show their support through awareness campaigns. But it’s a little over the top. (Does anyone really think that Mary Worth or Marvin looked good with pink hair?) More and more, I’m hearing people complain about pink fatigue and start to wonder just how helpful these campaigns actually are.

So forget the pink for a minute. Forget the showy gestures and the endless raising of awareness that’s already been raised as high as it can go. How can you go the extra mile to make a cancer patient feel genuinely cared for?

Maybe it’s not as easy as wearing pink, but you might be surprised by how easy it can be. My mom remembers gestures that meant the world to her at the hospital where she was treated. One group of volunteers provided a beribboned basket (“and it wasn’t a pink ribbon,” she specifies) of free cookies and juice for patients as they came out of dehydrating radiation treatments. Other people left gospel tracts and brochures for support groups. A hospital volunteer in a multicolored clown wig cheered up patients in the waiting room, and brought them heated blankets in the exam room. Those efforts made her feel really cared for.

Mom also met some fellow patients who had come for their treatments in cabs because no one was there to bring them or take them home afterward. One of the most caring things anyone can do for a patient, she suggests, is to volunteer to take her to and from her appointments.

There’s so much that breast cancer patients need, and ribbons and bracelets don’t begin to scratch the surface. If you want to wear pink, wear it because you like it or it looks good on you. But if you want to make a breast cancer patient feel better, how about making a genuine offer of help?

Gina Dalfonzo is editor of BreakPoint Online and Dickensblog. She wrote "The Good Christian Girl: A Fable" and "God Loves a Good Romance" for CT online, and "Why Sex Ruins TV Romances" for Her.meneutics.

Comments

Brava, Gina. :)

I think you're right on. The whole "Think Pink" phenomenon has lost its potency and it's all about the cash. I will say it did its job in the early stages of the movement, but now it's all about "boobies." (*eyeroll*) If we really want to reach a population that is unaware of breast cancer and how it affects them, we need to market something towards men. They are susceptible, too, and they don't realize it.

Well done, Gina. :)

I had no idea the Facebook thing about posting the color of your bra was about breast cancer. You are so right in that we have lost sight of the real issue...reaching out to people that suffer from breast cancer in a truly tangible way of showing we care.

I agree .... pink is just like a fad now ... we need to send cards and find ways of encouraging the individual person. people who are making "pink" things also make much $ for themselves .... is any of that money going toward research? just wondering

Not to mention the fact that supporting the Susan G. Komen Foundation pays for abortions at Planned Parenthood.

Well done. After all, awareness isn't the biggest issue before us in these types of issues, is it? We assume awareness will lead to action, but so often it doesn't... it only makes us feel as though we've done something.

It's as if we've reached a point where purely "caring" about something--by posting it as your Facebook status for an hour or wearing a specified color--is considered to be an act of genuine caring.

It's not. Thanks for reminding us.

Great post, and so true! I spent many a day at the cancer center with my mom, and it's amazing to me what you can do for someone going through this battle by just asking them how they're doing. It's on their minds 24/7, so let them speak about it, candidly and bravely. You'll be in awe and I assure you their day will be made. Don't save all the discussion for your bumper stickers and candy bars (which is just uber weird.)

Thank you, thank you, thank you. My mom had breast cancer and died three years ago. The onslaught of Barbie pink merch is the Xmas-ization (just made up that word) of a human drama that can't be packaged and sold each October.

Thing is, I wouldn't want it to go back to the way it was 30 or so years ago when breast cancer was something you didn't even talk about. If I have to err, I'd rather see the pink than hear silence about the topic altogether...and no I am not missing any points here. Just a reminder that while yes the pendulum has swung, one has to be careful to ensure it doesn't swing back to where there is no notice, no concern, no awareness whatsoever.

For all the emphasis on "pink," an aspect that is largely forgotten (or ignored) is the incidence of breast cancer in men. My father had breast cancer and died of related causes. Yet for all the "pink" awareness, fund-raising, etc, he was visited by only one obviously embarrased volunteer who awkwardly acknowledged that the only printed materials she could provide were about women's breast cancer, and had no information about support groups for men. My father was never visited or contacted by anyone else from any breast cancer organizations, virtually left to suffer alone. I tried to find additional information and support but found little if anything. That, and the recent emphasis on "pink" has left me with the perception that men's breast cancer is a topic that the cancer foundations discuss and address as little as possible, since doing so would detract from the "sexiness" of the disease.

Thanks Goodness we have people to remind us of the "right" way to care. And thank goodness for the others who always find a way to bring politics to any discussion. Where would we be without you?

I have been bothered for a few years now with the emphasis on a single cancer. My father had colon cancer and now has prostate cancer, my grandfather had lung cancer,and I had a near miss with cervical cancer. I just attended a memorial service for a 44 year old mother who died of melanoma, while another mom about the same age is battling bone and thyroid cancer. All of these are very common cancers, yet none receive the public awareness or marketization of breast cancer. I get it, my dear friend had breast cancer last year, I understand the need to "do" something. But daily variations of this disease afflict untold numbers-what color mixer do I buy to support those?

Merchants get emotional brownie points for painting Pink = Breast Cancer help ( or Green = World Conservation Awareness) all over their ads & products.

But - real help - financial or personal aid - is what COUNTS!

I also do NOT like the Susan G. Komen shade of "Pink" as they give part of their received money to abortion providers. I favor Avon which gives money to buy things like medical machinery for breast cancer detection to hospitals...(or other charities which focus on Breast Cancer eradication only).

As the possible link between abortions and later breast cancer is a current subject of research and debate, why should I support a charity which also supports ABORTION as birth control???

Findcharities which truly - and fully - help their declared victims...!

I have long been of the same mind about awareness campaigns. I never understood the point of them - if you've never heard of AIDS or breast cancer in your life, you've been living under a rock. Who exactly is this group of the population who is living in ignorance about these illnesses?

And simply becoming "aware" of something does not count as an act of love, sorry. Neither does updating your facebook status. The latter especially is utterly pathetic because it has the added touch of self-promotion.

The pink campaign has now simply becoming an advertising scheme to make money. Unfortunately I'm sure we won't hear the end of it though - now there's "Movember" and who knows what's next. Who would like to venture a guess at what illness we already know about we will be made aware of again?

The whole world has been sprayed, dipped, wrapped, baptized even, with Pepto. I think breast cancer is a big deal. I have a wife who has had been tested yearly forever and is, thankfully clear. As a pastor I buried several breast cancer non-survivors.

But hold the phone. I have insterstitial pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic and in most cases fatal lung disease. More people will die of IPF this year than will die of breast cancer.

And no one cares. Hardly anyone knows.

So, why does the NFL and Major League baseball wear pink and swing pink bats? Why not blue bats for prostate cancer awareness?

I suspect because breast cancer is a womans disease and its is politically suicidal to appear unsympathetic.

My mother is a 22 year breast cancer survivor. My grandmother died of uterine cancer and my grandfather died of complications resulting from surgery for colon cancer. No support for any of them except immediate family. My mother used to visit newly diagnosed women at her local hospital to talk to them about their upcoming experiences because there was no one there to talk to her about what she could expect. It is a sad state of affairs that so much "awareness" exists, but there is very little true support and help for those that are suffering with any cancer diagnosis. So often, we just don't say anything because we don't know what to say. But from living with 3 family members who experienced the savageness of cancer, all they really want to know is that they are not forgotten. They really don't want you to say anything to them...they just want someone to listen, to offer a kind gesture, a loving touch...they just want to know that you still care about them as a person, not a disease entity. Unfortunately, there will never be any real attempt to find a cure for these devastating diseases because of the profits generated by "Big Pharma" and their cohorts in crime. Where is the incentive when the deep pockets are padded with the proceeds of devastated lives?

I guess you just want to vent at "Big Pharma" for people even GETTING cancer, whether or not they survive it, which many are today. Your mother has survived the cancer for 22 years, and I would be very thankful, yet you rant against their "big pockets". The cost of developing a drug and bringing it to market is between 1.3 and 1.7 billion dollars, and even after that much is spent, it's certainly not guaranteed to stay on the market or even return any money at all.

Do you know that your mother surviving 22 years would almost never would have happened just a couple of decades earlier? It's because of the progress of "Big Pharma" who I would be thanking, if my mother or I survived breast cancer for 22 years. If you live longer than 5 years after having a certain cancer, it's considered a cure. So, your mother is not a victim of "Big Pharma", but a winner due to "Big Pharma" and your anger should be vented elsewhere. Really, what more could you want regarding your mother?

I'm with you.. I've had enough of pink and has it really helped? Who is getting rich from this? When the footballs player wore pink I've had it.

My mom is a breast cancer survivor, and she takes pride in it. She's filled her kitchen with pink appliances and various utensils, in part to raise money for the research and in part because I think for her, it is something to be proud of - I think it reminds her how strong she is and how she can do anything. Some survivors really appreciate the support and rallying that the pink things provide.

It's just wise to check the labels or do some research to make sure some money is really going to the cause; some of that stuff unfortunately has the color but isn't actually providing any assistance to any sort of organization.

A few years ago when I was in college at UNC Chapel Hill, I remember seeing some pink shirts promoting breast cancer awareness that a student org was wearing. They said something along the lines of "Great breasts are worth saving!" which I found completely sexist/objectifying/offensive. It's nice to hear someone else critique this aspect of all of the pink campaigns.

This is no different from the WWJD bracelets, Prayer of Jabez lockets, purity rings, etc. In an attempt to mainstream the cause, these fads (Christian or otherwise) end up as marketing ploys and ways to make money that don't really lead to a commitment to further the cause.

Thanks for this post. I never really given much thought to this, and it makes so much sense now. If you think about it, lots of companies say "1% of sales will go to fund XYZ". It's always such a small percentage that actually goes to the organizations. Then subtract taxes and it's really a small amount! I think acts of charity, like your mom had suggested, are true ways that we can support breast cancer. It makes not just the patient feel good, but you as well. And it's Christ-centered! Thanks again!

my mother died in '89 when i was 12, and from the first moment i saw a pink ribbon, i called that fad for what it was..... a marketing ploy. thank you for a well written article.

I agree. I have felt this way for years and have thus been reluctant to buy anything that was pink--completely the opposite of what was intended. I do think breast cancer has become trendy, and as far as awareness--seriously, who doesn't know at this point? Some of this comes from my own frustration that there is little awareness effort for my own disease, lupus. Until two years ago, someone stupidly decided to make the awareness month for lupus the same as breast CA. Lupus affects women--who was going to notice it with all the breasts flying about? The campaigns have definitely gotten out of hand and sexualized. I am all for raising the money and the support for any worthy cause, but breast cancer should not be something trendy.

Good post, Gina. Enough Pink!

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. I am doing very well. Going through this made me realize that with all the pink arond me, there was an unintended lack of sensitivity. I had been guilty myself. If one has had cancer and is coming out of the tunnel and actually seeing light at the end, one does not want to receive dozens of e-mails with that horrible flickering candle which reads something like this:
"Remember those who have been struck down with cancer, they may think they are fine but that little cancer cell hides in their body for many years only to raise its ugly little head to strike again...once you have had cancer, you will never be free." I have paraphrased.

Wow, what an encouraging message from family and friends who love and care for you. I am saying..let's think before sending these messages to those who have won or are in the battle. My cancer friends agree on this. Someone gave me pink napkins which read: "Treat me like a queen."

Great event for a good cause. Keep it up guys! See more great story of breast cancer survivors in our website and buy breast cancer bracelets.

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