Comments on: Rethinking the Pink Ribbon http://www.knitnut.net/2009/03/rethinking-the-pink-ribbon/ Watch my life unravel... Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:05:37 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Woodsy http://www.knitnut.net/2009/03/rethinking-the-pink-ribbon/#comment-50180 Woodsy Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:59:26 +0000 http://www.knitnut.net/?p=1378#comment-50180 I have been annoyed with this campaign for a long time, and I do not support it. I was shut down a few times for asking where the information on breasfeeding as prevention was featured in their literature. I have been annoyed with this campaign for a long time, and I do not support it. I was shut down a few times for asking where the information on breasfeeding as prevention was featured in their literature.

]]> By: TechWood http://www.knitnut.net/2009/03/rethinking-the-pink-ribbon/#comment-50172 TechWood Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:24:49 +0000 http://www.knitnut.net/?p=1378#comment-50172 Long ago there was an outcry over the company collecting donations for the humane society of Ottawa-Carleton. During their campaigns the majority of funds coming in went directly to the firm soliciting donations. It aggravated me and since then I've only made direct donations or contributed to friends who have entered events and asked me to sponsor them. If a commercial business puts a percentage of their sales of a specific product, or even their whole product/service line towards a cause I'm not at all insulted. I don't choose to purchase products based on who they donate to or even if they donate to a specific cause. The product has to stand on it's own merit. However, I also think it should be on the shoulders of the charity to ensure that they there name is only used in connection with something they sanction and believe in. So IMHO it's caveat emptor/buyer beware whether it's a business, a charity, even a government organization (take for example MPAC). Cheers! Long ago there was an outcry over the company collecting donations for the humane society of Ottawa-Carleton. During their campaigns the majority of funds coming in went directly to the firm soliciting donations. It aggravated me and since then I’ve only made direct donations or contributed to friends who have entered events and asked me to sponsor them.

If a commercial business puts a percentage of their sales of a specific product, or even their whole product/service line towards a cause I’m not at all insulted. I don’t choose to purchase products based on who they donate to or even if they donate to a specific cause. The product has to stand on it’s own merit. However, I also think it should be on the shoulders of the charity to ensure that they there name is only used in connection with something they sanction and believe in.

So IMHO it’s caveat emptor/buyer beware whether it’s a business, a charity, even a government organization (take for example MPAC).

Cheers!

]]> By: Pearl http://www.knitnut.net/2009/03/rethinking-the-pink-ribbon/#comment-50168 Pearl Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:31:11 +0000 http://www.knitnut.net/?p=1378#comment-50168 How nasty that the donation in memory of comment never saw the light at the cancer site. The pink campaign strikes me as being like hospital lotteries. People want to contribute but get something back but to donate money to research directly saves a lot of song and dance. It raises awareness just like the http://www.boobiethon.com/ does but that idea of "not quite accurate awareness" is true. It habituates to the words, de-taboos, de-hysterics but doesn't demystify into understanding. And the pink denotes women while overlooking that males can get breast cancer too. It's made into something popular to support. Is it the best response? How nasty that the donation in memory of comment never saw the light at the cancer site.

The pink campaign strikes me as being like hospital lotteries. People want to contribute but get something back but to donate money to research directly saves a lot of song and dance. It raises awareness just like the http://www.boobiethon.com/ does but that idea of “not quite accurate awareness” is true. It habituates to the words, de-taboos, de-hysterics but doesn’t demystify into understanding. And the pink denotes women while overlooking that males can get breast cancer too.

It’s made into something popular to support. Is it the best response?

]]> By: Erigami http://www.knitnut.net/2009/03/rethinking-the-pink-ribbon/#comment-50166 Erigami Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:11:30 +0000 http://www.knitnut.net/?p=1378#comment-50166 Take a look at <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19426051.700-icancer-activism-gender-media-and-public-policyi-by-karen-kedrowski-and-marilyn-stine-sarow.html" rel="nofollow">this review of <i>Cancer Activism: Gender, media and public policy</i></a>. The thing that gets me about all this is that some diseases get more attention than others. Prostate cancer research receives a little over half of the funding (in the US) that breast cancer research receives, even though more men get hit by the disease than folks who get breast cancer (for numbers, see <a href="http://www.piepalace.ca/blog/2007/06/on-cancer.html" rel="nofollow">my post</a>). Why? Likely due to the impact of advocacy groups. This isn't necessarily bad (until you start considering that diseases crippling the developing world don't get anywhere close to the level of funding that breast/prostate cancer get), but it is interesting: our society has failed miserably in resource allocations, and, for the most part, we don't even realize it. Take a look at this review of Cancer Activism: Gender, media and public policy.

The thing that gets me about all this is that some diseases get more attention than others. Prostate cancer research receives a little over half of the funding (in the US) that breast cancer research receives, even though more men get hit by the disease than folks who get breast cancer (for numbers, see my post). Why? Likely due to the impact of advocacy groups.

This isn’t necessarily bad (until you start considering that diseases crippling the developing world don’t get anywhere close to the level of funding that breast/prostate cancer get), but it is interesting: our society has failed miserably in resource allocations, and, for the most part, we don’t even realize it.

]]> By: Julia http://www.knitnut.net/2009/03/rethinking-the-pink-ribbon/#comment-50165 Julia Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:13:31 +0000 http://www.knitnut.net/?p=1378#comment-50165 Thanks for that link to Breast Cancer Action. I joined them back in August when they gave the pre-op seminar and I didn't know they were doing stuff like this (debunking) too. Thanks for that link to Breast Cancer Action. I joined them back in August when they gave the pre-op seminar and I didn’t know they were doing stuff like this (debunking) too.

]]> By: grace http://www.knitnut.net/2009/03/rethinking-the-pink-ribbon/#comment-50164 grace Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:30:35 +0000 http://www.knitnut.net/?p=1378#comment-50164 The commodification of disease truly distresses me and I try not to purchase items that may contribute to disease --pollution, food additives, etc. etc. This is much as I used to boycott the Canadian Cancer Society's kick-off breakfast before fruit and bran muffins were subbed in for stacks of cured meat. As with all things, we have to be wise 'consumers'. The commodification of disease truly distresses me and I try not to purchase items that may contribute to disease –pollution, food additives, etc. etc. This is much as I used to boycott the Canadian Cancer Society’s kick-off breakfast before fruit and bran muffins were subbed in for stacks of cured meat. As with all things, we have to be wise ‘consumers’.

]]> By: Carmen http://www.knitnut.net/2009/03/rethinking-the-pink-ribbon/#comment-50163 Carmen Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:28:10 +0000 http://www.knitnut.net/?p=1378#comment-50163 At one point, I sponsored my SIL who was walking for breast cancer in Winnipeg. On the website we were invited to write a small blurb along with our donation amount. I wrote: "In memory of Ahneena." Yep, you guessed it, the comment was deleted. At one point, I sponsored my SIL who was walking for breast cancer in Winnipeg. On the website we were invited to write a small blurb along with our donation amount. I wrote: “In memory of Ahneena.” Yep, you guessed it, the comment was deleted.

]]> By: BuddyRich http://www.knitnut.net/2009/03/rethinking-the-pink-ribbon/#comment-50161 BuddyRich Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:04:08 +0000 http://www.knitnut.net/?p=1378#comment-50161 This pink ribbon stuff reminds me of the product (RED) stuff. IIRC, the company running the RED campaign itself is not even a non-profit and is pretty secretive to the specifics of where its money goes. If I was an entrepreneurial sort, I'd claim a colour and cause fast, and start "raising" awareness for it. Pink and Red are gone, yellow is for our troops... No one got the memo on Purple, a whole slew of causes use it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_ribbon similarly with orange which seem to be associated with mainly human rights causes (and Kidney Cancer) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_ribbon Green, Green is a movement unto itself at the moment, so green is out. Even the non-colours are used, after all white is for peace, and black is used as a symbol of mourning after death... Not that many colors left. This pink ribbon stuff reminds me of the product (RED) stuff. IIRC, the company running the RED campaign itself is not even a non-profit and is pretty secretive to the specifics of where its money goes.

If I was an entrepreneurial sort, I’d claim a colour and cause fast, and start “raising” awareness for it.

Pink and Red are gone, yellow is for our troops… No one got the memo on Purple, a whole slew of causes use it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_ribbon

similarly with orange which seem to be associated with mainly human rights causes (and Kidney Cancer)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_ribbon

Green, Green is a movement unto itself at the moment, so green is out.

Even the non-colours are used, after all white is for peace, and black is used as a symbol of mourning after death…

Not that many colors left.

]]> By: Arden http://www.knitnut.net/2009/03/rethinking-the-pink-ribbon/#comment-50160 Arden Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:19:15 +0000 http://www.knitnut.net/?p=1378#comment-50160 What gets me about so many of the pink ribbon items is that the money rarely goes to breast cancer RESEARCH, instead if you listen or read carefully you'll find many go into breast cancer AWARENESS, which is esentially funding another bloated campaign. Say nothing of all the neglected diseases out there that won't kill you, but will make you suffer terribly for the next 20, 40, or 70 years. What gets me about so many of the pink ribbon items is that the money rarely goes to breast cancer RESEARCH, instead if you listen or read carefully you’ll find many go into breast cancer AWARENESS, which is esentially funding another bloated campaign.

Say nothing of all the neglected diseases out there that won’t kill you, but will make you suffer terribly for the next 20, 40, or 70 years.

]]> By: Aggie http://www.knitnut.net/2009/03/rethinking-the-pink-ribbon/#comment-50159 Aggie Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:18:23 +0000 http://www.knitnut.net/?p=1378#comment-50159 For more interesting cancer-related reading, this is a great article called <a href="http://www.barbaraehrenreich.com/cancerland.htm" rel="nofollow">Cancerland</a> by Barbara Ehrenreich. My favourite part of the article is here: "Death is as "natural" as anything gets, and the body has always seemed to me like a retarded Siamese twin dragging along behind me, an hysteric really, dangerously overreacting, in my case, to everyday allergens and minute ingestions of sugar." For more interesting cancer-related reading, this is a great article called
Cancerland by Barbara Ehrenreich. My favourite part of the article
is here:
“Death is as “natural” as anything gets, and the body has always seemed to me like a retarded Siamese twin dragging along behind me, an hysteric really, dangerously overreacting, in my case, to everyday allergens and minute ingestions of sugar.”

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