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The pink ribbon is everywhere, but it may be a distraction from eradicating breast cancer.
"Cause marketing" for breast cancer has ballooned over the past few decades, in an attempt to raise awareness about the disease and to support women who have dealt with it. The pink ribbon developed and trademarked by the Susan G. Komen Foundation has become ubiquitous nowadays, pinned to celebrities and all over yogurt lids, pink football paraphernalia, and even household appliances.
But are all those pink ribbons doing any good? In her book, Pink Ribbon Blues: How Breast Cancer Culture Undermines Women's Health, medical sociologist Gayle Sulik, PhD, argues that it isn't, and could be working against efforts to find what causes the disease, considering that breast cancer rates continue to rise despite the billions poured into pink ribbon campaigns. "Survivors and supporters walk, run, and purchase for a cure as incidence rates rise, the cancer industry thrives, corporations claim responsible citizenship while profiting from the disease, and breast cancer is re-stigmatized for those who question or deny the pink-ribbon model," she writes.
Gayle Sulik spoke with Rodale.com about her book and how you can still support breast cancer without succumbing to marketing hype.
Rodale.com: What do you think is the biggest problem with the idea of the pink ribbon?
Gayle Sulik: I think there are two problems. One is that it has created visibility around the cause of breast cancer but it has been a distraction to the realities of breast cancer, where the progress has been and where progress is lacking. It's moved the disease to a superficial level. The other is that there is a major industry involved with this, both inside and outside the medical fields. When we're creating major revenues from breast cancer, where is the incentive to stop the disease? And it also excludes the diverse experiences that people with the disease have—it creates this "feel-good" idea, and people who are diagnosed may or may not feel that way.
Rodale.com: You talk a lot about those diverse experiences in your book. Could you elaborate on what you mean by that?
There's a lot of optimism behind the pink ribbon, the idea that breast cancer is not that big of a deal. You get diagnosed, get treated, you get cured, you feel better, and all while keeping a smile on your face. And we who want to support you can buy pink stuff and feel good about that. When you talk to women at different stages of the disease, though, you'll find that it's easier to be triumphant if you have a stage 0 [the earliest stage of the disease] than if you have stage 3 [the stage at which the cancer tumors get larger and have moved to the lymph nodes]. I've read in blogs and in resources for people in later stages of the disease that they feel left out. Nobody wants to hear from them; their story is not positive and there's no place for them in this discourse.
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Pink Ribbons
Thank you for this viewpoint. I've felt as a breast cancer survivor (9 years) that the pink ribbons being used to sell potentially harmful products are a disservice, a scary corruption and abuse of the very notion of surviving. And those garish pink bits of "jewelry" hawked to raise money and awareness might not really be providing help to the real cause we survivors and our families and medical providers need to have supported. I'm not saying we should get rid of the whole campaign...but like you, I think we need to be very discerning in this...
Pink Ribbons
I am so tired of these endless campaigns for more money when in my mind, the pharmaceuticals have no interests in finding a cure. And why should they when managing the symptoms with endless toxic drugs is so much more profitable.
In response to the anti-capitalist above - This has nothing to do with capitalism but has much to do with the fact that our country has lost its moral soul. Socialist don't treat this stuff any better. They decide who lives and who doesn't depending on how useful you can be to them.
Pink ribbon
I'm glad someone adressed this issue of "pinkwashing". So many cancers and conditions are environmental, but the companies that make the medicines and products have to deny or distract from this, because they themselves create, in a large part, the environment.
I never contributeto the corporate shill charities; I suggest suppoting the independent media and scientist that are trying too get the word out.
http://thehomeremediesreview.com
Finally!
To me it seems like such a no brainer and I'm far from an expert.
I thank Dr. Sulik and the previous 3 comments pretty much cover how I feel.
It just doesn't make sense to me not to want to be properly educated. Isn't knowledge still power?
Shameless Pinkies
In the recent past I attended one of the Pink "rallies" armed with information on the causes of breast cancer...thanks to Kinko's that helped defray the cost of copies...I had never done anything like this before....I took the day off from work...and foolishly I thought that an ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure.
I was there for about half hour handing out info on the causes amidst tents selling wigs and fake breasts....when one of the Pinkies came over and asked me to leave. I took exception and asked why....this young woman told me the reasons "were to POLITICAL"...that I had to leave. TOO POLITICAL???...I didn't understand. By this time I was in tears...and slowly turned to leave, handing out as many of my pages of info that I could. She then came over to me again and asked if she needed to get security. By this time I was crying and mad...why would they who care SO much for women not want the causes known??? Why (I would soon find out) indeed...seems I ruffled their corporate conflicts of interest...as simple investigating showed.... They are knee deep in it...between "who profits from mammograms" to their affiliations with the chem/pharm industry. Capitalism once again rearing its ugly head. I guess if I had rented a booth from them selling wigs and fake breasts I would have been welcome....yikes!
Pink Ribbon group.... where profiteering off of tragedy reigns supreme.
Pink Ribbons Everywhere
Thank the gods someone has finally put this in print. I've been screeching about this for years much to the chagrin of all those pride filled collaborators raising money, running, selling stuff all for a system that does not work. I've had cancer, 3 X and the first time with medicine it didn't catch. 2nd & 3rd times I used other means; frequency based medicines and energy medicines...tumor shrank in a month both times. Hmmmmmm one does wonder. I did my research in the late 80's and found out lots about where the money doesn't go and why it doesn't go where it should. People have not wanted to hear. Something i find very interesting that no one seems to mention is the emotional component of the illness. We talk about food, and the environment,etc. But nobody talks about the emotional, mental or spiritual aspects. My work, for the past 20 some years has focused on this and guess what....people get better when the 'true' cause is found. We have to look at what weakens the body to the point that outside environment or our family environment, generational environment, etc. creates a weakened physical structure that allows the body to house cancer. If you don't work on that level, IMHO, you won't heal enough. You can cut the cancer out and blast it with poisons but the person, the body, the mind, the emotions and the spirit, that created this cancer are still the same. The wonderful news is that there are many cures for cancer and most of them do not poison you or hurt you or amputate your body (nasty word that) but that's what it is. Having gone through it for 2 years I gotta tell you that working at the emotional, mental and energetic non-physical levels are much easier, faster, and more loving and kind. There is nothing loving and kind about the way medicine rips the disease out of you. NOTHING. Thank you for this article. Maybe now people will begin to listen. I think it's very hard for people to hear that that beloved medical model that promises so much does not deliver. Look elsewhere. The cures are out there. www.mergeoneworld.com Ria Swift. To not only your health but to your development as a real human being! With Love!
Pink Ribbon fiasco.....
Yes, I agree, As a Sierra Club Member they devoted an article to this very hot issue......it has been scientifically proven that 99% of ALL Breast Cancers are environmentally induced. Think BPA in ALL Plastics and food ware... Hair dye's, deodorants, cleaning products, PERFUMES, Bounce, detergents etc...
So at the foundation of this Pink Ribbon socialized distraction campaign... ICI Chemical conglomerate BOUGHT the Breast Cancer Society and controlling interest in Tamoxifen.... this way ALL it's bases were covered form the truth being exposed while Pink Washing becomes the rage.....I won't even go into the MALE Oriented Cancer machine.....Cancer itself is a side effect of these pollutants in Food and every part of our American lifestyle... not counting un-researched EMFs from Cell phones and the wireless world were creating... Cancer itself is a Canary in a Coal Mine.... in 20 years Cancer rates in America have risen from 1 in 10 to 1 in 5 now to 1 in 21 We are doing it to ourselves....EAT organically to minimize the exposure...
Sincerest male feminist, GARY STUART www.chifield.com