What the hell is with all the pink?

[jethrien]

I've long been annoyed with breast cancer's special status - what other disease are you encouraged to fund research for by buying pink stand mixers and hair dryers? (But not pink computers or tool kits. Nor are you apparently able to try to eradicate a nasty disease via choosing colors other than one I despise for your very expensive appliances.)

But this year, it's really gone over the top. Store employees all wearing pink ribbons. The only cupcakes available had pink icing and plastic pink ribbons stuck in the top. The mall has giant banners saying "Paint the mall pink!", and the double yellow line down the road to the parking lot has the space between the lines filled in pink. For pity's sake, the imitation crab meat's wrapper is solid pink. Seriously, I did not really want my dinner associated with cancer. W.T.F.

Why is breast cancer awareness so big this year? Did someone important die? Was someone afraid that somehow everyone forgot that, hey, people can get cancer in their breasts? Is this a new concept to anyone?

Going back to the special status, though - why is breast cancer so special? The top reason for death in women is heart disease, same as men. The second reason is cancer, but that's all cancer, not just breast cancer. Why is all of the feel-good pinky focus on breast cancer, and not skin cancer or lung cancer or for that matter diabetes or strokes or Alzheimer's?

The best I can come up with is that this is an ugly combination of America's paternalism (women and children into the lifeboats first) and its obsession with breasts (and horror of women losing their most obvious marker of femininity). Does anyone have a more charitable explanation?

Comments

[wavilyem.livejournal.com]

I think the reason why you're noticing it so much now is that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But I agree that as deadly of a disease it is, there are plenty of other diseases and life-saving causes that could use their own color, ribbons, and awareness month.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know it is. But why does breast cancer get its own freaking month? Why is it so special?

And why do we still need "awareness" of breast cancer? Seriously, is there anyone out there yet who doesn't know this disease exists? Yes, I know that plenty of women don't get the mammograms they should, but I highly doubt at this point it's because they aren't aware of them. More likely it's because they don't have the insurance, or they don't really quite believe in their own mortality, or they're scared, or lazy, or have trouble prioritizing this over other also very important things in their lives. None of which will be helped by making random foods pink.

[wavilyem.livejournal.com]

I don't know either! IMHO the disease the world really need more collective awareness of is HIV/AIDS, but that wouldn't fly because it'd require widespread public acknowledgment that teenagers and gay people have sex. It's far more difficult for religious conservatives to deny the existence of boobs!

[elissali.livejournal.com]

"It's far more difficult for religious conservatives to deny the existence of boobs!"

Also, LOL!

[wavilyem.livejournal.com]

Oh and by the way, you can actually buy pink computers and tool kits:

http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=3651947
http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/07/dell-promise-pink-laptops-fight-breast-cancer/

[maydove.livejournal.com]

I saw Barbara Ehrenreich complain about this on The Daily Show, and here's an article she wrote about it:
http://bcaction.org/index.php?page=welcome-to-cancerland-2
(I haven't read the whole thing yet.)

[elissali.livejournal.com]

I've read this before (it's a really great essay, very well written and eye-opening)... especially the part about infantilization really got me ticked off. Though I have to admit that I really hate things where the culture tells you what femininity is - I've always hated doing 'girly' things for that reason.

I mean, I'm all for us having sympathy for our fellow women, and in general rousing concern and support for cancer patients... but I totally agree that this is ridiculous. Especially because I'm pretty sure I've heard it mentioned (maybe in that article?) that various types of pollution in the environment are linked to breast cancer... so I think it means that breast cancer awareness should really be about making us aware of what it is in our culture (the need for large quantities of cheap and perfect-looking food, for example) that might lead to higher rates of breast cancer. I doubt that's what the pink ribbons evoke for most people.

[fyrna.livejournal.com]

My explanation: a really good marketing team.

[lyriendel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree wholly. 'Buying this expensive and adorable pink appliance is contributing to charity!'

Actually, it works on me too, except that if I buy such, it's because I actually like the way they look in pink. I don't actually care much about breast cancer awareness. It makes me happy that people use breast cancer awareness as an excuse to make things more colorful than the typical white and black versions, though.