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What the hell is with all the pink?
Oct. 18th, 2009 06:06 pmI'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?
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?
