When the women in the Breast Cancer Fund first wrote a letter to the president to fund their research about breast cancer and its connection to the environment, they first believed that people would start focusing more on the environmental issues that cause breast cancer rather than how the individual caused this cancer to grow themselves (Ley 2009). However, this research has taken a turn and has strayed away from this feminist movement and even further away from the focus on environmental issues. This has caused the idea of breast cancer awareness to become more political than expected.
Corporations will do pretty much anything to get a profit. One way in which they have gained a huge profit is by slapping a pink ribbon on anything and everything. Ehrenreich mentions that if you cannot do physical activities for the cure like bike, walk, or run; then you can shop for the cure (Ley 2009). While reading his article it became clear to be how many businesses abuse their power when it comes to bringing awareness to breast cancer. For example a vacuum company decided to donate one dollar for each vacuum they sell, which really is barely anything compared to the $170 cost attached to said vacuum (Ley 2009). This company, and others, are using this pink ribbon as a way to promote more sales rather than actually promote the actual cause. Another problem with these corporations is that this money they are claiming is going to research is actually going towards overhead and advertisements costs. If not these costs, then this money usually goes to a charity focused on finding a cure for breast cancer rather than one that focuses more on prevention (Ley 2009). I personally was not aware of this until I read this article, in which I was shocked. Many people never really know where their money is going and never usually care to know.
Another negative of breast cancer awareness is how the pink ribbon has been associated with it. Although people wear this ribbon with supporting the cause in mind, they never think about the meanings behind this ribbon. For example, many believe the pink color associated this this ribbon is undermining because pink is usually associated with women and with that weakness is also associated. This color goes against the whole of the feminist movement, by enforcing the belief that pink can only be for girls and blue can only be for boys (Ley 2009). As I had mentioned earlier, this ribbon is put on products like mugs, keychains, etc. with only the thought of making a profit rather than actually impacting breast cancer research.
Although there is a lot of negativity regarding this awareness, there have also been some positive aspects as well. Many companies have realized the empty meaning associated with the color pink and the ribbon and have made efforts to change the symbol for breast cancer. For example, Breast Cancer Action has changed their symbol to a full moon to represent the lunar cycle in which women are considered warriors (Ley 2009). This action alone forces women affected by breast cancer to think of themselves in other ways, such as a warrior. Mainstream media tends to make women feel as if they should not be angry at breast cancer because the ribbon holds a cheerfulness associated with it, however these companies and groups are taking their part to change this assumption (Ley 2009). Overall, the breast cancer awareness movement has taken a turn in the wrong direction and although it still has strengths, I believe the weaknesses are overpowering and have been affecting women who are affected directly by this disease in a horrible way. If people did more research, I think things could change regarding how this charity money is spent, as it is spent on a cure rather than prevention.
Works Cited
Ley, B. L. (2009). From pink to green: Disease prevention and the environmental breast cancer movement. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
It’s so interesting to hear Ley’s perspective on the original advocacy for breast cancer was in regards to its environmental causes because it has absolutely strayed from that message since–to the extent of me being twenty-four years old and I am just now learning about these environmental causes but have been around mainstream breast cancer culture all of my life. My earliest memory of this culture was in elementary school when we would walk around the playground, and receive little feet tokens to attach to our shoes the farther we walked. I think this was an early version of Relay for Life, but I cannot be sure. Do you remember doing something like this when you were younger?
Sadly, I agree with you that corporations will do just about anything for money. Pink is now negatively associated with enforcing traditional gender roles and pinkwashing. Pinkwashing also gives a false sense of being a good samaritan. When you see someone wearing pink, you know they donated to the cause, but it should not be about who donated, it should be more about who you’re donating to–who is actually fighting cancer. Do you think this culture would ever consider discontinuing the use of pink?