Mandypoo says that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At 7-11 I noticed a display of Tic-Tacs. They were pink. I've seen Dyson vacuums supporting the cause. They are pink. Mandy has a pink duck on her site. 
I have nothing against breast cancer research. My dad's mother died from breast cancer when he was very young. We lost a woman at church who had it in BOTH breasts. And I completely believe that the research is underfunded and overlooked.
However....I'm SICK OF PINK! I think it's because when I was young, everything was pink. Barbie's dress was pink. The tiny brush that came with Barbie was pink, her shoes, the box, the play set you might get for Christmas. All of it was PINK!
And now it has followed me into adulthood. It taunts me and haunts me! A yogurt company wants you to peel pink lids off its containers, save them, then mail them in so 10 cents can be donated towards cancer research.
So let me get this straight.... You want me to save my garbage then mail my garbage? Why not just donate 10 cents for every container of yogurt sold to the store? Perhaps the company thought it was reviving the lack of business for the US Postal Service.
Which brings me to my next valid point. I think there was once a conspiracy to revive a ribbon factory.
Remember when yellow ribbons were once tied around trees? No? That's because no one ties a cheap yellow ribbon anymore. They drive to the store, using gas, spend money on a tiny pre-sewed ribbon to pin to their lapel.
Or purchase a metal pin shaped like a ribbon. Or a T-Shirt with a screen printed ribbon on the front. Or a baseball cap with a the shape of a ribbon embroidered on the front.
These days a ribbon means nothing as far as I am concerned because it can mean anything you want it to. Conglomerates have stolen the ribbon. And you buy them. Red, pink, yellow.
And as if that's not enough, we also spend money on cheesy little rubber bracelets that mean nothing.
"Why are you wearing that cheap, rubber bracelet?"
"I'm supporting cancer/AIDS/blue skies..."
"What are you doing to support that? By announcing to everyone you spent a whole dollar on a cheap, rubber bracelet?"
Whatever to the little old lady who quietly placed her money into the collection tin? We are so obsessed with exchanging our bills for coins so people can hear it being dropped into the tin. And the factories owners are loving it.
I have nothing against breast cancer research. My dad's mother died from breast cancer when he was very young. We lost a woman at church who had it in BOTH breasts. And I completely believe that the research is underfunded and overlooked.
However....I'm SICK OF PINK! I think it's because when I was young, everything was pink. Barbie's dress was pink. The tiny brush that came with Barbie was pink, her shoes, the box, the play set you might get for Christmas. All of it was PINK!
And now it has followed me into adulthood. It taunts me and haunts me! A yogurt company wants you to peel pink lids off its containers, save them, then mail them in so 10 cents can be donated towards cancer research.
So let me get this straight.... You want me to save my garbage then mail my garbage? Why not just donate 10 cents for every container of yogurt sold to the store? Perhaps the company thought it was reviving the lack of business for the US Postal Service.
Which brings me to my next valid point. I think there was once a conspiracy to revive a ribbon factory.
Remember when yellow ribbons were once tied around trees? No? That's because no one ties a cheap yellow ribbon anymore. They drive to the store, using gas, spend money on a tiny pre-sewed ribbon to pin to their lapel.
Or purchase a metal pin shaped like a ribbon. Or a T-Shirt with a screen printed ribbon on the front. Or a baseball cap with a the shape of a ribbon embroidered on the front.
These days a ribbon means nothing as far as I am concerned because it can mean anything you want it to. Conglomerates have stolen the ribbon. And you buy them. Red, pink, yellow.And as if that's not enough, we also spend money on cheesy little rubber bracelets that mean nothing.
"Why are you wearing that cheap, rubber bracelet?"
"I'm supporting cancer/AIDS/blue skies..."
"What are you doing to support that? By announcing to everyone you spent a whole dollar on a cheap, rubber bracelet?"
Whatever to the little old lady who quietly placed her money into the collection tin? We are so obsessed with exchanging our bills for coins so people can hear it being dropped into the tin. And the factories owners are loving it.
2 comments:
I liked this post. I always asked the same thing, "How are you supporting them?" Not just about breast cancer. But, my hubby is in the army and I'll see stickers on cars that say "I Support Our Soldiers" and I'll think to myself, "How do you support them?" I told that to my hubby one day and he said, "They support us mentally and they agree with what we're doing!" So, I guess mental support is better than no support.
We tie yellow ribbons around our trees here when our husbands deploy! The meaning of ribbons have changed throughout the years, you can use them for anything. But in "army world" a yellow ribbon always means that there is a loved one/friend/relative deployed and I like that tradition.
This post really got me thinking though. Does wearing a bracelet really mean that you support that cause, whatever it is? Or, is it just a trend these days?
PS: I really like your blog :)
I don't think I've seen yellow ribbon tied around a tree since the 90s.
We live near Ft. Hood and you don't even see them there much! The ribbon thing began with families remembering their loved ones abroad and turned into a cash cow.
And it's being milked for all it's worth. Hence, the bracelets.
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