PinkvertisingThe Breast Cancer Awareness Epidemic

Define: Pinkvertising/Pinkwashing

The practice of using the color pink and pink ribbons to indicate a company has joined the search for a breast cancer cure and to invoke breast cancer solidarity, even when the company may be using chemicals linked to cancer.

The Dangers:

1) That we have become desensitized to the Breast Cancer Movement.

2) Company’s who promote the “pink ribbon campaign” may make products that can cause Breast Cancer.

This can be masked by their “pinkwashing.”

3) Can cause us to forget about the seriousness of Breast Cancer (it’s about more than just “Saving the Ta-Ta’s”), while sexualizing the disease.

4) Company’s can now profit

from Breast Cancer.

The Good Side:

The Good Side:

1) Draw’s incredible amounts of attention to the cause.

2) Any action can help (going to buy a product anyway, might as well buy one that may help raise awareness about Breast

Cancer).

3) Brings people (women AND men) together.

4) Reminds women to test

themselves, and act on

preventing, not just treating,

cancer.

“Breast cancer is not a tragedy because boobs are wonderful and everyone loves

them. It's a tragedy because lives that have meaning and value are ended much too soon,

and they end in fear and pain, not peace.”

- Comment on Jezebel, “The Dangers of Pinkvertising”

As many as 9 out of 10 cases of breast cancer are not genetic.

•

According to Forbes,

the cancer may be caused by a variety of environmental exposures, like hormone disruptors in everyday products.

These everyday products include cosmetics, which company’s like Avon use to promote Breast Cancer Awareness.

Their campaign Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer raised money with a specific line of lipstick – a line that “may have contained ingredients that disrupt hormone functions.”

“thinking pink” has become nearly unavoidable - Forbes

The Wall Street Journal states that

women who see highly female-centric breast cancer awareness messages may become less aware of their own risk, due to the fact that the pink ads target their femininity.

Who actually benefits from pinkvertising?

Are we falling victim to ‘slacktivism’ by thinking we are making a change simply by shopping and buying pink?

‘Pinking out the page’ may not actually help goals of encouraging screening and raising donations.

“When promotions turn boobie, show-me-your-naughty-bits pink, they not only draw attention from the real issues, they reinforce some female stereotypes / expectations of women that can be really damaging.”

- Erin McMahon, “On Pinkwashing”

“Breast cancer as a marketing tool has few (if any) risks of alienating potential consumers, unlike HIV/AIDS, poverty,

obesity or other “uncomfortable” epidemics.” -Forbes

As consumers, we need to be educated on what we are buying, and where our money is going.

Sources

http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2011/07/11/pinkwashing-corporate-sponsored-cancer/

http://pinkenergy.tumblr.com/post/8293761619/pinkvertising

https://medium.com/a-good-cause/e8635acf1dbe

http://jezebel.com/5819968/the-dangers-of-pinkvertising

Photo Sources

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Photo Sources cont…Flickr

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Google Image

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