The Color Wars, Part 1 (a totally shareable blog post)
A pink ribbon for breast cancer. Can’t we all just get along?(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A teal ribbon for Ovarian Cancer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Just so you know, pink and teal should never be in competition. I was just thinking that we aren’t out to destroy pink, only elevate ovarian cancer to the same level of awareness.
I can understand why pink would be more appealing. It’s a pretty, girly color, and it’s been traditionally associated with pretty, girly things. There’s nothing more girly than breasts, so I can definitely see the obvious correlation. But I think this “color war” is being inadvertently created by companies and organizations who truly have good intentions.
For example, why alienate women with ovarian cancer by making their eyeglasses bright pink? I’ve mentioned this before, but do we really need pink 5-hour Energy drinks? The last we heard, that company likes to deceive their customers via advertising, so perhaps this is their way of trying to make good.
Real women and men are affected by this color discrimination because the color comes to mean way more than simply “ovarian cancer awareness”. It means real men and women who are fighting for their lives and whose treatments depend on the fundraising that is being overshadowed by breast cancer. The emotions are clearly high, and rightfully so:
^click to enlarge
This comment happens to be my favorite:
What’s worse are stories I hear from women whose diseases are forgotten by even their own treatment centers:
This is a long road we’re on, but I know that we’ll reach the day where both diseases share the same spotlight. With your help and efforts, every little bit will make a huge difference.
I lost my mom to pancreatic cancer and wear a purple wristband in her memory, but I also support fundraisers for other types of cancer. There should be no competition when it comes to cancer. Cancer is a horrific deadly disease that not only takes the lives of those who have this disease, but also shatters the lives of those who lose loved ones to cancer. I’ve known people fighting many different types of cancer and want the best for all of them. More people need to win the battle against cancer, no matter what type of cancer it is.
Hi Kathy,
I totally agree…and that you mention how cancer “shatters the lives of those who lost loved ones” is truly powerful – and true.
Sad as it is, pink has become an obvious marketing gimmick, so much so that the BBB has to issue warnings about pink products every time September/October rolls around (I discuss that a bit in today’s post).
The NCI mentioned that they distribute funds based on commonality of disease, but I don’t think that makes much sense (see “Shouldn’t Detection Rates Dictate Public Education?”). Breast cancer has become so commonplace that people forget that other cancers exist. That is my biggest fear for cancer in general.
The competition is being created much like competition among high school girls gets going: We’re bigger, prettier, and more numerous, so that’s why we win. But that’s not how cancer works, and I know that with time, these companies will open their eyes.
I love reading your blog and comments. I can’t wait to discuss this more with you!
Best,
Sunny
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