Some of my favorite bloggers, including the lovely Blue Gal and Threading Water, are taking issue with the Pink Ribbonization of breast cancer awareness. Threading Water, in particular, has raised some good issues, including the corporate influence over charitable foundations and the lack of focus on causes to which fixation on finding a cure contributes.
Admittedly, I have kind of a love/hate relationship with the pink ribbon, for much the same reason I have a problem with any ribbon or similar awareness-raising campaign that focuses specifically on a single image. The ubiquity of the image—in this case, the pink ribbon—can lull people into a false sense of complacency that everything that can be done, is being done.
On the other hand, I dig that when I watched a boxing match this weekend, one of the boxers was wearing pink gloves in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. It was so odd to see those bright pink gloves; of course people wondered why, and repeated references to them were made by way of explanation. Only having iconicized “pink” in such a manner made possible the discussion of breast cancer in such an incongruent venue.
Thusly, I understand why people don’t like it, and I understand why people do.
That said, I don't think awareness has reached the tipping point we may suspect when we've still got senators willing to halt important research in its tracks—very specifically, the research into causes. And not only willing, but getting away with it.
I don't know what the answer is. I hesitate to condemn people who are trying to do something, even if misguided, when there are still so many people who are actively obstructionist as regards finding both causes and cures. For that reason, I hope both people who support Pink Ribbons and people who don’t will understand and respect that there is room for both of them at this blog.
Shakesville is run as a safe space. First-time commenters: Please read Shakesville's Commenting Policy and Feminism 101 Section before commenting. We also do lots of in-thread moderation, so we ask that everyone read the entirety of any thread before commenting, to ensure compliance with any in-thread moderation. Thank you.
blog comments powered by Disqus