Awareness

Cancer is serious business. It can strike anyone at any time for pretty much no reason at all. Breast, colon, blood, ovarian, uterine, lung, prostate, skin, brain. There are words that strike unspeakable grief into those that hear them. Tumor, biopsy, metastatized, chemo, and God forbid, untreatable. I know many men and women who have had cancer and have had it successfully removed, treated, and beat into remission, and I know others who were not spared, and they wasted away and died.

According to the National Cancer Institute, U.S. women have a 1 in 8 chance of getting breast cancer in their lifetime. About 1 in 35 die from it, and it is second only to lung cancer in leading cause of cancer-caused deaths in women.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. (I'm not sure who isn't yet aware of breast cancer, but that's not the point of this entry.) People wear pink and remember those they love that have battled, or are currently battling, breast cancer, or because they themselves battled it. Stores sell their regular merchandise in pink and forward proceeds to cancer research. All this is great. Solidarity and money are two very practical responses and needs. Humor is often needed to deal with serious issues. I get that. But...

Last year, and here is where I might be pushing some buttons, there was a facebook phenomenon of women and girls posting what color bra they were wearing, all in the name of "Breast Cancer Awareness." It even made the news, which is kind of ridiculous. At best it was a silly inside joke, but at worst, the people who knew what it meant, especially the men who knew what it meant, were left with an unfortunate thought about the color of the participant's underwear. Harmless fun? Maybe.

This year, girls and women are posting statuses such as "I like it on the counter" or "I like it on the floor". Supposedly it's just where you put your purse when you get home, but it doesn't say that in the status. Again, this is in the name of "Breast Cancer Awareness." I'm not sure how making purposefully sexually suggestive statements is doing anything to help breast cancer victims or survivors, or encourage early detection, or educate those souls who may not actually know they should be doing self examinations at home or getting yearly check-ups. There is no follow up with stats about cancer, stories about survivors, links to cancer sites, ways to donate to the American Cancer Society. This does not empower anybody. For the young girls posting this, who are facebook friends with anybody male, think about what you are doing. You are putting the idea that you like sexual encounters in various places in your home out there for anyone to see. Adult women, do what you want, but do you really want people to be thinking of you in terms of where you like to have sex? Breast cancer has nothing to do with sex. At least the bra thing sort of made sense, in that it holds your breasts up. If you're going to follow this useless trend, at least consider giving it some value. Research cancer. Find somewhere to donate. Cut your hair and give it to a reputable charity that makes wigs for cancer patients. Send an encouraging note or take a meal to someone struggling with cancer.
Check it.

http://www.pantene.com/en-US/beautiful-lengths-cause/Pages/default.aspx?utm_source=yahoo&utm_campaign=Pantene_CC_NF_1011&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=Get+Inspired

http://www.cancer.org/

http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/

https://www.pinkribbonstore.com/gifts/site.do?siteId=343&origin=PRS_GOOGLE_ADGROUP-CompetitorKeywords&gclid=CJmqmue8v6QCFUxa7AodTGvkBw