Pink: Not just for Pepto Bismol anymore

I want to run one of their "think before you pink" ads in our magazine as a PSA...

Margerie, I just checked out "my" shirt! OMG! It's incredible and you are AWESOME! Mind if I link it to the mag's site? My relatives - even the religious ones - will buy them and my small corner of the globe will be plastered with "Cure this b*tch already!" t's. Lovin' it!!

Perhaps we could do some magnets and bumper stickers via vistaprint and slap them on all the pink ribbon displays that will clutter the store aisles next month. Hmmmm... 

So where do I find one of those Felicia T-shirts?  I love it!

 Bugs

O.K.  It's bad enough that pink has invaded toys and household appliances...today I received my Demco catalog.  You guessed it.  They are having a "Think Pink Sale"!  They have: GoPink Notebooks, Pendaflex Pink File folders (with the pink ribbon logo on the front), liquid paper, pink dry erase, scissors, pink pens and pencils and your own personal pink rolodex card case.  By the way, you get a free ribbon pin with every order plus free limited edition pink highlighters.

Geez, last year I was a newbie to BC and didn't understand all the anger directed toward the "Pink".  I used to wear alot of pink, as it was my favorite color.  Now, I just cringe every time I see all the products that have been hijacked by pink.  So many good friends buy/give me pink to support me and I thank them but it does sometimes make me feel as though people think pink and I go hand-in-hand now. There's so much more to me than BC.

I too hate pink October w/ a passion.  Whenever I see a Cancer Center of America, Neulasta ad or any of the other "aint cancer great ads,  I have empathy with Elvis and if I had a gun, I would probably shoot my TV too.

As some of you know, I manage an employee cafeteria for Huhtamaki.  They are a food paper producer.  Chinette plates is one of their main products.  When I got an email yesterday, I was hightly disappointed with them, but reread it all and slowly this time, I though I would share the gist of it.   If you contribute $5 (to be dontated to breast cancer research) you may wear jeans that day to work.  If you work in production and already wear jeans you will get a pair of pink shoe laces.  Everybody who donates will also get a free package of Chinette Pink Casuals ( with the appropriate BC ribbon on the package.  By this time I was thinking noooooooooooooooooooooo!!  Most everybody knows that I have bc,  in a wheel chair, bald 3 times several rounds of chemos hospitals etc.  I was thinking about all the stuff I would have to be listening to etc.   I read the final paragraph of the email.  I felt immensly better.   The plates will be available for purchase in the grocery stores.  10% of the sales with a $100,000 minimum will be donated to Susan G Komen Research.  It was very nice to know that I am not working for a ripoff company.

I still hate pink though!

Helen

Well ladies, last year I found BC stuff at Party City when I went with my dd to get her halloween costume - I'll be going there again today.  I'll let you know what I find.  It's just a scary thought that I found stuff at Party City!  Triple grrrr (lol)

Gentle Hugs,

Trish

OMG, Cancer Barbie slays me, yes that vacant look in her eyes is SOOO familiar! And the pink shoe, I really have no response to that, seems like the work of a deranged person.

My dear friend, upon viewing the Target circular in my presence, "oooh, look!, oh, sh#t, sorry, I'm an idiot!"

My wonderful 12 year old son, upon seeing that d@mn yoplait ad, "why don't they just donate the money, why do you have to mail in a stupid lid?" Followed by, "that's gross the way they keep licking those lids!" (I couldn't agree more on both points!)

My advice to my friend, who shared a little bit with me about her best friend who was just dx with bc, and is starting to feel the pressure because she isn't working full-time, caring for her family, volunteering a the local food pantry, riding horses and playing tennis regularly as she does her chemo, "tell her to keep a supply of those soft kids blocks on hand to throw at the television when the neulasta commercials start up, and tell her to come to bco, where she will get love and support or whatever it is she needs..."

So, how do we make our voices heard and let people who have not personally experienced this disease know how offended we are by this pink-mania?  The day I had my first biopsy at a local hospital, they sent me off with a fancy little pink shopping bag full of literature about bc.  I was incredulous at their insensitivity.  It was like they were saying, "This is going to be fun! You're now part of the world of pink!"  And it actually did make me wonder if, from their viewpoint, they were celebrating finding another patient to treat.  I know about "Think Before You Pink," but I learned about it here.  I have yet to hear any criticism or backlash for corporate pinking expressed anywhere else.  It's really sad that corporate America uses us in this way, especially when the cost of these campaigns probably far outweighs any additional awareness benefit or monetary contribution.     Deanna

I hate this 'pinkwashing ' crap.

My daughter bought two pink T-shirts when I was diagnosed. One saws 'F*** Breast Cancer' and the other says ' Breast cancer is my B*tch'. Can't  wear them out of the house but I LOVE them!

We started collecting weird labels, many do not designate if they donate a dime. Some of my favorites:

Morton salt, Renu contact solution, razors and the all time best/ironic-  a WATERMELON !!

Until I was dx, I did not feel offended by pink bracelets and pins.. Now I am beginning to hate it all.  Why can't they just donate to research and avoid this pink parade of ( putrified ) products?   My husband hated pink and did not allow it in the house.  After he died, 5  and a half years ago, I went overboard with pink - bed spread, towels, etc...  I have a beautiful pink cable knit sweater my dil gave me before I was dx - and pink is a good color for my skin tone.   Thanks for letting me know how commercialized this "campaign" is and is there a really legitimate organization to send donations?    I know, a Felicia tshirt UNDER The pink sweater... ok?????   

Just when I thought it was safe to embrace my full-frontal hatred of pink, my oldest dd calls to tell me the result of her ultrasound---IT"S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!  Gonna have to do some serious compartmentalization here.......

Do you guys have the quarter with the pink ribbon on it?

In Canada the freakin' quarter has a ribbon on it!!!! 

What? The Mint is giving a donation for all the quarters they "sell" WTF???? 

The words Breast Cancer are not even on them, just the damned ribbon. 

Okay. I know my name must make some of you gag, but it does have a very sentimental reason and pink has always been my favorite colour.  However, I do think the pink thing gets waaaay over done.

This turtle is put out by the same company that has the bear on the motorcycle.  And....I am the manager of collectibles at a store and actually order and sell these items.  And we do sell a lot of them.  When people ask me what to get a friend who has just been dx with bc, I usually suggest something that has nothing to do with pink or bc but they will usually go straight for the pink ribbon stuff.  Sorry to all the recipients of these gifts for enabling these customers! 

There are a lot of ridiculous things out there But this is one I have to admit is kind of cute.

TM Figurine is Ideal Pink Ribbon Gift! Exclusive, Limited-edition" />