Today I am going to draw attention to a pet peeve of mine for many years.
Pink.
This is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I usually get pretty riled up about companies using breast cancer as a platform to draw attention to themselves and sell their products.
During October in every store, sports arena and advertising campaign, we see pink apparel, candy wrappers that display pink ribbons and even a pink oil rig drill bit, making millions for the company marketing their “pink” campaign. All have some type of disclaimer that part of the proceeds are donated to cancer research. Very few of them identifies the specific percentage donated or to which research they are donating.
Big donors to cancer research usually fund hospital treatment wings or research as an on-going endeavor and do not use October as their big marketing initiative.
As a cancer fighter myself, I wonder how candy wrapped in pink makes a difference to fighting the disease. I am yet to come across a treatment or treatment supplies that identify the donors as being a particular candy, apparel manufacturer or trinket.
I respectfully suggest that, instead of buying pink this October, show your solidarity by giving a family member , business associate or friend your support and attention by spending time with them rather than buying a pink tchotchke.