Book Analysis of Pink Ribbon, Inc.
Samantha King’s, “Pink Ribbon, Inc.” examines breast cancer advocacy groups and dares to challenge the public perception of a venerated American charity, the Komen Foundation.
Founded in 1982, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was born from a sister's love and a solemn promise to stop breast cancer from taking more lives. The foundation was pivotal in beginning a public dialog about breast cancer. It helped remove the disease’s stigma and effectively advocated for early detection. It is now a behemoth organization intent on commercializing the disease, King believes.
Forty years after Betty Ford’s groundbreaking breast cancer acknowledgments there is a greater public acceptance of the disease and the crusade to eradicate it. Popular fundraisers called “Mugs for the Jugs” and bummer stickers proclaiming, “Save the Tatas” are now commonplace. This light, breezy and somewhat cutesy approach, King writes, ignores the fact that breast cancer remains a serious disease. It is not glib or cute. It is harrowing, scary and deadly.
She writes about the “tyranny of cheerfulness” and shares the views of “Welcome to Cancerland” author Barbara Ehrenreich who did not view her breast cancer diagnosis as a lucky gift. Ehrenreich was offended that after her diagnosis, medical staff offered her a teddy bear. She wryly wondered if grown men were offered Matchbox cars after receiving testicular cancer diagnoses (King 122). I agree that the modern breast cancer movement advocates a response that trivializes powerful, visceral emotions. Facing potential death is not the time for peppy groupthink.
“Pink Ribbon, Inc.” reveals that breast cancer philanthropy has become big business. Each year, more corporations join the “fight” with their cause-marketing campaigns. King challenges this commercialization and fears that well-intentioned consumers are being duped or as she calls it, “pink washed.” Whether it is the NFL wearing pink jerseys, KFC hawking
Founded in 1982, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was born from a sister's love and a solemn promise to stop breast cancer from taking more lives. The foundation was pivotal in beginning a public dialog about breast cancer. It helped remove the disease’s stigma and effectively advocated for early detection. It is now a behemoth organization intent on commercializing the disease, King believes.
Forty years after Betty Ford’s groundbreaking breast cancer acknowledgments there is a greater public acceptance of the disease and the crusade to eradicate it. Popular fundraisers called “Mugs for the Jugs” and bummer stickers proclaiming, “Save the Tatas” are now commonplace. This light, breezy and somewhat cutesy approach, King writes, ignores the fact that breast cancer remains a serious disease. It is not glib or cute. It is harrowing, scary and deadly.
She writes about the “tyranny of cheerfulness” and shares the views of “Welcome to Cancerland” author Barbara Ehrenreich who did not view her breast cancer diagnosis as a lucky gift. Ehrenreich was offended that after her diagnosis, medical staff offered her a teddy bear. She wryly wondered if grown men were offered Matchbox cars after receiving testicular cancer diagnoses (King 122). I agree that the modern breast cancer movement advocates a response that trivializes powerful, visceral emotions. Facing potential death is not the time for peppy groupthink.
“Pink Ribbon, Inc.” reveals that breast cancer philanthropy has become big business. Each year, more corporations join the “fight” with their cause-marketing campaigns. King challenges this commercialization and fears that well-intentioned consumers are being duped or as she calls it, “pink washed.” Whether it is the NFL wearing pink jerseys, KFC hawking