October is one of my favorite months of the year.
The cool breezes, the changing leaves, the crisp blue skies …
But recent years has brought a new message our way which is permeating every media outlet imaginable and is anything but enjoyable.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in America and with it comes an annual pinkwashing of the grandest proportions.
Pink gloves and cleats on NFL players, pink sweat bands and referee flags, and pink ribbons worn by TV commentators. Even the National Anthem has been pinkwashed with a giant pink flag in the shape of a ribbon replacing the American flag during the singing of this patriotic song prior to professional sporting events!
To me, this is not only extremely unpatriotic, but downright insulting to our men and women in uniform.
What are these people thinking? Is it so incredibly much to ask for people to actually think before they pink?
Even for those of us who see through the pink propaganda and ignore the media stupidity can’t seem to get away from the zombie like hypnosis that comes over people with regard to supporting the marketing bonanza that is “Breast Cancer Industry Month”.
I was shocked last week when the team manager for one of my children’s sporting teams pushed to have the children wear pink ribbon socks during games for the month of October.
I politely declined. There’s no way my child will be used as a pawn to support the message of pink hypocrisy that the Susan B. Komen Foundation represents – the organization primarily behind October pink ribbon madness.
“Komen for the Cure”?
Fat chance.
More like “Komen for the Cause”.
A story in Mother Jones explains how Komen continues to insist that bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure via plastics is safe despite more than 130 scientific studies demonstrating a clear connection between bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure and breast cancer. In addition, early exposure to BPA promotes early puberty which is a strong risk factor for breast cancer later in life.
Moreoever, Komen aggressively mobilizes businesses to display the pink ribbon or color a product pink as a message of “hope” for the “cure”.
This completely unethical raising of funds enlists these businesses to donate portions of their sales revenues to Komen even though many of these products contain carcinogenic, GMO and highly toxic ingredients.
Where does all the millions upon millions of dollars go that the Komen Foundation rakes in every year?
For fiscal year 2009/2010, Komen contributions included: $141 million for education, $47 million for health screening, and $75 million for research. Fundraising costs and affiliate expenses were approximately $60 million and general administrative costs at $37 million.
- Not one
pinkred cent went into education about how diet greatly affects the development of cancer, particularly how cancer thrives on sugar and other toxic foods. No mention of avoiding junk food and eating whole, organic foods. - Komen refuses to acknowledge nontoxic screening alternatives to mammograms. These include thermography and even better, breast ultrasounds which are zero radiation, no compression alternatives that find breast cancer far earlier than mammograms! It is well known that mammograms cause cancer and result in misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment of thousands of women every single year. In addition, there is zero evidence that mammograms save lives in the majority of cases.
- The “research” funded by Komen is for the pharmaceutical industry only. Not a dime for Dr. Burzynski in Houston or Dr. Gonzalez in New York (a recent recipient of the Integrity in Science Award from the Weston A. Price Foundation) who are both practicing safe, holistic and highly effective cancer treatments as compared to the living death that is conventional chemo/radiation. Even though Suzanne Somers beat her breast cancer with mistletoe extract injections and wrote a bestseller about it, Komen hasn’t even consulted with her.
Here’s the bitter truth. Komen doesn’t want a cure. Pinkwashing is far too lucrative.
How are you opting out of the pinkwashing madness this month?
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources and More Information
Where does all the Komen for the Cure money really go?
The Dangers of Estrogenic Foods, Herbs and Supplements to Breast Health
Susan B. Komen Financial Statements, 2009/2010
Choosing to ignore it and reading articles like this is how I cope with the obnoxious PINK Propaganda. So many are living with blinders on. Of course everyone wants to see zero breast cancer but this Susan Komen stuff is just more marketing hype. Thanks for writing about it and helping me to think sanely.
You are spot on Sarah! Thank you for bringing this to the forefront. It is amazing how people are being duped by the “pink” madness marketed by SKG. Shame on SKG for their marketing ploys which play on our sympathies and promote eating unhealthy products!
I just have to say it…. Hit ’em again! and more please!
Tremendous fact filled article! Monday night football got me wondering about the cost of all those special cleats ,etc for all these teams & h ow much goes to research? now I know…
Brilliant article!! I agree, I do not and will not EVER support the Susan G. Komen foundation!!! This organization is NOT interested in a cure for breast cancer, because they make way too much money promoting this pink crap and misleading people into believing that they are “working on a cure.” I could go on and on, but I will just say that I support you and your message and I’ll be sharing this post everywhere I can!!!
Thanks Sara you are wonderful! It is so outrageous that every year uninformed good people have a fund raiser in our town for the pink ribbon nonsense. The food served is SAD and most people attending have no idea that they are supporting big pharma!
I just got this in my email inbox…thought it was interesting that it was *not* for the Komen Foundation. Do you know anything about the research done for this cancer school? http://www.jasonsdeli.com/strike-through-cancer?utm_source=b2b,+b2c&utm_medium=email&utm_term=mda&utm_content=mda&utm_campaign=mda
Wow – thank you so much for writing this! I was starting to feel crazy. October is my most favorite time of year, but when all this pinkwashing comes out, it makes me want to puke. Pink is my favorite color too and I feel it has been co-opted by Komen. I live in Peoria, IL and I shop at the health food store right next to Komen’s headquarters. If you look into the origins of the ribbon and the color pink, you will see that the whole concept was co-opted. Komen may be doing SOME good things, but their entire reputation has been destroyed by their administrative costs and their unwillingness to advocate for non-pharmacuetical solutions and prevention. Komen is about money and nothing more. I understand that they are a business and need to pay their staff and need to bring in funds to stay viable and relevant, but it has got out of control. This past Sunday, as I was watching football with my fiancee and his friend, I got worked up over a commercial that showed a woman saying that because the players were wearing pink, it saved her life This lady was watching football one day and asked her husband why the players were wearing pink and he told her it was because of breast cancer awareness. So, she started checking herself and she found a tumor. Now, she is in remission, but watching all the pink on the football field saved her life. I’m sorry but I found that commercial so ridiculous. Are there people out there that really don’t know what breast cancer is? Do we really need awareness anymore? Breast cancer hits the minorities and low-income the hardest. I highly doubt that there are people out there who aren’t affected personally or by someone they know with breast cancer. Last rant – I also hate the crudeness and vulgarity associated with breast cancer. It’s like all the young boys and immature men like to use it as an excuse to talk about boobs. I can’t tell you how many crass sayings I have seen trying to promote a breast cancer event. It’s not classy.
The ONLY redeeming factor in the NFL pinkwash is that they are not giving money to Komen. The nFL is partnered with the American Cancer Society. THAT SAID, per the NFL online store, only 5% of sales go to the ACS!? Huh?
You are A game Sarah. Thanks for the resources you give to us out here!
I have always believed that the whole cancer propaganda was made up to dupe people into giving up their money to “the cancer cure ” crap, because they don’t want to cure cancer and have to close these new cancer buildings because of lack of recipients . Everything is run by big pharma and no way are they going to promote natural healing. I will never give money to this cause.