There apparently are no limits to how low some shysters will go to make a buck off somebody else’s misery. That’s the only thing I can think of that explains the trivialization of breast cancer by the “Keep a Breast” foundation, which claims to be selling the “I Love Boobies” bracelet to “increase awareness of breast cancer prevention among young people.”
The bracelet is at the center of a controversy at Sauk Prairie Middle School, where some high school girl has contacted the ACLU about the middle school principal’s decision to ban the “boobies” bracelet her younger sister wore to middle school. The young lady’s mother was on one of the local TV stations Wednesday evening (after all, it isn’t news in Madison until it’s in the State Journal) whining about her daughter’s right to express herself and help raise awareness of breast cancer. Another local TV station finally covered the story last night, and fell for a teen girl's assertion that it was a "free speech" issue.
I’ve ranted many times in the past about this bullshit about “raising awareness” of breast cancer. Breast cancer needs a cure, not more awareness. In my “day job”, I just finished writing a story about the recent decline in cancer rates and mortality in Wisconsin, and I interviewed a representative of the American Cancer Society in Wisconsin who confirmed that breast cancer is still the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Wisconsin women.
If you’re not aware of breast cancer, you have a mental disease or defect. It’s touched essentially every family in the nation. So this crap about “raising awareness” is best left for diseases like Duchenne, the devastating muscle disease that hits children. Packers linebacker Clay Matthews has done commercials to help make people aware of this essentially unheard-of, but devastating disease.
Hooray to the Sauk Prairie Middle School principal who banned this tasteless and disgustingly juvenile “boobies” bracelet. But - to the child’s mother, who confirmed to the TV station that her family has been touched by breast cancer: have a nice big bowl of STFU and give a few more bucks to research that will help END breast cancer.
Oh yes, and the title of this post? If it’s OK to trivialize breast cancer, why not colorectal cancer? How about “bust your balls for testicular cancer” or “show your tits for lung cancer” or “up your ass for prostate cancer” or “spread your legs for cervical cancer?” After all, it’s just to help "raise awareness."
It's starting to bother me that I am agreeing with you so often.
ReplyDeleteI thought you said this was a 'family' blog!
ReplyDeleteTalk about headlines that deserve a prize. This made me laugh out loud.
ReplyDeleteI would like to be a fly on the wall the next time someone asks you to buy a bracelet to raise awareness....
Thank you for this! Finally!! Around my area we have people with bumber stickers that say "Save the TaTas". It makes me want to pull them over and tell them to grow up! For one thing, if a woman does have breast cancer the priority is saving the woman, the breast can be replaced.
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