‘Pink Ribbons Inc.’ Bares Breast-Cancer Marketing

[maddezmom]

‘Pink Ribbons Inc.’ Bares Breast-Cancer Marketing
Friday, June 1, 2012


Lea Pool’s investigative documentary opening June 1 takes a hard look at the misuse of resources and limits of "cause marketing.” Later in the month "The Invisible War” shines a light on the epidemic of rape of female soldiers in the U.S. military.


(WOMENSENEWS)--Opening on June 1, Lea Pool’s investigative "Pink Ribbons, Inc.” focuses on the nonprofit industry that has developed around, and more or less taken over, fundraising for breast cancer research.

Patients with various stages of breast cancer, public health advocates and researchers raise three important points:


No. 1: "Pink ribbon” marches, marathons and events (illuminating the Empire State Building in pink to create breast cancer awareness, for example) not only waste resources, they mislead public opinion about what’s necessary to treat the disease.



No. 2: Financial benefits to research efforts from "cause marketing” (in which brands such as Yoplait and Ford declare themselves "pink”) are minimal, as is the gain from manufacture and marketing of pink merchandise.



No. 3: The pink industry’s heavy use of war imagery (describing "battle" against breast cancer, for example) is misleading and harmful to the physical and psychological well-being of those whose cure--and lives--depend on effective medicine, not metaphor.

more: http://womensenews.org/story/arts/120531/%E2%80%98pink-ribbons-inc%E2%80%99-bares-breast-cancer-marketing