This week we spent a lot of time discussing the issues surrounding breast cancer. I would first like to start with a quote from Samantha King’s article, “Pink Ribbons INC.,” as she states the evolution of breast cancer in society. King writes,
“the disease has been reconfigured from a stigmatized disease
and individual tragedy best dealt with privately and in isolation,
to a neglected epidemic worthy of public debate and political organizing,
to an enriching and affirming experience during which women with
breast cancer are rarely ‘patients’ and mostly ‘survivors.’”
This is true stated also in the movie, The Body Beautiful, a women who had breast cancer 20 years ago was said to keep it to herself and immediate family. Then once she had gone through surgery to try and keep it secret by “stuffing” her bra. This is completely wrong and demoralizing to the individual. I would feel like I was not accepted by my friends and family, an alien of sorts. The second topic I would like to touch upon is the gender biased that is associated with breast cancer. When most people think of breast cancer, most think of the pink ribbon, the purple stamps, and women. Breast cancer research and breast cancer in general is widely advertised as just a cancer that women have. However this is untrue, men can get the disease also, it is just a smaller percentage than women get it. I do not think they are trying to have a gender biased towards men, it just happens to be that men do not get it as often. This leads me to my next question on if the gender biased would make people more resistant to buying breast cancer items. Personally, it does not stop me from buying these items. Most of the things that I buy, a portion of the money is sent to breast cancer research. This research benefits both sexes, not just women. And judging by the general consensus of the class it does not seem as it would bother them either. When the males were asked if they would be offended by the gender biased if they had breast cancer, the response was not surprising. Most men would not be offended, the advertising does picture all women, and however it is all going to the same cause and benefiting the men with breast cancer also.
Lastly, is it morally correct for a corporation to use breast cancer research to advertise their products? King later states in her article, “Breast cancer research and education is a—if not the—favorite charitable cause for corporations seeking to attract female consumers through cause-related marketing campaigns.” At first thought with this question, I had to take a step back and think. I would probably be more prone to buying a product where a portion of the profit will be donated to a good cause. Then from there on I would probably continue to buy items from that company because I would think that they “support a good cause.” However as Tori pointed out in our class discussion I would want to buy products from a company that I donates every year on their own without advertisement. I feel that would be more noble than making a product specifically for “breast cancer research advertisement.” But then again a company has a certain projection that they have to meet. And advertising for something like breast cancer research helps a lot with their view in the publics eye.
