Do you buy products because the company selling them supports breast cancer awareness? Would you use a product if you knew it could cause cancer? Pink Ribbons, Inc. is a documentary that every person should see. Pink Ribbon Inc. the exposes the link between the companies that bring us the cancer awareness campaigns while selling products that contain carcinogens.
Pink Ribbons, Inc. is available on Netflix streaming and I watched it today. I came away with a new attitude toward the companies behind the breast cancer awareness campaigns. I thought these companies were actually rallying behind the cause of curing breast cancer. Yep, I was hoodwinked. I fell for the calls to race, run, walk, donate and buy products in the name of finding a cure.
My friend Alan passed away this summer from cancer. I watched him wither away after stopping the treatments that would only prolong his suffering, not cure him of cancer. Pink Ribbons, Inc. points out that cancer patient options are the same as they have been for the last 40 years.’
Pink Ribbons, Inc. Review
I learned a few things I didn’t know, like how the pink ribbon came to be. The original breast cancer ribbon was created in 1992 by Charlotte Haley, a breast cancer survivor. The first breast cancer ribbon was peach colored. Ms. Haley distributed the peach ribbons to people who would wear them for awareness and write their legislators for improved funding.
Along comes Estée Lauder who wanted to take the each ribbon national. Ms. Haley said no, she understood Estée Lauder was interested in the commercial aspect and making money, not in real breast cancer prevention. In order to get around any legal issue with the ribbon, Estée Lauder changed the ribbon color to pink.
The majority of consumers don’t know there are toxic ingredients in the everyday products they use. Pink Ribbons, Inc highlights the issue of corporations that sell products with carcinogens and then fund breast cancer ‘research’. It’s ingenious to make money on both ends of cancer. Morally wrong yes, but incredibly profitable for these companies.
It was shocking to learn that about 15% of money raised through these breast cancer campaigns goes to researching PREVENTION and only 5% of the goes to potential environmental causes of cancer. Pink Ribbons, Inc. clearly shows the hypocrisy of the companies selling harmful products and then using the breast cancer awareness wagon to sell more products.
It appears these companies don’t want a cure for breast cancer or even to try to prevent it. Where’s the money in a cure or prevention? There isn’t any! The money is in the awareness campaigns, in getting people top believe that buying a certain product that somehow they are helping in the fight against breast cancer. It’s all bullshit.
It’d be hard to argue that a company doesn’t know where cancer awareness money goes. If they don’t know, they should. Most have attached their brand name to breast cancer awareness because it’s profitable. How many of these companies would ‘support’ cancer awareness if there was no profit in it? It’s absolutely sickening.
It was hard to watch the stage 4 cancer patients talk about what the pink ribbon means to them. Much of the breast cancer culture makes it all about breasts which takes the spotlight away from the women. The entire cancer awareness platform needs re-imagined and transparency is a must. We have the right to know where the money goes when we buy products that are supporting cancer awareness.
Pink Ribbons, Inc. is a must see documentary about the breast cancer awareness industry and it’s tie in with products and profit. There are a few scenes that I thought did not belong in the film. I did not understand the scene of the African-American women having trouble walking with the creepy music playing.. It added nothing to the film. It could have been edited better but overall a very worthwhile cancer documentary.
There are very positive things to come out of the cancer awareness campaigns. Programs like support groups, screenings and information are all important in educating people about cancer.
The cancer movement needs to expand beyond what is already being done now and focus on preventing cancer. Many corporations don’t want to hear that. There’s no big, long-term money in it. It’s profit above life.
Cancer will never be prevented or cured until we put life above profit. As consumers we need to research the companies and products we use and decide what is safe for us and our families. Focus on prevention of cancer! Talking about awareness is not the same as taking action.
It’s time to stop talking and start doing.