How LOW Will Komen GO?: The Winners

Choosing the winners in our month-long competition to find the tackiest, most trivial, most offensive pink ribbon products endorsed by the Komen Foundation wasn't easy. As readers of this blog know only too well, during October we cancer survivors have had to run the gauntlet of tacky pink crap whenever we ventured into a retail establishment. (One easy answer: Stay home. Vote with your wallet.)

However, allowing for personal biases on the part of the judge (me), some clear winners did emerge. And they are:

Grand Prize: to the blogger Dubutaunt, for her entry: Jingle Jugs for Life

Jingle Jugs sells life-size boobs, or "racks," that bounce in time to the song "Titties and Beer." Its market? Frat boys.

From the Jingle Jugs Web site: “Our newest version of Jingle Jugs comes with a pre-recorded breast cancer message. A second re-recordable chip allows the user to record a message of his or her own choice, such as a favorite song, your favorite team's fight song, a romantic message, a political commentary . . . all to which the Jugs will dance and move in synch.”

Debutaunt’s comment, in a letter to Komen: “... Honestly, I can't see in any good conscience how you can justify accepting money from this vulgar company. They sell a product that is so putrid and heinous, but are justifying it since they donate a ‘percentage’ to breast cancer organizations -- then show proudly their giant check to Komen.”

See Breast Cancer Jingle Jugs

First Prize: to a Canadian reader named Nancy for: Pink Wedding Gowns for the Cure

This entry was an editorial feature in “Brides” magazine. ABC News had this quote:

"With this gown sale, we hope to harness the power of the wedding dress — an icon viewed around the world as a symbol of hope for the future — to impact the lives of seriously ill women in a positive way," said Millie Martini Bratten, editor in chief of “Brides.”

Watch the ABC News clip

Judge’s Choice Award: To the Mars/M&Ms Company for: Pink M&Ms

I have been boycotting M&Ms and all Mars candy products for more than a year, because I think the pink M&Ms trivialize a very serious disease.

This year, I turned the pink M&MS into a mosaic titled, “What I See in the Mirror Every Morning (And It Ain't Pretty).”

Support this blog:

@ Jeanne Sather 2007.

Comments

[amanda]

Hey Jeanne, have you seen this?

"What Would Susan Do?"
http://imtooyoungforthis.org/media/costofliving/wwsd.pdf

[James]

I happened upon the PRNewsire press release that brought me here. On the same day I see this blurb about the Houston Aeros hockey team. Doesn't quite top your winners, but crazy none the less:

Friday, November 2 at 7:35 p.m. is the Aeros' 2nd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game. The first 3,000 fans will receive Houston Aeros Pink Mini Sticks! The evening features a special Susan G. Komen ticket package that includes two Lower End Zone tickets and two Commemorative Susan G. Komen Pink Pucks. A portion of every package will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The pucks were very popular last season and as a result this package sold out, so get yours before they're all gone.

[brooke]

You rock! I love what you are doing with this. I posted 1 post on the same topic "think before you pink" and thought i was doing a lot.. but this, this is just wonderful. thank you for what you are doing.

[jeanne]

Thank you all! Amanda, I hadn't seen that. Thanks for giving us the link. It's a strong piece.

And James, I am gagging all over those pink ribbons. I heard something about it, but didn't really understand the depth of the pink junk people were going to have to wade through to get to their seats.

Does ANYONE marketing this stuff run it by a group of women who have (or have had) breast cancer?

I would never vote for PINK SALTINES, but I saw them at the grocery store!
The hundreds of thousands of women in this country who have undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer associate saltines with NAUSEA. That's a nice association, that will make me buy these pink ribbon crackers. What marketing genius gets the credit for that one?

I am SO GLAD October is over. And next year, I'm gettin' out of Dodge.

Jeanne

[Teresa Hartman]

In the midst of hunting down the pink tirade of products supposedly created to support the fight against breast cancer during October, I was contacted by one of my 'own' cancer charities, dealing with oral, head, neck cancer. Bless their white and red ribboned hearts (that is "our" color, white ribbon with a red stripe down the middle), they were asking me for money to support the fight against oral, head, neck cancer. Um, I think I have given all I can at this time, guys. And where is my check for my portion of the money that has been raised? Since I caught the dang stuff, shouldn't there be a check in the mail, or one of my prescriptions paid for, or a free parking for life sticker, or the announcement that a lab chair next to a research bench has been named in my honor? Just wondering. Someone at work was talking to me and said, "I guess all the pink ribbon effort makes you feel good that there is money being put forth to rid the world of cancer." I didn't reply - they wouldn't have understood even if I had tried to show them the fallacy of their beliefs. I just calmly adjusted my "Boycott October" pin, and went back to work.