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.

[Susan C]

I just came back from Big Lots (formerly Pic 'N" Save) to pick up garbage bags. The pink "I Commit" garbage bags were heavily discounted, so I picked up a box. So sad.

[Paige]

If there is anything out there in pink crapomania land that is more vulgar, offensive, and stupid than the "jingle jugs," I am not sure I would want to find it- even if there was a substantial cash prize involved.
I like the stay home, vote with your wallet approach. I did venture out yesterday to the pet store, to buy dog and cat food, and health food store for vitamins.
Both are privately owned/non-chain establishments and I can happily report that there was not a pink ribbon or pink product in sight. I am really appreciating our CSA farmshare and neighborhood food buyers club this month. Because we get most of the food and groceries we need from these two sources I rarely have to go to a store anyway.

[oskarmilde]

i agree that october brings forth the nausea i experienced during chemo. i also agree that komen's focus on post menopausal patients is sad since the woman’s death who started it all was only 36. my family has been cursed with breast cancer. my great grandmother died in her thirties, my mother died at 38 fighting bc for 6 years, her sister, my aunt, got it 2x at 26 and 30. i got it myself at 32, same age as my mother.

in the early 80s when my mother was sick, no one talked about it. my mother was ashamed having breast camcer and hid it from everyone until her emaciated body told the truth of her illness. I felt horrible not only because she was sick, but also that she had to carry the shame of a sexually related cancer. it was a damn shame.

when I got sick, there was much more social support. I didn’t wear a wig, I went bald and was proud of it. I waited nearly 3 years for my reconstructive surgery and only went for it because it would make me smaller (I carried around a D sized single breast for three years, which made it hard to exercise and such) so one thing I do thank the SGK organization for is bringing awareness and taking away the shame related to the disease. Although I share your disgust about the marketing, we do have to think of the original premise behind the organization, which was to bring awareness that it is a disease and not a shameful predisposition.

thank you for sharing your thoughts about the absolute disgust with the marketing of breast cancer awareness “Save the Tatas” just makes me want to shoot someone in the face. you can’t save the “tatas” if they are diseased. and to say that to someone that has had a mastectomy and will carry the scars for a lifetime, it is embarrassing … it is a “think before you pink” situation and those who accept money from these products should come to terms with their dishonor. money is money and it does make the world go round, however there should be a filter to accepting those funds, a filter that is based on the genesis of the SGK foundation … the original intension of the organization was to take the shame away from the disease by bringing forth awareness of the cancer that killed her dying young sister. maybe the people running the marketing of SGK now should take a step back and remember her, the woman whose name is the beginning of the organization.

... jingle jugs, save the tatas, ribbon shaped bagels, bracelets, Paris Hilton dresses, and the rest … what would susan komen though about these things? what would she think about the organization that bears her name accepting fund from such products? would she have accepted the funds or not? would she have had the self worth not to accept the money?

“what would have susan done?” should be the question these marketers ask themselves. I doubt that she would have taken money from products that bring forth shame to those who carry the scars of the BC disease … the only lead to humiliation that used to fuel this illness, the dishonor that this organization was to fight originally.

[Nikki]

Hi Jeanne:

I found this blog after googling to find out if I was the only one who is annoyed with all of the pink stuff. I felt kind of guilty getting annoyed with it, but now I am glad to see I am not the only one.

Some of the stuff I see out in stores is unbelievable, but reading this list really outdoes the low factor. Jingle Jugs? Just disgusting. And I agree with oskarmilde- those "Save the ta-tas" bumper stickers make me want to puke. I saw a girl when I was on vacation with a shirt for some fundraiser that said "Mugs for jugs". Whatever happened to just a simple fundraiser for abolishing breast cancer?

Could you imagine men having bumper stickers for testicular cancer that says (pardon my language) "save the balls" or penal cancer that says "save willie"? I don't think anyone would stand for it!

The thing I wonder about the most is how much of the money actually goes towards breast cancer research?

Keep on being assertive and I wish you all the best luck in getting better.

Sincerely,
Nikki

[Rachel]

Sad thing is, the men would probably LOVE "save the huevos" or "save willie." But it and that "ta-tas" crap (I just threw up a little in my mouth) are vulgar and not appropriate for public display.

[margaret wilson]

What i want to know is what if it had been some girl's sister who works at wal mart that died of breast cancer instead of nancy brinker's...who had the bucks to throw at a cause??? do you really think anyone would give a damn???? makes me sick.

[breast reconstrutive surgery]

There are plenty of cancer survivors annoyed with the pink stuff. After my sister had reconstructive surgery and she was in recovery her husband bought her some pretty tacky breast cancer awareness teddies. OMG. She was speechless. We still love him though.