Pink Ribbons, Inc.

Another day, another rant!

I saw Pink Ribbons, Inc. the other night. It’s a documentary about breast cancer and its “cause marketing” explosion. See this movie if you want to get freaked out and pissed off. The main points I took away from it are:

Corporations that jump on the bandwagon and make special “pink ribbon” products are not really raising much money for breast cancer research at all. Many of these corporations actually sell products that CAUSE cancer. They are called  “pinkwashers.”

Millions of dollars are being raised for breast cancer research, but independent research groups around the world are not really collaborating with each other = some research may be duplicated.

A very small percentage of research funding is allotted to prevention. Yes, finding new treatments is important. But how about spending a little more time and money to find the cause of cancer so deaths can be prevented??

Estee Lauder was mentioned throughout the film because of its pink ribbon fundraising. Pinkwasher! I have heard before that some cosmetics are toxic, but this drove the point home. You can look up cosmetic products at this site and see what hazard levels they fall under. I learned that the lotion I apply to my face daily is not too safe…

After watching the documentary, I was reminded of this website. Charity Navigator rates charities based on their transparency and financial health. As a donor to a few charities, I’ve found this site enlightening.

That’s all for now from heat wave central!