Contrary to what you might have gleaned from the many campaigns out there trying to drum up money for breast cancer awareness [as if none of us is aware of all the pink out there and what it signifies], breast cancer doesn't happen to boobies, ta-tas or hooters. It doesn't really even happen to breasts; it happens to PEOPLE. Yes, that true -- it's a little known fact, thanks to the many oddly-named campaigns out there, but breast cancer happens to people.
Yesterday, I got an email from a software company I've purchased from in the past: Here's a snippet from the very beginning [emphasis mine]:
October is National Breast Care Awareness month, so we here at CoffeeCup decided to do our part to help save the boobies!
For the next 10 days, we're donating 10% of the revenue from our Pink Page to Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure. And for being awesome and helping support this worthy cause, we're also extending a 10% discount to you, our lovely users. That's 10% off for you and 10% toward breast cancer research. Just remember that this deal ONLY applies to purchases made through our Pink Page.
You do like boobies, right? We thought so. In that case, you should order here now.
The more I read it, the more angry I got. Aside from the infantilizing of breasts by calling them "boobies", it makes it sound as if boobies are just walking around all on their own and that saving the person on which the boobies reside isn't as important as saving the boobies themselves. Not to mention that last completely idiotic sentence, which makes it sound as if this company believes all of its customers are 14 year-old heterosexual boys.
Of course, I fired off an email in response. Here it is:
How about saving the women and men with breast cancer? They're not disembodied "boobies"; they're human beings with cancer in their breasts. Give them a little more respect, please.
I guess I wasn't the only one who was ticked off by their email. I got a response late last night. Here's their non-apology apology:
Our recent "Save the Boobies" campaign got quite a few responses from people who felt we weren't taking the subject of breast cancer seriously, so we wanted to take a moment to clear up our intent.
First, we never meant to offend anyone. Our aim in sending out an e-mail with a provocative subject line was to get people's attention and raise money for a worthy cause. It's a strategy used most notably by ta-tas (www.savethetatas.com), an organization that aims to raise awareness and support the fight against breast cancer. We ran the idea by the female members of our staff, as well as several of the most active female members in the CoffeeCup community, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. We also received positive feedback from many of our users, male and female. Nevertheless, we do apologize if we came off as offensive or insensitive to some of our users.
Second and most importantly, we do take the issue of breast cancer very seriously -- in fact, one of the members of our staff helped design the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Website. Our mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, coworkers, friends, and all the other women we know deserve to have safe, healthy lives. That's why we want to get the word out.
To demonstrate our ongoing dedication to supporting breast cancer research, we're going to double the amount of money we donate. That means that 20% of the revenue from all purchases made through our Pink Page will go straight to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. We've also added a donation button for people who may not need software but would still like to help out.
Silly me and everyone else who was angered by their initial email!! Certain female members of their staff had given their A-OK for this! AND, a member of their staff helped design the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website. Well, THAT makes it all OK then!
It's not that it came across as offensive and insensitive to SOME of their users -- it's that it IS offensive and insensitive to ALL those individuals [women and men] out there who currently are fighting or have survived or have died from breast cancer. The whole "Save the Boobies" or "Save the ta-tas" deal effectively removes the human being suffering from the disease and makes it some silly little tag line for a company's attempt at increasing sales.
Are we going to soon have "Save the PEEN" campaigns to raise awareness and research money for prostate cancer?
For fuck sake, CoffeeCup, I also can't believe you just used the "but, but -- THEY'RE doing it too!!" excuse. www.savethetatas.com [no, I will not link them] didn't send me an email YOU did.
One thing CoffeeCup did in response to our emails that I do believe was worthy of praise: they provided a link to SGK for The Cure so someone can donate without having to make a purchase.
With all this pink for research and awareness going on, I'd like to reiterate what I've been saying constantly to my family and friends: this disease is PREVENTABLE. Prevention is possible, and we are the key. We can make sure we get yearly mammograms and do self-checks and have our doctors do yearly hands-on checks as well. Make it all part of your yearly check-up/physical.
I'd love to see health care reform that will enable all American women and men to get their yearly preventative mammograms at little to no cost -- and to make them easily and widely available to all, no matter where they live in the U.S.
I'm running again this year in the Central Florida Race for The Cure. If you're interested in donating, please go here: Susan G. Komen for the Cure Central Florida. Thank you!
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