SMRs and AMRs

Monday, October 06, 2014

The NFL's breast cancer scam sells bunk science to profit off pink clothes

Ribbons and shoes aren’t just a distraction from the league’s sexism, misogyny and violence against women. Its Breast Cancer Awareness stunt is based on deadly misinformation.

Karuna Jaggar, The Guardian

Like many other large brand names, the National Football League has long tried to use its alleged commitment to breast cancer to distract the public from its misdeeds around this time of year – particularly concerning women. Don’t look at the unchecked domestic and sexual violence, the extraordinarily high rates of brain disease that ruin careers and families, or the poor pay and working conditions for cheerleaders. Look over here at this enormous pink ribbon on the field! Look at the players wearing pink helmets and gloves and shoes! You can even buy your own! See how much we care about women?!

Pink ribbon marketing is great PR; breast cancer is good for business. Corporations use Breast Cancer Awareness Month to make money every October from pink merchandise and to make even more money in the long-term by generating customer loyalty for a supposedly do-good brand. As for the women living with and at risk of breast cancer, we supposedly benefit from all this “awareness”.

In reality, the NFL’s support of breast cancer philanthropy is outrageous, hypocritical, outdated and inaccurate. The NFL is exploiting breast cancer for its own gain and setting a pathetic example for big business: with nearly $10bn in annual revenue, they have given a mere $4.5m to breast cancer research since the pink misdirection play began.

(More here.)

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