Tangled Up In Pink

(Editor’s note: This is a repost of something I originally wrote two years ago. Some things have changed since then; Lionhearted advocate Rachel Cheetham Moro, who was still using the pseudonym Rachel May in the blog linked here, died of breast cancer. Jody Schoger, a wonderful writer and thinker, and founder of the #BCSM tweetchat, learned her breast cancer has metastasized. But some things have not changed; October is no less pink, and we still have not found a cure.)   I’ve always loved fall, particularly October, even though in recent years it’s become tinged with sadness. My mom died on October 1, 2003, and my dad’s birthday was October 13; this year, he would have been 80. But those bittersweet feelings seem in perfect keeping with fall. The glory of the brilliant gold and red leaves lies in knowing they can’t last.  But now, thanks to the pink retail holiday that breast cancer has become, at least in the United States, the black cat and orange pumpkin of Halloween, the crisp blue sky and gold leaves of a perfect fall day, have all been crowded out by pink. The crowding isn’t just visual. When you blog about breast cancer, October is a land mine just waiting to be stepped on. Do you jump on the pink bandwagon and blog about breast cancer awareness and support, as if it’s the one time of year you can talk about it? Or you resist, lamenting the avalanche of pink products and specials and events that have hijacked the month? I knew this had become an issue when another blogger asked me if I had any big plans for October blog posts. The fact we were even having a discussion about this made me realize just how much Pinktober has gotten under our collective skin. LIke the pink ribbon itself, it’s a loaded symbol. The truth is, I don’t have that much to say about Pinktober other than I’m already tired of it and don’t like feeling (self-induced) pressure to write about it. Instead, I’m going to give you a recommended reading list of the best things I’ve read so far. I mentioned that the pink onslaught seems to be most intense in the United States. Read this wonderful post, “Where There Is No Pink Pandemic,” by Philippa Ramsden at Feisty Blue Gecko, to see how differently breast cancer is viewed in the rest of the world. One of the best posts I’ve read about what a loaded symbol the pink ribbon has become comes from Jody Schoger at the wonderful Women with Cancer. In her most recent post, Upending Pink, she explains why October has made her uneasy for a long time, and includes some great links to recent news coverage of all things pink. But what touched me even more was her previous post, Left Behind, in which she talked about how the politics of the pink ribbon intruded on something as private as a funeral. (I’ve had similar mixed feelings when accosted by a basket of pink ribbons at a funeral, as I’m sure many of us have.) One of the best and most consistent critics of pink ribbon culture is Gayle Sulik, who wrote the book Pink Ribbon Blues. She will be blogging 30 Days of Breast Cancer Awareness and her first installment, the Inspirational vs. the Actual, looks great. Rachel May at the Cancer Culture Chronicles sums up what’s wrong with the typical approach to awareness in Breast Cancer Awareness Jersey Shore Style! All outcomes are good, buying a pink pashmina passes for awareness, and there is nothing remotely related to her experience with metastatic cancer. Apparently, her particular “brand” of cancer is a tough sell. It’s a bit problematic figuring out which shade of lipstick works best with thrush.   Debbie Woodbury at Where We Go Now used to like pink, and wants us to reclaim its power this October. You’ll find plenty of thought-provoking reads in these and many other excellent blogs. And here’s wishing all of us a fast month.

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