Why I Refuse to Buy Anything Pink

First, you should know I am a documentary junkie.  Nearly my entire “Recently Watched” category on Netflix is documentaries. When one of my professors recommended Pink Ribbons Inc., I only let a day pass before I found my self pulled into the untold story of the pink ribbon. Pink Ribbons Inc. looks into the question: Who really benefits from the foundation; the cause or the company? Through organizations like the Susan G. Komen foundation, breast cancer has become a culture of pink. On surface level, it appears as though Susan G. Komen has created a community of women fighting for a cure. Unfortunately, there lies a monster underneath the pretty pink exterior of philanthropic foundations like these.  Many companies see the cause as a way to identify with customers who will purchase their products simply by association with the pink ribbon. 

Let’s take a look at some companies association with the ribbon. Yoplait’s campaign “Save lids. Save Lives” encourages consumers to Save the lid off of their yogurt, clean it, send it in, and Yoplait will donate ten cents. If you ate three cups of yogurt a day, for the duration of the campaign (4 months) your total donation would equal $34.00.

In 2002, American Express had a campaign that stated “In the fight against cancer, every dollar counts” The fine print says, “With every purchase you make between September and December at participating stores, the company with donate one penny per purchase.” … What? That means if you spend $2,000 dollars, a penny is donated. If you spend $5.00 a penny is donated.

The NFL used the pink ribbon to rehabilitate their image after many of their players were involved with violent disputes on and off the field.

KFC started a breast cancer campaign. Let’s raise money by selling food that is awful for you. The concept didn’t last long when tens of thousands of letters were sent to KFC, The Komen foundation, and everyone involved exposing the paradox with this campaign. At this point in time, it was clear that Komen lost the ethics behind raising money for a breast cancer cure.

Ironically, many of the companies pairing with the Komen foundation use hormones that increase the risk of cancer like General Mills, Walmart and 5 Hour Energy.

Needless to say, I was startled by the information brought to the forefront in this documentary.  What happens with these donations to Susan G. Komen from these companies who are exploiting breast cancer to make a profit? Watch the documentary and find out. Next time you buy a product laced with pink ribbons and claims to donate, THINK.