Tit Wrap

Sorry I've been absent. Work has gotten a little hectic temporarily and there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done without making myself nuts (which I've so far avoided).

What the hell is that picture? Well, it's a breast cancer awareness basket. Yes, a basket in the shape of a pink ribbon. This is awareness run amok, my friends.

I was a the grocery store with Mr B today and saw breast cancer awareness wrapping paper. I don't remember exactly what it looked like, but I think it was kind of gold with shiny foil-y leaves, I don't think it was holly, but something bushy with pink foil berries on each. It wasn't ugly paper, it just seemed pointless. "Hey look," I said to Mr B, "tit wrap." He laughed.

Pink marketing seems to be out of control. You can find a pink stand mixer, golf clubs, golf tees, t-shirts, scarves (really ugly ones, too), scrapbook paper, slippers, baking tins, cookie cutters, rubber stamps, beads, jewelry (most of it ugly), socks, teddy bears, coffee mugs, dickies (!), dog tags, sportswear, carabiner clips and coasters. There's more than that, but I'm getting annoyed typing all this.

Why does this piss me off? I mean, isn't it a reflection of attention paid to an important women's issue? Not really. One problem is there's no way for a consumer to be sure how much of their purchase is going toward actual breast cancer research or treatment. Another problem is that almost all of the items mentioned above are "girly" things, things that men are not likely to purchase. Where are the breast cancer awareness ties? What about breast cancer billfolds with a pink ribbon embossed on the front?

A bigger problem is that it's objectifying. It's a "women's issue," but what about other women's issues? Does heart disease in women get this much attention? Heart disease is the leading killer of women in the US. Can we buy little heart disease awareness cookie cutters (yes, I know we can buy heart-shaped cookie cutters, but that isn't the same thing)? And what about dickies? Can I get my dickie fix and support heart disease at the same time?

I'm just not sure it's a coincidence that so much attention is being paid to this particular part of a woman's anatomy. I'm glad women's health issues are getting more attention, but perhaps boobs would be ok with sharing the spotlight?