Commercializing Cancer

[heart]

Originally Posted by beyondaurora

[So, as sad and annoying as it is that people are like that, if the cause is benefiting from their spending, then so be it.
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Like I said this morning, how much does the cause really benefit from the purchase and where does the money go? People don't check, people don't think they just buy. There's so much pure emotionalism and feel goodism going on and not enough fact seeking.

[nozflubber]

What makes you think its just Breast Cancer? I think all cancers and HIV have this sort of "meandering progress" to them that researchers and drug companies take to them, but it's not like its easy to fix a failed immune system. It is EXTREMELY difficult to medicate what the human body is normally supposed to do by itself....

There's really no other alternative except for letting sick cancer people just die the fuck off, and letting Long Term nonprogressors become the norm rather than the minority. Barbaric, passive euthanasia, or Capitalistic driven medical progress - which one will survive the bestest, next on CANCER CHEF!!

[ptgatsby]

Originally Posted by heart

As an aside, people who aren't living in the US may not realize how incredibly pervasive the pink campaign is here now.

All of the things you mention are done by design. It's an engineered marketing scheme. (See aslo: Diamonds, which is one major reason why I dislike them so.)

The Pink thing in particular annoys me to no end because 3/4 of my grandparents died from cancer, two of breast cancer. And they were long drawn out affairs, as it tends to be. So I support the research, when I don't think it's just work-making, but the marketing aspect is very disrespectful, simply because of its predatory nature.

[beyondaurora]

Originally Posted by heart

Like I said this morning, how much does the cause really benefit from the purchase and where does the money go? People don't check, people don't think they just buy. There's so much pure emotionalism and feel goodism going on and not enough fact seeking.

You have a great point. The link that you referred to earlier mentioned that only 50 cents of a $14.95 "DVD for the cure" goes to charity. For someone who is already intending on making a $14.95 donation, choosing to make this purchase without being fully aware of the distribution would be a great loss for the charity.

However, if it takes making charitable giving trendy in order to get 50 cents more than you otherwise would (from someone who was not already intending on making a donation), in my opinion, it's worth it.

[heart]

Originally Posted by ptgatsby

All of the things you mention are done by design. It's an engineered marketing scheme. (See aslo: Diamonds, which is one major reason why I dislike them so.)

The Pink thing in particular annoys me to no end because 3/4 of my grandparents died from cancer, two of breast cancer. And they were long drawn out affairs, as it tends to be. So I support the research, when I don't think it's just work-making, but the marketing aspect is very disrespectful, simply because of its predatory nature.

Yes, you've put it the best, predatory in nature and disrespectful to people who have suffered from it.

I think it also does damage through making people think the issue gets more support and research money than it really does. People get desensitized to the issue.

I totally agree with you on the diamond issue too.