10/24/2012

Pink Jumps the Shark

Over on Instapundit, Ed Driscoll comments on one of my current pet peeves:
ENOUGH, ALREADY: 11-year-old boy convinced NFL to use pink penalty flags this week. Fighting breast cancer is certainly a noble cause, and I’m thrilled that the NFL is raising millions... But am I the only one who dreads watching a month’s worth of pink sneakers, and now pink penalty flags every October?
I agree with Ed that fighting any cancer, especially through publicity, is a noble cause. But I can't understand why exactly the NFL has adopted this so completely. It is not like the cause of fighting breast cancer is lacking for other advocates or publicity/propaganda.

The breast cancer fight and the pink ribbon have been well know for a long time. So the only possible reason that the NFL has gone to such lengths to show its commitment to the cause, is that in its zeal to attract more fans it has surrendered to the political correctness gods.

But lets face some facts. The majority of NFL fans are guys. So, sure, it is good to raise their awareness that their wives and girlfriends could be affected by this disease.  But shouldn't this league that makes billions of dollars off of these guys, owe it to them to raise their awareness about a cancer that could directly affect them...Prostate Cancer?  In fact, prostate cancer has a higher rate or mortality for males, than breast cancer has for females.
So why wouldn't the NFL want to do a service to the vast majority of their dedicated fan base, and alert them to a disease that does not have a existing national awareness campaign??

Dear NFL, next October please bench the Pink paraphernalia, adopt the blue ribbon, and make it "NFL Prostate Cancer Awareness Month"


11 comments:

Bob59 said...

I know this sounds gay but the pink is just wrong with most of the color schemes of the teams. Its okay on the light blue,aqua teams (Lions, Panthers, Cowboys, Dolphins). However the Redskins, Packers, Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Saints, and other uniforms look absolutely hideous. I think the guy from Projct Runway would secretly agree with me.

Unknown said...

FoxSports is doing Prostate Cancer awareness during their college football coverage. At least someone is paying attention.

Squid said...

For the last 10 years at least, every campaign designed to "raise awareness of breast cancer" has been a failure. There simply isn't any way to raise awareness any further.

It's all just marketing now.

Auntie Ann said...

This has absolutely nothing to do with raising "breast cancer awareness" and everything to do with the NFL trying to entice more women to watch.

It's for ratings, not against cancer.

Will Brown said...

... and alert them to a disease that does not have a existing national awareness campaign??

What an idea, somebody should do that.

On a less snarky note, you and the NFL both would certainly be welcome to take part in next years edition of the annual Kilted To Kick Cancer donation drive which takes place throughout the month of September.

Micha Elyi said...

I boycott pink.

Clyde said...

It has, indeed, jumped the shark. I thought almost exactly the same thing last week as I watched pink-accoutered NFL teams for the third or fourth week in a row. Hey, let 'em do it one week a year, like the ugly throwback uniforms. And do a blue for prostate cancer one week, too. And then Let. It. Go.

Do you think that Vince Lombardi or Bud Grant or Tom Landry would have had their teams wearing pink?

Willys said...

Any color in 'a PINK spectrum' is my least favorite color. Sorry, ladies. I have a hard time watching football played in pink shoes and wristbands. I'll draw the line at pink scarves. What's next, pink helmets?

TOTWTYTR said...

Thank you for bringing this up. A couple of years ago I revolted against the Pink Month and bought some Prostate Cancer awareness ribbons. I gave them out and tried to raise awareness of the issue. Men get short changed in this even though more men die from Prostate Cancer each year than do women from Breast Cancer.

September has been proclaimed Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. You wouldn't know it if you get your information from the Main Stream Media.

A group of friends got together and started Kilted To Kick Cancer

Originally it was "Kilted For the Cure", but an organization that will remain unnamed objected and threatened to sue.

Please visit Kilted to Kick Cancer, bookmark the site, and donate next time around.

KPatrickRyan said...

This has nothing to do with breast cancer 'awareness' (who is unaware of breast cancer???) but it also has nothing to do with 'ratings' as was claimed by another commenting here.

What is the most male of all popular sports?

Now, boys in high school are wearing pink (on the field and in the stands and in the classrooms) men in college are wearing pink (on the field and in the stands and in the classrooms) because they are following the 'professionals'.

This is just another tool of social engineering.

Amazing how many Americans can't see thru the haze of BS.

KPatrickRyan said...

This has nothing to do with breast cancer 'awareness' (who is unaware of breast cancer???) but it also has nothing to do with 'ratings' as was claimed by another commenting here.

What is the most male of all popular sports?

Now, boys in high school are wearing pink (on the field and in the stands and in the classrooms) men in college are wearing pink (on the field and in the stands and in the classrooms) because they are following the 'professionals'.

This is just another tool of social engineering.

Amazing how many Americans can't see thru the haze of BS.