Although I had hoped to be able to get into a new routine this fall and update my blog on a regular basis, I have come to the conclusion there is no perfect time. So now is as good a time as any to start to catch up!
Back in September I had the privilege of attending the Pink Ribbons Inc. film at the Toronto Film Festival with my niece, Katie. I had heard about some of the contents of the film before we had a chance to view it, but I do believe that I tried to watch it with an open mind.
Perhaps I should back track just a bit though. In September of 2010, I participated in a round table discussion on agriculture and the potential links to cancer. This roundtable discussion was filmed by the National Film Board. I felt at the time that the discussion was not as controversial as the film producer was expecting and it may have even been a bit of a disappointment because it was not diverse. So when I watched the film Pink Ribbons Inc. it did not come as a surprise to discover that the agriculture roundtable discussion ended up on the cutting floor.
So I went into the theatre already suspecting that this roundtable wasn't part of the film; I went in knowing that there was a negative portrayal of the pink ribbon campaign and corporate sponsorship; and I went in knowing that there was some focus on a stage four breast cancer support group. What I wasn't expecting was the lack of fairness and balance I felt as I watched the film.
Why did I think that it was unbalanced? I truly thought that the examples of corporate sponsorship were depicted in a very unfair manner. Having been in politics a while back, I understand what can happen when they take 30 seconds out of you 90 second sound bite - it usually doesn't sound very good. And although there have been a few missteps along the way in securing corporate partnerships and sponsorship, the reality is that there have been many good, successful partnerships that have raised hundreds of millions of dollars that have been used for research. This is money that would not have been raised without these same corporations stepping up to help out. And yes, I do recognize they also made a profit.
What I found interesting about the film however, was the fact that it did not acknowledge that people would have bought the products without the pink ribbon on them. Would you not buy paper or a pen or a razor to shave? so why not let some money from the sale of these products shift over to cancer research?
In addition, as someone who has made it through stage three breast cancer, including a double mastectomy, chemo, radiation, and bilateral reconstruction, I found the focus on stage four breast cancer truly unbalanced and frankly, quite disturbing. Today the reality is that more women have stage 1 or stage 2 breast cancer then they do stage 3 or stage 4. And today the fact is that more women survive breast cancer than ever before, so why would the film focus mostly on stage 4? Is it because the producer thought that negativity and tragedy sells? Can one not live with hope regardless of the stage of cancer they may have? I think they can - at least that is the way that I have chosen to live my life.
I have asked myself over and over what kind of story would the film have been if it had focused on the successes in early stage detection and the decades of research that made these successes possible. Would anyone watch a film that talks about the improvements in breast cancer treatment and survival rates - or would they prefer to watch a film that speaks mostly about terminal breast cancer patients and untimely deaths and whether pink ribbons that bring hope to many in earlier stage cancers, only bring dispair to those fighting later stage cancer.
Personally, I don't think this is true nor do I accept it as true - I believe you can also find hope and happiness in each day of life. I watched my aunt fight her battle with breast cancer, on and off, for 16 years and she didn't give up until her very last breath. She lived life to the fullest each and every day and that is how I intend to live my life. I don't focus on the fact I had stage 3 breast cancer, I focus on the fact that I am alive today and living life to the fullest.
It was my intention also to buy the book and see if the film was an accurate interpretation of the book - but October was a very busy month - with many real life experiences taking place as I live life to the fullest - so the book will have to wait a bit. And that is probably a good thing as well, because I did feel some anger and frustration by the end of the film, and I would like that to completely subside before I read the book.
However, I find myself in the month of November still reflecting on the film Pink Ribbons Inc. and wondering if it had any affect on fundraising efforts for Breast Cancer Awareness month, which was the month of October.
It sure didn't look like it did at the Run for the Cure fundraising event that I attended on October 2nd, or the Taking Steps Against Breast Cancer event on October 16th. At both events there were hundreds of participants and many of them also donned the colour pink. I did my best to also wear some pink - in fact I tried to wear some pink each and every day in October - partly in protest of the film, but mainly because I like the colour pink and what it stands for.
Some say the colour pink encourages friendliness while discouraging aggression and ill-will. Others say it can stimulate energy, encourage action and confidence. Whatever the definition is - I know that I truly like the colour pink and the hope that it brings to me personally.
Not a day goes by where I don't think about the fact that each and every day there is someone out there conducting research, getting closer and closer to finding a cure for breast cancer. If pink ribbons and the colour pink continue to raise money for research, so be it. I will continue to wear as much pink as I possibly can to let my friends and family know the hope that pink brings to me and how important the colour pink might be to all women.
So to answer the question, yes, I do believe there is hope in the colour pink and in pink ribbons.
