Actually DO something to fight breast cancer

Jill at Feministe wrote a hilarious post about the ridiculous Facebook games to supposedly promote breast cancer awareness...like this one (I didn't correct the horrific grammar or punctuation errors...because that's what these silly Facebook games look like!):

We are playing a game. Someone proposed that we WOMEN do something special on Facebook to help with Breast Cancer Awareness. It’s easy, and I’d like you to join us to help it spread. Last year it was about writing the color of the bra that your were wearing in your Fb status and it left men wondering for days why the women had random colors as their status. This year it has to do with your relationship status. You will state where you are, by posting one of the codes below. Remember – don’t reply to this message just type your 1 word response in your status box on your profile. Then cut and paste this whole message into a new message and send it along to your female friends….

 

Blueberry: Im single

 

Pineapple its complicated

 

Raspberry: Im a touch and go woman

 

Apple: Engaged

 

Cherry: In a relationship

 

Banana: Im married

 

Avocado: Im the “other one

 

Strawberry: Cant find the right one

 

Lemon: Wish i was single

 

Grape: wants to get married.

 

The bra game reached TV, lets get this one to do the same, and show everyone how powerful women are.

Who gives a rat's ass about relationship status...and isn't it at the top of our Facebook profiles anyway? If anything, I find the whole thing kind of rude to male Facebook friends. Shouldn't they be made aware of breast cancer as well? And while we're at it, who is NOT aware of breast cancer???

As I commented, "The other “slacktivism” thing I hate about Facebook is when people post things about various causes or illnesses (child abuse, cancer, mental illness, soldiers dying, you name it) and urge everyone to change their status. The implication is that you DON’T care if you don’t change your status." This, along with the many virus-exposing applications and games, is one of the silliest things about Facebook.

 

One of the commenters shared one way that women can actually DO something constructive about breast cancer. They can sign up to be in the Army of Women, as I just did--here's the invitation:

The Love/Avon Army of Women offers women the opportunity to partner with the scientists who are conducting research that will end this disease--once and for all.

 

Breast cancer has been around for decades, but it does not have to be our future. We can be the generation that stops breast cancer once and for all by figuring out what causes this disease and how to prevent it!

 

Sign up for your sister, mother, daughter, granddaughter, best friend, and the woman you met last week. This is YOUR chance to be part of the research that will end breast cancer.

 

It takes a just a minute to join. But the impact we will have will last a lifetime.

 

Please Join Me in Being One in a Million!

The Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and the Avon Foundation for Women, a global leader in breast cancer research, joined forces to launch the Love/Avon Army of Women. The Army of Women has two key goals:

• To recruit one million healthy women of every age and ethnicity, including breast cancer survivors and women at high-risk for the disease, to partner with breast cancer researchers and directly participate in the research that will eradicate breast cancer once and for all.
   
• To challenge the scientific community to expand its current focus to include breast cancer prevention research conducted on healthy women.

It doesn't cost a thing, and participation in any research project is purely optional and confidential. If you are a healthy woman, won't you join me in actually doing something tangible to fight breast cancer?