No. Your Status Update Won’t Cure Cancer.

By On · 24 Comments

As you’ve most likely already noticed, the latest viral trend with a good cause attached to it is the painfully annoying “color status updates” on Facebook, where women across the land broadcast the color of their bras.

If you happen to be a man, you were probably confused by the deluge of spam to hit your Facebook News Feed. And that’s understandable, seeing as this particular viral atrocity is targeted at woman only. The idea is, by letting the world know what color bra they have on, women are single-handedly raising awareness about a “little known” disease called breast cancer. And, as an added bonus, they get to confuse their male friends, seeing as they haven’t been let in on the fun. Awesome, right?

Wrong. It’s stupid. It’s pointless. And it’s spam.

“But… it’s about breast cancer! Don’t you want to help cure breast cancer!?”, I hear you collectively chime in…

Well, for starters, all this has very little to do with breast cancer. In fact, this whole thing started as a chain email/Facebook message that went a little something like this:

“We’re playing a little game where every woman on Facebook will type the color of the bra she is wearing today, (on your status) just the actual color, nothing else. Forward this to women ONLY and let’s see if the men can work out what our game is.”

Notice how there is no mention of breast cancer? That’s because the tie-in with breast cancer was only slapped on after several woman began openly asking the question “what’s the point?”. Nothing helps crap spread like a good cause, right?

Another clue that might scream foul play to you is the fact that not a single breast cancer charity or organization has stepped forward to take credit. If you were running a breast cancer awareness campaign, wouldn’t you want the world to know who’s behind it and provide information on how people can help? What’s the point of spreading awareness if there is no call to action (i.e. donate money to cancer research, how to perform a self breast exams, etc…)?

“But… who cares if it’s bogus. If it spreads awareness, that’s a first step, right?!” I hear you counter…

Guilting people into copy/pasting a status update is nothing more than mental masturbation. It might feel good, but it ain’t the real (and better) thing. Everyone knows about the existence of breast cancer. That’s no longer the issue. The real problem is that there are still a lot of people who don’t know what can be done to catch it early on or help cure it.

Copy/pasting a viral status update might give you a false sense of contribution, but when you think about it, all you’ve done is tell people what they already know and turn it into yet another issue we learn to ignore (remember Darfur?). Most people read them, copy/paste and go about their day until the next guilt trip comes along. Are they more likely to take further action? Not really.

The solution to breast cancer is a lot more complicated than a status update. It involves (amongst other things) helping people identify cancer whilst it’s still treatable, helping patients cope with the aftermath and helping fund the research that will erradicate it all together. I challenge you to ask a cancer patient wether this is helpful:

“Put this on your status if you know someone who has or had breast cancer, and i promise you that you do! All I wish for in 2010 is a CURE! I pray for the cure of cancer. Amen. 93% WON’T Copy and Paste this, will YOU 4 just one hour”

They’ll most likely tell you to stop wishing and donate money to cancer research or spread the word about breast exams. Breast cancer patients don’t care much about your hopes, dreams or bra color. They have bigger problems. What they care about, is concrete steps that will help with prevention and an eventual cure.

Wether you agree or disagree with me, I urge you to use that magical tool called Google to learn more about what actions you can take to fight breast cancer. And if the usage of Google escapes you, then just point and click at the following:

Google Search: Breast Cancer
 Breast Cancer.org
Top-Rated Pink Ribbon Charities
Cancer Research UK
Breast Cancer Awareness Facebook Fan Page

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    I agree wholeheartedly. No matter how sincere your status may be, it's not enough to make a positive change. Action does more than mere mental masturbation.

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    I agree wholeheartedly. No matter how sincere your status may be, it's not enough to make a positive change. Action does more than mere mental masturbation.

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  • me

    most of the money that raises awareness about cancer awareness goes to advertising. this advertising is free….

  • Gloria_mesta

    Your best option for fighting breast cancer is to get early detection and early diagnosis. When cancer “blog comments powered by Disqus” is detected early, your chances of being able to cope with it, to fight it, and via treatments like chemo, there are many documented cases of people who have beat it. But if it had not been detected and diagnosed early, those would almost certainly be different stories with radically different outcomes.

  • Janice_duley

    You need to become knowledgeable about the typical symptoms of breast cancer, and if you detect any of those symptoms at home, you should schedule a checkup with your doctor as soon as possible. For women of ages 18 to about 40, you should plan to schedule a checkup for any types of cancerwith your doctor once about every 2-3 years.

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  • Celticfyre

    Dear Kurt Von Moos…
    No. My Status Update Won’t Cure Cancer, Cure Aids or Stop Child Abuse
    I agree with your point and my personal point of view may only be one small voice and not written out as well as yours… But posting my pink ribbon started a discussion which started a small collection which turned in to a donation. I agree the viral posting of a bra color or where you set your purse had little to do with anything… I stand by the posting of my awareness ribbons or anything else that starts a discussion. People don’t donate if they are not aware… I am a person of little means trying to spread awareness in the only way I can given my circumstances…Awareness is my goal…
    Thank you for letting me add my voice…

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  • Anonymous

    Does this look suspicious to you?

    The cancer cure conspiracy:

    Because the Fitzgerald Report discusses the
    AMA’s effort to block effective cancer treatments. Benedict Fitzgerald wrote:
    “We should determine whether existing agencies, both public and private,
    are engaged and have pursued a policy of harassment, ridicule, slander,
    and libelous attacks on others sincerely engaged in stamping out this curse
    of mankind. Have medical associations, through their officers, agents,
    servants and employees, engaged in this practice? My investigation to date
    should convince this committee that a conspiracy does exist to stop the
    free flow and use of drugs in interstate commerce which allegedly has
    solid therapeutic value. Public and private funds have been thrown around
    like confetti at a country fair to close up and destroy clinics, hospitals, and
    scientific research laboratories which do not conform to the viewpoint of
    medical associations.” [8]
    The Fitzgerald Report has been suppressed for 53 years. I suggest you read the
    enclosed report, then try to obtain a copy through regular channels.
    Bertrand Russell was a prominent member of the Brotherhood of Darkness (my
    term) at that time. He wrote:
    “I do not pretend that birth control is the only way in which population can
    be kept from increasing. There are others…. War . . . has hitherto been
    disappointing in this respect, but perhaps bacteriological war may prove
    more effective. If a Black Death could be spread throughout the world
    once in every generation, survivors could procreate freely without making
    the world too full…. The state of affairs might be somewhat unpleasant,
    but what of that? Really high- minded people are indifferent to happiness,
    especially other people’s.” [9]
    Why did the Brotherhood of Darkness suppress effective cancer treatments? Dr. Lawrence Dunegan attended a medical meeting on March 20, 1969, and heard Dr. Richard Day, the former medical director of Planned Parenthood, explain their goal. According to Dr. Dunegan, Dr. Day stated:
    “We can cure almost every cancer right now. Information is on file in the
    Rockefeller Institute, if it’s ever decided that it should be released. But
    consider – if people stop dying of cancer, how rapidly we would become
    overpopulated. You may as well die of cancer as something else.” [10]

    The Cancer survivors:

    There is today an unprecedented openness about breast cancer. Along with strides in diagnosis and treatment have come long overdue changes in attitudes and awareness about the disease. Happy Rockefeller, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Jill Eikenberry, Shirley Temple Black, Gloria Steinem, and many other public figures have come forward in recent years to tell about their experiences, bringing breast cancer out of the closet and offering women hope and encouragement. But it’s certainly not just because of the celebrities that breast cancer has captured the public’s attention. For a disease that strikes 1 in about 10 American women (the American Cancer Society puts the figure at 1 in 9) it’s almost become a rarity not to know someone who has had breast cancer.

    The Illuminati members: -see Rockefeller, Ford, Reagan

    1963-1969 Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th. President of the United States (D) Confirmed Mason. (New World Order: The Ancient Plan of Secret Societies, William T. Still, pg. 21) Was also a member of the Anti-American organization known as the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR). Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, 1965-1969. Confirmed Mason. McGeorge Bundy (b.1919- )–MJ-12, Skull & Bones (init. 1940), C.F.R., President Ford Foundation, Bilderberger, Special Assistant to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson on National Security Affairs–National Security Advisor. Confirmed Illuminati. Orville Freeman (Illuminati) was appointed as a cabinet member for Kennedy’s and then Johnson’s administration.

    1981-1989 Ronald Reagan, 40th. President of the United States (R) Confirmed Mason. (New World Order: The Ancient Plan of Secret Societies, William T. Still, pg. 21) Vice President George Bush,1981-1989. Confirmed Mason. The President of the United States of America, under the ‘Emigration Control Act of 1986’, Section 100, has the authority to deem whatever type of identification is necessary — whether it be an invisible tattoo or electronic media under the skin. The Microchip and the Mark of the Beast Writer Roger Morris (author of “Partners In Power”) and Sally Denton wrote a well-researched article entitled The Crimes of Mena This story, based on Barry Seal’s surviving records, had been fact checked and cleared for publication by the legal staff of the Washington Post, when it was suddenly spiked without explanation by Managing Editor Bob Kaiser, a fellow Skull & Bones alumni with ex CIA chief George Bush. Note: Eleanor Roosevelt (who was involved in numerous communist organizations and was an actual card carrying member of the American communist party) was a close friend and confidant to Ronald Reagan’s mother. (Fritz Springmeier, The Illuminati Bloodlines) Reagan was also a member of the all-male ultra-exclusive Bohemian Club to which every Republican President since Herbert Hoover has belonged.

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/3817444/The-Fitzgerald-Report-Suppressed-Cancer-Treatment

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VR4NSXX6GSP47QZ6GZLLSZTUBQ Dave Sparks

    Hi,
    I think rather than just updating the status messages one should be looking to actually do some noble cause like educating people about such dangerous diseases..
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    No other disease has received the significant public health efforts and
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    Change in the colour or feel of the skin of your breast, nipple, or areola (area around the nipple)
    Dimpled, puckered, or scaly
    Retraction, “orange peel” appearance
    Redness
    Accentuated veins on breast surface
    Change in appearance or sensation of the nipple
    Pulled in (retraction), enlargement, or itching
    Breast pain, enlargement, or discomfort on one side only