“Breast Cancer Awareness” camera
Yes, Polaroid is peddling a “Breast Cancer Awareness” camera, and yes, it’s pink.
If your first thought at this revelation was “Holy Jeebus, that’s the most retarded thing I’ve seen all week,” then great. If, on the other hand, your thoughts were more like “Hey, gee, what a cute pink camera, and how benevolent of Polaroid to contribute to this important cause,” then keep reading for an explanation of why it’s the most retarded thing you’ve seen all week.
Breast cancer is a horrible disease, with a frequency that is of serious concern, particularly to women, and most particularly to American women. It’s among the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the U.S. today, has a high mortality rate, and a mammogram is the best method of early detection. If you didn’t know these things, ask someone to smack you.
Do I think it’s good to keep things like breast cancer in the public consciousness, so that some people might remember to schedule their breast exam, and still others might be inspired to donate money to a research foundation? Yes. Of course.
Do I think it’s OK for a corporation to co-opt such a cause in the interest of marketing, favorable press-releases, or maybe even unloading some turd that came out of R & D and that they have no other way to sell? Thaaaaat’s right…..the answer is NO!
Here’s a comment in the camera’s reviews from CircuitCity:
“This camera was a gift for my teenage daughter……. She loves it, especially because it is pink and supports breast cancer”
LOL, why would anyone want a camera that supported breast cancer (if that were even possible)?? Anyway, this user clearly thinks that buying that particular camera is helping breast cancer awareness and research, which is obviously what Polaroid wants her to think.
So I did a little digging, and it turns out that the amount of money Polaroid contributes to the cause for each one of these stupid cameras is….well, zero, as far as I can find. Polaroid did “team up” with Elizabeth Hurley to contribute $60,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Doesn’t sixty grand seem a little light for a company of their stature, especially since they had to get help from Elizabeth Hurley? Estee Lauder, with PR help from Hurley, has given over $1 million. In fact, I don’t even see Polaroid on the BCRF donor page.
If you need a new camera, and also want to support breast cancer research, don’t buy a shitty pink camera. Here’s my simple advice:
- Step 1: Buy whatever camera suits your needs and purposes. If it happens to be shitty and pink, I can live with that.
- Step 2: Go HERE, and send them ten bucks. More, if you want.
Mission accomplished.
You should also stop drinking milk from cows that have been dosed with Bovine Growth Hormone from Monsanto (read that as “most milk available in retail supermarkets in the United States”). What? Don’t feel like spending five bucks for a gallon of organic milk? Have you priced cancer lately? But I digress……that’s a whole separate rant.
And should any of you ever see someone shooting with a pink camera, and say to yourself “Gee, I should go schedule that breast exam” or “Maybe I’ll donate to BCRF today,” then please, email me immediately and tell me how wrong I was to be annoyed by this.
