During the morning walk with Ted today, I noticed a car in the neighborhood with one of those ribbon bumper stickers. This one was teal, and the letters on the twisted ribbon ends read, “Ovarian Cancer Awareness,” and, as is the custom when I see one such bumper sticker, the phrase struck me as odd.
I am not an oncologist or anything, but I would say that I am aware of ovarian cancer in that I know it exists and is a risk for which tests should be regularly run. Generally, I am aware that there are endangered animals, children are hungry in other countries, and people have terminal illnesses. I would even go so far as to say that I might be aware of these issues even without a handy bumper sticker, but I suppose the reminder can’t hurt.
What does the bumper sticker really accomplish? I guess the money from its purchase may go toward environmental conservation efforts or medical research once expenses are covered. I question their effectiveness, but I am even more flummoxed about those stunts to “raise awareness.” A guy will sit on a flagpole for 27 hours to demonstrate how many people are afflicted with some such condition every day, and he gets featured on the local news, but I am unclear what happens as a result. I wonder if people go home and then donate money or time to help out the cause, or if they simply gaze up at the weirdo on the flagpole.
That’s not to say that I am not in favor of supporting medical research, saving the planet, or feeding needy people. There are so many good causes to support, and they justifiably need people’s time and money to continue providing services and doing work, which can’t happen without informing and educating those people. I just don’t understand the drive to raise awareness, especially with a strange stunt, when most causes need money, goods, and time, not just acknowledgment that the need exists.
Maybe it’s that word that bothers me — awareness. To me, it implies cognizance and information, but not necessarily with any inherent action. I would like to be aware of a nasty dog behind a fence, traffic jams, or broken glass on the floor. Putting terminal illness and hunger on the same level seems imprecise, not to mention insensitive, and that impression only deepens when I see it on a bumper sticker.
Okay, I’m aware of ovarian cancer! Now, what?
9 comments
Today, I am joining a committee for breast cancer awareness at the hospital where my aunt works. My role is supposed to be to keep the committee connected to the younger generation, and to help them figure out ways to raise awareness within my demographic. So, it’s amusing and interesting that you posted this today. You’ve really gotten me thinking about the importance of this committee and my new role, and how it has to be about more than bumper stickers… even if your post was just intended to be a gripe
It is so funny that you put this to words - I guess I have always felt exactly the same, especially during the time when one of my best friends was suffering from breast cancer. I would see the “awareness” stickers and pins and wonder just what, exactly, they were aware of. Was it the painful nausea of the chemo? The hair loss? The soul-sucking depressive nature of that disease? Just that breast cancer, in fact, EXISTED?
It always bugged me but I never thought through it enough to write it out coherently. I guess the idea is that in buying the $5 bumper sticker, a portion of that cost goes to the cause. But I agree, an action step bumper sticker would be better - like “I support breast cancer research by volunteering HERE” or “I support ovarian cancer research by donating HERE”.
I am going to send you a bumper sticker that says “Dangerous and Cutty Broken Glass Awareness”.
I’ve always wondered the same thing. Also, I would like a ribbon for ribbon awareness.
i was once behind a car with a bumper sticker that read “someone i love was murdered” and it had an 800 number
i found it very odd and disturbing. i wasn’t sure what the sticker accomplished. sympathy? awareness of murder? i still have no clue. i still don’t think i’d ever want a bumper sticker saying something like that… aren’t all these “awareness” stickers just depressing reminders and not helpful activators?
(google reader led me here btw)
I’ve always kind of wondered the same thing. I’m aware. I guess I feel we need a little bit more than awareness to make a change.
I had a friend who used to steal those magnetic ribbons off of cars. He had a stockpile of them so that he could “always remain aware”. It was mildly amusing, except for the stealing part.
The ubiquity of “awareness” paraphernalia also makes me feel a bit guilty that I’m not constantly “aware” (whatever that means) of every cause.
Hey, I care about breast cancer!
Wait, wait, no… I care about Alzheimer’s research, too!
Oh, endangered species, I haven’t forgotten about YOU.
I agree. Same with those rubber bracelets that now come for every cause under the sun.
I feel like the ribbons (and rubber bracelets that Jess mentioned) have become so popular — there is one for nearly every cause under the sun, it seems — that they have now lost any intended effect they may have had to begin with. Rather than think about donating time or money to the causes when I see such a bumper sticker, I am far more inclined to simply roll my eyes at the sight of yet another tacky, meaningless car adornment. I often wonder, too, whether the owners of the car have done anything to aide their cause beyond purchasing the ribbon and slapping it on their car.
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