Pinkwashing has reached a new low this year with “Promise Me,” a perfume commissioned by the giant of the breast cancer movement, Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Watch the video to see why so many people are Raising a Stink! about it.
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a project of Breast Cancer Action
REcall your perfumes and any other ‘branded’ product you have out there that we don’t know about yet.
Hello! After signing and sending a letter to Komen via the BCA website, they sent this reply (note: they “do not intend to ask the manufacturer to recall or remove unsold products”):
Thank you for your email to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® about the Promise Me fragrance. The fragrance was designed especially for Susan G. Komen for the Cure by TPR Holdings, which is donating $1 million to Komen annually for breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment programs. The funds raised through the sale of the perfume will be put to good use in the pursuit of that goal.
Our first concern is always the safety and well-being of women and men facing this disease. To that end, our partners’ products are subject to review by our Medical and Scientific Affairs team, which evaluated the perfume’s ingredients, the latest research, and guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
According to our research, the ingredients found in Promise Me are within fragrance and cosmetic industry standards, and at these levels have not been shown to elevate breast cancer risk in people. At Susan G. Komen for the Cure, we support evidence-based medicine, that is, decisions based on current facts and knowledge. In addition, we make this information available to our constituents, respecting that they are intelligent consumers who make informed decisions about the use of products based on evidence. As new research and new findings are published, we will certainly take them into account.
Nevertheless, at Komen’s request and to be sensitive to these concerns, the manufacturer agreed to reformulate the perfume. The last batch of the perfume was manufactured in May of this year; we expect manufacturing and sale of the reformulated product to begin in early 2012. We do not intend to ask the manufacturer to recall or remove unsold products.
Komen has always believed that ending cancer requires research about how it begins and how it might be prevented, which is why Komen has invested more than $65 million to prevention research and an additional $7 million supporting 18 projects investigating environmental estrogens, pesticides, steroid hormones, and nitrites/nitrates and their relation to breast cancer.
We’re also taking action for clarity and consensus around the direction that environmental research should take in the future, which is why we requested – and are funding – a $1 million study by the Institute of Medicine to answer that question. We expect IOM’s recommendations in December, along with IOM’s assessment of evidence-based strategies for individuals to reduce their risk of breast cancer.
Komen is strongly committed to addressing breast cancer through science, advocacy and community and global outreach to achieve our mission to end breast cancer, forever.
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I too signed and sent the petition and recieved this same letter from the company. I hope they will do what they say their going to, but I think they should take the bad stuff off the market.
I think companies should be held liable for misrepresentation as a recent wine maker claiming he wine was organic. It was immediately pulled from shelf
sick of all the pink promotion, and now this perfume scam. lets worry about a cure for cancer, there is one, take a stand and come out with it….getting rid of all my pink stuff and waiting for the cure.
I am a 19 year breast cancer survivor and have had it with the “Pinking”!!! I really believe that some people think they are helping to eradicate breast cancer by just wearing pink! It has really gotten out of hand.
Organizations and companies are taking advantage of pink by getting money and business for putting the pink ribbons on their products.
People must ask what their money is being used for and make sure that most of it is going for good research or for actual help for breast cancer patients and families.
I have also worked in breast cancer research for the past 8 years and know that most researchers are very dedicated to finding out the causes of breast cancer or better treatments or how to prevent breast cancer. In order to prevent deaths from breast cancer, we must find out how to prevent metastatic breast cancer or how to treat metastatic breast cancer.
Wearing pink or putting pink ribbons on products will not help. I have been raising a “stink” about “Pink” for a few years now and am so glad to have others doing this also.
I agree with you. I do think, however, that just wearing a plain pink shirt to a rodeo says something about the rodeo contestants. All big buff guys who wear pink t-shirts in honor of their mothers and wives.
So glad to see that I am not the only one who feels that October and the pink ribbons on everything from coffee mugs to shopping bags is really too much. I am a breast cancer survivor and am starting to find this obnoxious. Like everthing else, it has been commercialized, and seems like it is no longer about the original message.
I am hosting a Think Before You Pink gathering at my home and I encourage you to do the same. I have invited my friends and neighbors to gather with me and talk about pinkwashing and what we all can do in our homes, communities and legislatively to eliminate environmental toxins that are contributing to breast cancer. Get out there and spread the word!
Stop !!!!!!!
I am a 20 year survivor of BC and the conventional treatments of cut,burn,and poison (but I believe I suffer from the effects of all three). I refuse to “pink” anything, am willing to give an earful to those who might ask me to run,walk, whatever for the “cure” (why is it taking so long? or is there too much money in the Cancer Industry to really cure people) and have had words with the Komen people here in Wisconsin some years back when they asked me to participate in their fundraising.
Thank your for your work on this issue. I continue to try to inform young women and men (I work at a college) on the “bulls*&^t that Komen and other Cancer cure organizations push.
I, too, wrote to Komen, disgusted that they have not learned anything from their poor (to say the least) promotions – like the fried-chicken-in-a-pink-bucket last year!!! I got the same “letter” noted above, clearly indicating that, for Komen, “industry standards” suit them just fine. WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO “GET IT”???? That pink does not solve breast cancer problems, and that those of us who CARE are donating to LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO DO NOT DEPEND ON PHARMA OR INDUSTRY FOR THEIR FINANCIAL STREAM !!! This whole hustle makes me very angry, and I will forward BCA’s video to so many people !!!
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Helllo, questions and queries re allegations
1. FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS – FILE W/ ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS, WITH CO-COUNSEL AND ON THE ISSUES FOR THIS TARGETTED POPULTAIONS (S)?
2.FEDERAL CLVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS (FILED IN IMELY MANNER) WTTH AGENCIES REGULATING THE INGREDIENTS IN PRODUCTIONS AND POTENTIAL PRODUCT LIABILITY. THIS ALSO INCLUDES AND IS NOT LIMITED TO CONSUMER’S SAFETY RIGHTS,EVEN JUVENILE RIGHTS (?) FEDERAL DISABILITY RIHGTS, AMERICAN’S WITH DISABILITIES ACT, (NAME THE TITLE AND GET AN ANTI-PINKWASHING BRAVO). THERE MAY BE EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS RIGHTS RE DISCRIMINATION,AND THE AMERICAN’S WITH DISABILITIES ACT,( NAME THE TITLE AND GET A ANTI-PINKING BRAVO).
3.FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS WHOSE JURISDICTION ALSO INCLUDES FRAUD, MISREPRESENTATION (INTENTIONAL OR NEGLIGENT?)/ mAJORIAL RELIANCE ON WHAT IS OUT THERE IN PRODUCTS, AS IN WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY WITH REVIEW OF THEIR BOILERPLATE REPLY LINGO?
5. What about the State analogs?
6. Does Susan G. Komen receive one nickel of state and or federal money by way of grants, fellowships, .
Please advise if the wings of change inspire advoacy.
Could it be: tIME FOR CONTINUING PRO BONO rep/scientific community witnesses,
DESIGNATE SPEAKRT FOR BLC WITH THE ALL FORMS OF MAINSTREAM AND ATLERNATIVE ETHNIC MEDIA/
Will BCA fw the video to all the “players” in this horrific misuise of non- profit funds.
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Please contact REPLY TO ALL if BCA is planning to hold will be a round=table meeting. (sorry, at this time, email = confidential),
SENT WITH GREAT APPRECATION FROM A BC “SURVIVOR”
I recently attended the screening of Pink Ribbons, Inc. at the Toronto International Film Festival. Susan Komen Foundation were in the film talking about all the $$ they raise for breast cancer research. Maybe it’s time to ask them to use some of that $$ to fund studies on the toxicity of some brand name personal care products! Stop playing it safe!
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Why no captioning? I would love to share this with my hard of hearing and Deaf friends.
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