to get naffed off with the raising breast cancer awareness frippery?

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Fecking FB.

Tbh, I'm a bit irrational about it, having been touched signifcantly by BC recently, so my view may be skewed, but how on earth is I like it on the doorknob going to raise awareness in any mindful manner?

There's a photo of lemons in an egg box with clues to changes in breast tissue that are worth looking out for. Now that's worth sharing.

And raising money by running, cakes, whatever - worthwhile as well.

But stuppid inane posts? Meh.Wanky.

AIBU?

Oh Chaos ((cuddles))

Cancer makes everyone it touches because it is a bastard.

Maybe next year we'll do our own counter campaign to the innuendo.

FUCK OFF FUCKING CANCER
Donate a £1 to a cancer charity then share this status.

Those 'chain mail' type bollocks give me the rage. I received one once and promptly deleted that person.

I've had cancer (not BC, but cancer nevertheless) and raising awareness should be exactly that, not some childish fucking shite full of oh so (not) hilarious innuendo. Anyone who posts that shit is, frankly, a plank. A woodworm riddled manky plank.

Fair enough.

That HP article is really useful, thanks Fright.

Yes, Hineyd, donate a bloody pound rather than talking tosh is a much better plan.

Thanks yuo lot.

And, AND, if you want to raise awareness for cancer charities, then get off your fucking arse and do something you lazy cunt. Posting a pathetic FB status/chain mail/innuendo bollocks is NOT going to raise anything other than 'WTF are you on about?' shit.

YANBU I finished my treatment for BC less than a year ago and a friend posted odd things on fakebook which made no sense... then I realised that they were some bc game. Very odd, and very crap.

I think she thought that by posting it she was telling the world how she "supports" the "cause". This was the same person who, when I told her I had just been diagnosed with bc, wailed to me down the phone about what would she do if I died

So yep, great awareness raising there. I am totally with you on this one, it's total and utter bullshit.

[Gets coat]

Thanks Chaos.

Yes, yes a thousand times yes. Funnily enough I had a message in my inbox but haven't seen any status updates. I think if I did I'd comment underneath each and every status with a link to donating to cancer research or similar.

GreenTeaDrinker

Oh, GreenTea.

See?

All my sane friends live in Mumsnet.

Thanks for all the swearysense.

weak

Chaos, I have come to that conclusion too.

I hate the

I like it in the hall. Lol

Oh is this the wrong place?

I agree, it's v odd.

Although I do think we should listen to Aunty Usual, a bit.

Meh. Is the only correct response to the majority of wanky things on Facebook.

YANBU and when this subject comes up I always recommend Smile or Die by Barbara Ehrenreich which kicks off with an analysis of the pinkification of breast cancer and her alienation from that culture when she was diagnosed with BC.

ABF

candycoated - that's a really important point - it mentioned it in the HP article. It's kinda the giggly girly twee crapola of lets keep it between the gurlz that;s irking me as well.

all the 'awareness' stuff for ANYTHING really annoys me. As does anyone who thinks social meejah does anything at all.

BTW to donate to charity, do so directly. All the sites takes 5%. Those godawful plastic bracelets and bags of sweets just generate litter and only donate tiny amounts to charity.

Mm, and last year, when I first saw it, I felt like everyone was part of a hilarious big joke that I didn't get - took me right back to school it did.

This year I know it's crap.

I have been thinking about this as I have always thought that posting te colour of your bra or where you leave your bag is just a bit of a rubbish viral thing and does nothing to raise awareness. Then a friend with serious breast cancer asked me to do it. Instead I have changed my profile picture to the breast cancer awareness month pic for the rest of the month and put a link up about donating and where to read more. Am I being churlish in this do you think?

Though specialsubject, social media is a really valuable way to raise money. I raised £9k for guide dogs when I did the marathon and I reckon without the power of Facebook, the sum would have been a ninth of that.

Chaostrulyreigns that is exactly it

I don't think you're being churlish at all, Polly.

It's not just FB: every single magazine I have read recently seems to have a special 'section' devoted to breast cancer, as well as 'all pink' fashion shoots.

Firstly - there are other cancers, so why the focus on this one (other than it's boobs, giggle giggle)?

Secondly - breast cancer has been linked to things like being overweight and drinking too much. Why is that hardly ever mentioned? If more people exercised, breast fed and drank less, breast (and other types of) cancer cases would decrease. Prevention is better than cure

[obviously not all cases and I'm not in any way saying people have 'caused' their cancers, but clear links have been shown in some instances]

Thirdly - cancer is not glamorous. It's horrible. Trying to make it sexy is sickening (I've had cancer. Losing all my hair and 20lb in 6wks did not make me look sexy: it made me look like someone from a concentration camp).

I absolutely hate the games and I've turned into a bit of a keyboard warrior whenever I see the opportunity. None of my friends are daft enough to post them - it's usually a status by them to their own friends list, explaining why they're annoyed by the games and why they're not the best thing to do.

I finished my own hospital treatment for breast cancer last May. I'm really really outing myself now, but I've been posting a link to the R4L I'm doing tomorrow in memory of a friend. Probably breaking a million mumsnet rules now, but this is our JustGiving link: www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/lllers/

That gets posted whenever I see someone defending the games because hey, put your money where your mouth is.

I'm also countering the stupid comments by informing people about a Facebook support network I'm part of. If anyone knows anyone who has had breast cancer young, please get them to search for the Younger Breast Cancer Network UK on Facebook. It's several private groups that the admins have to add to you, but we have about 600 women so far from around the UK and the support is amazing.