Breast cancer awareness campaigns have perfected the performance of social cause support. Wearing a pink ribbon, a pin with a pink ribbon, or something with a pink ribbon on it is now coterminous with concern and support for people diagnosed with breast cancer. Many companies now have breast cancer awareness-themed products.
Similarly, yellow ribbons with the phrase “support our troops,” most notably magnetized to car bumpers, is another form of “conspicuous cause endorsement.” Stephen W. discovered another example of this form of “activism,” this time in collaboration with Goodyear tires.
From what I can discern, the programconsists of putting “Support Our Troops” tires on Nascar cars sponsored by Goodyear, donating $20,000 towards troop-supporting causes, and then asking you to buy their tires and donate your own money.
Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture; a textbook about gender; and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Comments 6
HG — October 19, 2010
I love the contrast with the WWII-era method of supporting troops, which was to avoid buying tires:
http://www.radford.edu/~wkovarik/envhist/RenHist/1.biofuel.pix/rubber.poster.jpg
Jude — October 20, 2010
I love how Christians are so eager and willing to support the killing of other people. Very Christ-like.
Anonymous — October 21, 2010
Lisa says, "Wearing a pink ribbon, a pin with a pink ribbon, or something with a pink ribbon on it is now coterminous with concern and support for people diagnosed with breast cancer. "
Too often, it feels like the concern is only for breasts, not the women that they are attached to. There's a reason it's "Save the ta-tas" not "Save women's lives" or "Save the cancer patients."
This phenomenon seems to come from a social horror of mastectomy and concomitant insistence that women without breasts are worthless.
C — October 21, 2010
My favorite kind is the product that says the company will donate a portion of the sale to whatever cause, IF you send in the lid or box top. So they collect the same 5 cents either way, but they'll hold the donation hostage unless you jump through hoops (no doubt hoping that most people will neglect to do this).
Sam R — October 27, 2010
Why has the military been reduced to Nascar and Hillbillies? I don't like that.
El Conquistador — October 28, 2010
"Support our troops" doesn't mean support our wars. If you don't get that, you've got your head far up your ass.