By: Yeogai Choi

A while back, it was bra colours. This time around, the Facebook status breast cancer awareness initiative is posting where you like to put your purse when you come home, phrased with the intentionally mildly risque template “I like it on [location].” A bit of fun for all involved, but what the hell does it actually do for the cause? Funds raised? None. Awareness raised? Minimal.

The supposed goal is to raise awareness for breast cancer. Who doesn’t know about breast cancer? It’s the most glamourous of the cancers. Men like breasts. Women care about breasts. We have marathons for it. We wear pink for it. We buy chocolates because it has a pink cardboard sleeve that informs us a bit of our money is going to breast cancer research. Everybody goddamn knows about breast cancer.
On the other hand, there are cancers that many people don’t know about. Lung cancer and colorectal cancers, for example, are the top two killing cancers, but when was the last time you saw a colorectal cancer awareness campaign?

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to say people shouldn’t know about breast cancer. It comes third after colorectal cancer for cause of death, and is the second most common cancer after prostate cancer. Breast cancer is a killer. It’s a horrible thing. Money should be put towards researching treatments and a cure, and people should definitely know about it. The thing is, people already do.

Regardless, if you still feel breast cancer needs more awareness, by all means, spread the word. However, I cannot imagine a worse way to do it than by playing this childish game on Facebook. Honestly, I can’t. There are two ways that it appeals to people. First, you get to sound like a slut, but you’re helping people with breast cancer, so it’s A-OK. Second, as with the bra colour thing, there is fun in the secrecy of it. That’s right, a integral aspect of this awareness campaign is keeping outsiders in the dark. Great.

Short on cash and too lazy to leave your armchair but still wanna help out the breast cancer cause? Post links to resources that inform people about how to check themselves for breast cancer. Don’t play infantile games with your Facebook status.