'Pink-Ribbon Culture' a Disservice to Women

Questionable mammograms trump right to choose in new movement

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 2, 2009 1:38 PM CST

(Newser) – When women raise a fury over questionable mammograms while letting the “anti-choice” Stupak amendment pass with nary a peep, you know something’s wrong with what passes for the “women’s health movement” these days, writes Barbara Ehrenreich. "All but the wealthiest women's right to choose" could soon be gone, and the outrage is nowhere to be seen. "To some extent, pink-ribbon culture has replaced feminism as a focus of female identity and solidarity."

"Once upon a time, grass-roots women challenged the establishment by figuratively burning their bras. Now, in some masochistic perversion of feminism, they are raising their voices to yell, 'Squeeze our breasts!,'" she writes in the Los Angeles Times. The focus on breast cancer is safe “apple pie” for the national discourse. Women need to bite into the “too edgy” issues that truly matter.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (2)]

Women, like these protesters in 1992, used to have their priorities straight, Ehrenreich writes. (AP Photo)

More than 600 students and staff take part in a human Pink Ribbon Project in Ohio. (AP Photo)

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What we don't need, no matter how pretty and pink, is a ladies' auxiliary to the cancer-industrial complex. - Barbara Ehrenreich

Women's Movement 2.0: Instead of the proud female symbol—a circle on top of a cross—we have a droopy ribbon. Instead of embracing the full spectrum of human colors ... we stick to princess pink. - Barbara Ehrenreich

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 8 comments

Spudsy

Dec 2, 2009 11:05 AM CST

Actually DLY, his wife admits to the abortion and he invoked legal privilege to avoid answering questions about it in court. He has never publicly denied the story.

DontLikeYou___

Dec 2, 2009 9:28 AM CST

[[[ Hell, even big-mouth antiabortionist Bob Barr took his second wife to get an abortion when she inconveniently got pregnant just as he was ready to dump her for #3. ]]] --- That is a lie and you gladly repeat it. You are completely disgusting... worse than an animal.

prowlerzee

Dec 2, 2009 8:31 AM CST

I see the jack-booted obot-police are out negative rating women discussing the future of their own bodies. Even when their so-called "progressive" light-bringer continues Bush-era faith-based offices and fills them with antiabortion activists they can't bear to see him criticized. Even when the WH strong-arms Dems into voting for a health bill that places a burden on women trying to get a private, legal medical procedure, they fall in line and bully women online who speak the truth. Any of them negative-rating these facts = APPROVAL that Zerobama placed a prolifer in charge of the new Democratic...excuse me, Obamacratic Party.

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Congress • breast cancer • women's health • mammogram • Barbara Ehrenreich • abortion debate • Stupak-Pitts • pink ribbon

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'Pink-Ribbon Culture' a Disservice to Women