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Schools don’t love the “I love boobies” breast cancer bracelets, and I can understand why they are banning them
2:40 am October 16, 2010, by Maureen Downey
School officials in Wyoming objected to Kollin West's "boobie" bracelet, which is meant to raise breast cancer awareness. (AP Photo/Laramie Boomerang, Andy Carpenean)
I support breast cancer research but “I love boobies” bracelets for adolescents and teens seem fraught with obvious pitfalls.
I can certainly understand schools banning the bracelets, which are a cute idea but perhaps aimed at the wrong demographic — one still titillated by the word “boobies.”
The aim of marketing is to grab and keep people’s attention, and these bracelets do spark conservations among kids and teens. But they are also likely to set off titters and jokes, and I am not sure schools need the silliness.
That said, I am torn because I understand that reaching kids takes clever and relevant approaches and these bracelets may serve that purpose. Has anyone seen these bracelets locally yet? I have seen them but not on schoolchildren.
According to the AJC:
Schools from California to Florida have banned the bracelets because they believe the “boobies” language is inappropriate.
The bracelets are marketed by a California-based nonprofit created to raise breast cancer awareness among youth. The Keep A Breast Foundation has sold 2 million of the bracelets so far, with the money going to breast cancer research and education programs.
The group believes a bracelet with a catchy, envelope-pushing slogan such as “I (heart) boobies” is a better way to teach kids about breast cancer than more traditional methods like pink ribbons.
Read more...
2:40 am October 16, 2010, by Maureen Downey
School officials in Wyoming objected to Kollin West's "boobie" bracelet, which is meant to raise breast cancer awareness. (AP Photo/Laramie Boomerang, Andy Carpenean)
I support breast cancer research but “I love boobies” bracelets for adolescents and teens seem fraught with obvious pitfalls.
I can certainly understand schools banning the bracelets, which are a cute idea but perhaps aimed at the wrong demographic — one still titillated by the word “boobies.”
The aim of marketing is to grab and keep people’s attention, and these bracelets do spark conservations among kids and teens. But they are also likely to set off titters and jokes, and I am not sure schools need the silliness.
That said, I am torn because I understand that reaching kids takes clever and relevant approaches and these bracelets may serve that purpose. Has anyone seen these bracelets locally yet? I have seen them but not on schoolchildren.
According to the AJC:
Schools from California to Florida have banned the bracelets because they believe the “boobies” language is inappropriate.
The bracelets are marketed by a California-based nonprofit created to raise breast cancer awareness among youth. The Keep A Breast Foundation has sold 2 million of the bracelets so far, with the money going to breast cancer research and education programs.
The group believes a bracelet with a catchy, envelope-pushing slogan such as “I (heart) boobies” is a better way to teach kids about breast cancer than more traditional methods like pink ribbons.
Read more...