Posted on: Apr 23, 2010 06:00AM - edited Apr 23, 2010 01:49PM by Raili

Raili wrote:

KFC and Komen for the Cure have formed a partnership, selling pink buckets of fried chicken to raise money for breast cancer research.  This is problematic on so many levels.  Breast Cancer Action is speaking out about this, and has started a letter-writing campaign to KFC and Komen, urging them to reconsider.  Over 1000 people have already sent letters.

You can go here (org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6...) to edit and send the following letter:

"Dear KFC and Susan G. Komen for the Cure,

I am appalled by your "Buckets for the Cure" partnership. I share Breast Cancer Action's shock at this outrageous campaign, which uses the breast cancer epidemic to improve the American public's perception of KFC, and increase the company's profits from the sale of pink buckets of chicken. There is no doubt in my mind that countless people affected by breast cancer find this campaign offensive and upsetting, as is evident from many blog posts and Facebook pages I have seen.

KFC (with Susan G. Komen for the Cure's blessing) is engaged in one of the worst examples of pinkwashing. A pinkwasher is a company that purports to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink-ribboned product while at the same time manufacturing products that contribute to the disease. In this case, KFC is encouraging people to buy pink buckets of chicken to demonstrate its alleged commitment to ending the breast cancer epidemic. However, KFC's food is unhealthy and much of it is marketed to low-income communities. KFC thus contributes to the significant problem of providing poor food choices for low-income communities in the United States, who disproportionately suffer from poor breast cancer outcomes and other problems that may be exacerbated by an unhealthy diet.

Instead of partnering with a corporation that sells unhealthy food, I believe that Susan G. Komen for the Cure should work with companies that do not contribute to the breast cancer epidemic."