The “I love boobies” bracelets were made by Keep a Breast Foundation in order to raise awareness about breast cancer and help ease the seriousness of the subject. Ultimately, the foundation accomplishes this goal in a controversial manner and these bracelets are not needed.
Intended to attract attention amongst the youth of America, the foundation hoped to raise awareness across a broader spectrum of ages. The use of the slang word “boobies” instead of “breast” was intended to attract the attention of younger generations and also to serve as a “coping strategy,” as stated by their website, keep-a-breast.org.
The coping strategy that the bracelets aimed to address was to help bring some humor into an otherwise serious subject. By acting lightheartedly towards the threat of cancer, the Keep a Breast Foundation hoped for teens to feel more comfortable addressing it and to perhaps even strike up a conversation about the disease with their peers. By creating conversation, the foundation anticipated that the bracelets would create a network, and the network would create a community.
But how many kids really take it seriously? Think about it. Other than the people who have had family members who have been afflicted by or succumbed to the disease, what makes these bracelets so popular for teenagers, as opposed to the traditional pink ribbon bracelets? This is where the word “boobies” comes into play.
“Mainly I wear them because I know somebody who died from it,” said sophomore Nicky Bramlet, pointing to the 13 bracelets, all in different colors, that cover her arm up to the elbow. She went on to say that she believes many teenagers do abuse them, wearing them simply because they think they’re funny. “But it is a good way to get kids to buy them, giving money to the cause,” she added.
Despite being an increasingly well-funded way for the Keep a Breast Foundation to raise money, these bracelets can be viewed as obscene. However, is the word “boobies” interpreted as “discriminatory” and “obscene”?
Well, it can be. What’s the difference between saying “save the boobies” and “save women from breast cancer?” It’s the sexual connotation. The Keep a Breast Foundation is exploiting the immaturity of teens by reducing women to nothing more than their breasts. To people who have had family members die of this disease, this reduction of the character of women afflicted with cancer into nothing more than a sexual innuendo is, in fact, both “discriminatory” and “obscene.”
To those who still want to help, there are many ways to support research of breast cancer without controversy, like donating money, running in a race, or buying a magnet for your car.
Until there are bracelets made to say “I love pancreas” and “I love brains” for other types of cancer, the “I love boobies” bracelets can only be viewed as offensive, degrading, and ultimately, a sign of immaturity.