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Me: Okay, so what is the deal with this meme about liking "it" on different surfaces and locations?
Facebook: Well, you see it is rather clever.
Me: Oh?
Facebook: Yes, indeed. You type out where you like to keep your purse, and it coyly looks like a reference to sex.
Me: Okay.
Facebook: Then, people reading the status update will think about sex. And then they will naturally think about breasts because that is the hetero-normative thing to do. Which naturally, leads to thinking about breast cancer.
Me: I'm sorry, what was that last part?
Facebook: Breast cancer, keep up now! Anyway, then the reader is thinking about breast cancer, because it is Breast Cancer Awareness month in the States.
Me: Then what?
Facebook: What do you mean?
Me: Okay, lets say that coyly referring to where you keep your purse somehow leads the reader to think about breast cancer. Is that it?
Facebook: Well, yes, we want to make people AWARE of BREAST CANCER. It being breast cancer awareness month and all.
Me: Are you seriously trying to tell me that there are people out there who have not heard of breast cancer?
Facebook: Well, maybe a couple or two deep in the Amazon....
Me: And these two people in the Amazon manage to have internet access and a Facebook account but somehow have managed to not learn about breast cancer?
Facebook: But AWARENESS!
Me: Here is a crazy idea. Instead of coyly referring to where you place your purse, why not write in your status "Hey it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Make a donation to help fund further research to end this heinous disease."
Facebook: By purchasing a pink tchotcke?
Me: No, you don't need a pink tchotcke to show you support the end of breast cancer. Besides, a very small portion of the money you spend on said tchotcke actually goes toward research. Just cut out the middle man and donate more.
Facebook: But it's pink...
Me: No tchotckes! These memes are ridiculous.
Facebook: Well, have you at least signed up to attend the event to wear purple to help end gay teenage suicide?
Me: I think we need to break up again, Facebook*.
*I'm not leaving Facebook. But seriously, these memes are getting out of hand.
Do people honestly believe they are helping the causes by participating in such triviality? Wearing a certain colour or participating in the 21st century version of a chain letter is not going to cure cancer or end suicide attempts.
Donations of money and time will.
Instead of buying that pink tchotcke, donate the money directly to the cause. Besides, you don't need that tchotcke. It's only going to collect dust and in six months end up in the donation pile.
Instead of just wearing a particular colour on a particular day, volunteer your time to the cause you are trying to bring awareness to through your fashion.
Let's be honest, no one who doesn't already know what the colour stands for is going to be moved to ask what cause your colour represents. You are not going to bring awareness to the world through your spiffy Hanes comfort fit t-shirt. Volunteering your time is the best way to get the word out. You don't have to become a professional volunteer. An hour a week is enough. Trust me, they will be grateful you even showed up.
If you care that much, do something. Volunteer! Don't have the time? Donate money! Don't have the money? Stop buying those damn tchotckes, and give the funds to the cause instead.
But enough with the memes, colour coding and chain letter status updates.
Seriously.
Facebook: Well, you see it is rather clever.
Me: Oh?
Facebook: Yes, indeed. You type out where you like to keep your purse, and it coyly looks like a reference to sex.
Me: Okay.
Facebook: Then, people reading the status update will think about sex. And then they will naturally think about breasts because that is the hetero-normative thing to do. Which naturally, leads to thinking about breast cancer.
Me: I'm sorry, what was that last part?
Facebook: Breast cancer, keep up now! Anyway, then the reader is thinking about breast cancer, because it is Breast Cancer Awareness month in the States.
Me: Then what?
Facebook: What do you mean?
Me: Okay, lets say that coyly referring to where you keep your purse somehow leads the reader to think about breast cancer. Is that it?
Facebook: Well, yes, we want to make people AWARE of BREAST CANCER. It being breast cancer awareness month and all.
Me: Are you seriously trying to tell me that there are people out there who have not heard of breast cancer?
Facebook: Well, maybe a couple or two deep in the Amazon....
Me: And these two people in the Amazon manage to have internet access and a Facebook account but somehow have managed to not learn about breast cancer?
Facebook: But AWARENESS!
Me: Here is a crazy idea. Instead of coyly referring to where you place your purse, why not write in your status "Hey it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Make a donation to help fund further research to end this heinous disease."
Facebook: By purchasing a pink tchotcke?
Me: No, you don't need a pink tchotcke to show you support the end of breast cancer. Besides, a very small portion of the money you spend on said tchotcke actually goes toward research. Just cut out the middle man and donate more.
Facebook: But it's pink...
Me: No tchotckes! These memes are ridiculous.
Facebook: Well, have you at least signed up to attend the event to wear purple to help end gay teenage suicide?
Me: I think we need to break up again, Facebook*.
*I'm not leaving Facebook. But seriously, these memes are getting out of hand.
Do people honestly believe they are helping the causes by participating in such triviality? Wearing a certain colour or participating in the 21st century version of a chain letter is not going to cure cancer or end suicide attempts.
Donations of money and time will.
Instead of buying that pink tchotcke, donate the money directly to the cause. Besides, you don't need that tchotcke. It's only going to collect dust and in six months end up in the donation pile.
Instead of just wearing a particular colour on a particular day, volunteer your time to the cause you are trying to bring awareness to through your fashion.
Let's be honest, no one who doesn't already know what the colour stands for is going to be moved to ask what cause your colour represents. You are not going to bring awareness to the world through your spiffy Hanes comfort fit t-shirt. Volunteering your time is the best way to get the word out. You don't have to become a professional volunteer. An hour a week is enough. Trust me, they will be grateful you even showed up.
If you care that much, do something. Volunteer! Don't have the time? Donate money! Don't have the money? Stop buying those damn tchotckes, and give the funds to the cause instead.
But enough with the memes, colour coding and chain letter status updates.
Seriously.
