Susan G. Komen Foundation Controversy

I was recently taken back when someone placed an order of KFC food before me. No, I wasn’t staring at the ridiculous new Double Down, a ghastly collection of dead pig and yellow slop resting between two pieces of boneless so-called chicken. Let’s spare that for now as I’m sure Jim Gaffigan is somewhere feverishly writing one-liners for a future standup act.

The surprise that got me thinking during mashed potatoes and gravy came from the pink lid on the familiar KFC bucket o’chicken. The company is now tied to the Susan G. Komen For The Cure, the ubiquitous cancer-fighting organization most recognizable by “pinking” everything from the equipment of professional athletes to the gushing waters of the fountain in Pittsburgh’s Point State Park.

The first thing that struck me–other than the irony of KFC promoting an organization most certainly supportive of healthy dietary choices–was how huge this pinking movement has become. Who was Susan G. Komen anyway?

I wasn’t surprised to learn that Ms. Komen had suffered and been taken (in 1980) by the very cancer her namesake organization combats. Her sister, Nancy Brinker, promised to do everything she could to end breast cancer forever.

Fight Cancer & Offend Chickens

According to their website, they’ve invested nearly $1.5 billion in cancer research since 1982. That’s a whole lotta pink ribbons, but what would you expect from “the largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists.”

I was, however, a bit surprised by how much controversy has surrounded the Komen foundation in recent years. Of course there’s no way an organization with so many hands and money involved could ever escape conflict, especially one driven by passionate activists. The interesting thing is the amount of heat burning against these passionate pinkos from every direction. In short, they’ve managed to anger folks on all sides of the political spectrum.

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The very idea of partnering with KFC, which you’ll remember stands for Kentucky Fried Chicken, offended many folks right off the bat. The Washington Post produced the clearest and most useful piece on this debate. In short, the protestors argue about the wisdom of the Komen foundation locking arms with an organization known for producing less than healthy food which, by the way, usually begins with some kind of intense chicken slaughter. See how quickly you can unite medical professionals with the animal rights crowd?

Sure, KFC tosses in fifty cents for the cure with every pink bucket sold, but couldn’t the Komen group find a more sensible alternative? Personally, nothing in this debate really affects me, but as far as business decisions go we might have to qualify this one as not so bright.

While the doctors pitching in on the debate are as close to an apolitical group as we’ll find, the rest of the controversy surrounding Komen For The Cure revolves around front line issues of contention in the neverending culture wars.

Besides mechanized (or any kind of) animal slaughter, some lefties are up in arms over the fact that Komen For The Cure uses Hadassah Lieberman as a paid spokesman. If you don’t recognize the first name, you probably know the last is the same as one Senator Joseph Lieberman, the one time vice presidential candidate for the Democratic party. As most Dems will tell you, Lieberman might be the antichrist, so what would you expect from his wife right? Her sins are many, but she actually speaks on behalf of other companies like Pfizer which oppose healthcare reform. Gasp!