Don't get me wrong, it's a great marketing idea - selling colored rubber bands to support various diseases - it's for charity. Charity is good. So it's like a fundraiser for cancer, which is fine by me.
The problem is that everyone who thinks their cool wears them - not because they support the cause, but because they are somehow fashionable. Hey, they are just rubber bands, after all. You're not trendy or popular if you wear one.
Then there's the group that wear one for every single thing they think they represent - especially the anti-smoking ones. Don't get me started on those annoying truth.com commercials. These kids think they're so clever - yeah, you're really sticking to the man. Forget the minorities, a white-male smoker will face more prejudice today than an Arab at an airport. What's the difference if someone even smokes near you? Oh, that's right, second-hand smoke is a first-hand killer. Who doesn't have a loved one that was devastated by second-hand smoke? An uncle, a mother, a lover - who's life was cut short by the cold, deadly smog of second-hand smoke!
I'm sure second-hand smoke isn't good for you, but neither is the sun, or car emissions, or even the dyes and preservatives in your food. I don't smoke and I don't care if you do. Man, I hate those dumb truth.com commercials on the radio too (since they are even more annoying). They love to throw stats around - second-hand smoking for an hour in a car with the windows rolled up is equal to four first-hand cigarettes. Who the hell clambakes cigarettes in their car? And for an hour? Even smokers crack the window - I haven't met one who hasn't, not matter how cold it is. What kind of retarded disaster of a scenario are they trying to make? Who drives around clambaking cigarettes for an hour with the windows up? And who are these passengers that are too wussy to even say, "uhh, could you crack the window or something?". What kind of sadistic nazi would ignore that request? A smoker, that's who, apparently. Hey, I thought segregation was illegal - unless you are a smoker. Making them huddle in their own run-down section in diners and restaraunts...its a shame.
But anyway back to the crappy rubber bands. The second group of people are those who just pretend that they are soooo moved by the cause of the rubber bands - eh, livestrong bracelets. They pretend to get so offended when you point out that it's just a crappy flash-in-the-pan fashion statement and that they only wear one so girls will think that they are emotionally deep or sensitive.
It would be different if they cared. 90% of the people who wear them never donate to charity (unless you count the bracelet) or even do anything remotely helpful for society, thus making that later 10% look just as dumb. You don't need to brag about something you did to help someone. The satisfication of helping someone is its own reward. At least it should be.
So, send me $10 via paypal through my email (which can be found on the opening page). Please enclose your address. In return, I will send you a newer and trendier rubber band for a worthy cause (keep in mind that only 2.44% of the $10 will actually go to the charity).