Yes, the wristband craze is a bit out of hand.
> What is everyone's obsession with plastic coloured wristbands that just
> remind me of the ones you had to wear at the local swimming baths? Even
> the charity ones can be worn with an alterior motive - there's a guy in my
> work who wears a green one and yellow one together which is more in
> support of his football team than any of the charities.
It's Lance Armgstrong's fault. If you wanna show you really care about cancer, you get one of his yellow bands and everyone who sees you sporting it knows you donated a whole 3 dollars to save people with cancer (or, if you got a freebie, that cancer patients are at least in your thoughts), thus instantly making you a righteously caring person, far better than all those thoughtless naked-wrist folks. You're also telling the world that Lance is the super-human cancer survivor of all time, which I'm sure is nice for his ego.
This fad became played out around the time John Kerry sported one on the campaign trail. Now there are so many different colored bands with different messages on them that no one knows what they mean anymore. It's like those ribbons every has on the back of their cars. You'd have to almost read-end them to read what they mean, as the colors are used for more than one cause.
Like, the yellow ones can mean either that you support the troops and hope they win in their effort to democratize the world, or that you support the troops and hope they are brought home immediately from this illegal, immoral war. (This is nice for the people selling them - they sell 'em to both the pro-war and the anti-war people!). I'm pretty sure pink is for breast cancer, but blue gets confusing and can mean any number of causes.
So, the nice thing about getting one of these blue Morrissey bands is that from a distance people will think you support all kinda of causes they might happen to agree with. A quick Google around showed me that blue bands are being used for such things as supporting world peace, or anouncing that you're a "blue state" Democrat, or that you're a Lutheran Christian, or that you support Israeli charities, or that you care about those with prostate cancer, or that you're down with Bono on fighting bullies.
Here's Bono:
Beat Bullying blue wristbands
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4030000/newsid_4032700/4032705.stm
And here are some kids' comments on the anti-bullying bands:
(Read more here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4030000/newsid_4032500/4032555.stm )
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Your Comments
I think wearing the wristbands is a good idea but the bullies might see the bands and get encouraged to carry on.
Leesa, 13, Haslingden
I have experienced bullying and I think that people will stop bullying if a lot of people wear these bands.
Rebecca, 12, Dudley
I think it is a good plan but I think people will pick on you more. But if enough people wear them it may work.
Kelly, 13, Walsall
I think the bands are a great idea I was bullied every day but now it's stopped I've ordered one
David, 12, Winchurch
I am afraid I can see little long term use coming from it. It seems like another ill thought out idea to prevent bulling. Bullies need to be taught a lesson and this isn't the way to go about it!
Jack, 13, Barnsley
The wristbands are very stylish and I love how all the pops stars have come together to support beating the bullies.
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