Black Is A Color Too

In scientific terms, black absorbs light and is an absence of color-- it is the visual impression experienced when no visible light reaches the eye. And black seems not to be a visible cancer awareness color in the eyes of the business world, which evidently will pinkwash just about any product in an effort to polish corporate images and sell more stuff and then promptly forget about cancer for the next eleven months. Much to the chagrin of the melanoma community, black is apparently an ‘absence of color’ even to cancer awareness advocacy organizations like the American Cancer Society and the American Academy of Dermatology, which seem to prefer more marketable and happy ‘true’ colors like pink and orange.

Here in Colorado, Pinktober began with the Denver Post publishing an entire daily edition in pink, purportedly to increase breast cancer awareness but more likely to increase advertising sales for that special edition. I’d like to think the Post’s thirty other regular black-and-white editions published in October are intended to increase melanoma and lung cancer awareness, but I’d be so wrong.

But despair not, melanistas, for black in our discerning eyes is a color too; and our grassroots melanoma advocacy efforts are gaining traction and shining a visible light upon The Beast. Black will never be as pretty as pink in the eyes of consumer products marketers willing to use cancer to make a buck, but would any of us really want that?

Until next time, I’ll sign off with the Hotel Melanoma rendition of Grand Funk Railroad’s “Some Kind Of Wonderful”…



I don't breed a whole lot of money
I don't need more big wide scars
I got everything that a tan could launch
I got more than I could ask for
I don't have to sun around
I just have to pale out all white
'Cause I got me a fleet, a fleet, crushin' demon
And she knows just how to beat me right
Well my Ray C, she’s all fright
Well my Ray C, she’s clean out-of-sight

Don't you know that she’s, she’s some kind of colorful
She's some kind of colorful, yes she is, she’s
She's some kind of colorful, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahhh

When I trolled her with fried arms
You know she sets my moles on fire
Oooh, when my Ray C ‘kisses’ me
My heart becomes filled with C fire
When she wraps her ‘lovin'’ arms around me
About drives me out of my mind
Yeah, when my Ray C ‘kisses’ me
Chills run up and down my spine
My Ray C, she’s all fright
My Ray C, she’s clean out-of-sight

Don't you know that she is she's some kind of colorful
She's some kind of colorful yes she is
She's some kind of colorful, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahhh

Now is there anybody, got a fleet evil demon like mine?
There got to be somebody, got a, got a fleet evil demon like mine? Yeah
Can I get a skin check?
Can I get a skin check?
Can I get a skin check? Yeah
Can I get a skin check? Ohhh
Can I get a skin check? Yeah
Can I get a skin check? Yes
I'm talkin', talkin' 'bout my Ray C. Yeah
She's some kind of colorful
Talkin' 'bout my Ray C
She’s some kind of colorful
Talkin' 'bout my Ray C
She's some kind of colorful
I'm talkin' 'bout my Ray C, my Ray C, my Ray C
She's some kind of colorful
I'm talkin' about my Ray C, my Ray C, my Ray C
She's some kind of colorful
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, my Ray C, my Ray C
She's some kind of colorful
Talkin' 'bout my Ray C, my Ray C, my Ray C
She's some kind of colorful
I'm talkin' 'bout my Ray C, my Ray C, my Ray C
She's some kind of colorful