tracy@hcrvx1.UUCP (Tracy Tims) (12/13/84)
This is a response to the current discussion in net.women.only about feminine
products. I didn't want to post to net.women.only, but I just had to say
something.
There seem to be the following complaints amongst some net women:
1) That devices for soaking up menstrual blood are called "feminine
protection",
2) There seems to be an ad hoc campaign to convince women that their
every body secretion ("inbetween days") is undesirable and
3) That the highly touted higher technology devices do not do the job.
A detectable undercurrent in these complaints is that they are in some way
purely products of the functioning of the patriarchy, and that they require
a *feminist* response rather than a peoplist response.
There may be a sexist nature in all social phenomena. It's not clear to me
though, that that nature is always significant. For instance there may be
some statistically demonstratable features of murder which relate to sexist
issues. Should we talk much about those as they relate to murder, or is
it more important to see the deeper (more generally human) issue behind
murder? If we tend to see murder as a feminist issue (this is all speculation)
then we will make it one. If we tend to see murder as a peoplist issue,
then we are more accurately aware of it's *essential* nature (rather than
an interesting feature). I do not mean to say that we should ignore any
insights we may gain about the sexist phenomena. I simply believe that we
should see the more essential detail first.
In detail, then:
1) "Feminine Protection". Is this a manifestation of the desire of the
patriarchy to undermind the social worth of women, or is it simply
an expression of the euphemistic tendencies of advertisers everywhere?
FP is called FP because 1) it is strictly (as a product) of interest
to women and it does protect *something*. It's a handy term. Sophie
asks why toilet paper is not called "protection"? Well, because it
really doesn't protect. It cleans up. There's a difference.
But look, "toilet paper" is a euphemism! I don't use it for papering
toilets and I'll bet you don't even either. I don't even use it for
miscellaneous toilet needs: I use tissues for that. What toilet
paper really is is "Strips of compressed cellulose and other junk
used for scraping out the feces that stick in between your cheeks
when you have a bowel movement." They certainly don't call it
"Shit Absorbing Paper" on television.
Digression: you may not believe that feminine products are even
socially desirable. You may think that the whole issue of whether
or not clothes are stained with blood is silly. Look at the other
side, though. This society is obsessed with cleanliness and it has
very little to do with sexism. Men are supposed to smell nice too,
and you can be sure I don't like urine stains on my underwear from
them little drops that I get when I go wee wee. And what about
"jock itch" products? I bet that I don't have a jock anywhere on
my body, let alone having the little sucker itch at all.
Recap: Calling menstrual blood sponges (is that a better term?)
"feminine protection" is *more essentially* a product of the
euphemistic behaviour of advertisers, rather than a product of
sexism.
2) That the marketing driven push for more and more feminine hygiene
is a product of the sexist mechanisms of society, rather than
a product of the general attitudes to our society towards cleanliness.
If the clean obsession was just in evidence regarding women, I might
buy this. But it's not. It's just that women have a bit more to
clean up.
Digression: Now you might think I am implying that menstruation is
*dirty* because you have to clean it up. That's a paranoid assumption,
and a semantic confusion as well. "Dirty" is a word that has strong
connotations of worthlessness and evilness. A better reason for
cleaning up menstrual blood is that it's *MESSY*. That has much
more innocuous connotations. But also, give me reasons why
menstrual blood shouldn't be considered in the same terms as, say,
urine? Just because it's a female phenomena related to reproduction?
Nonsense. It's messy and red stains on white panties don't look
nice. Same as yellow stains on white Fruit of the Loom's.
Back to the main point. Marketing people try to create new markets.
They do it with big dumb cars, they do it with rolled up sticks of
dried plants that kill men and women, and they do it will feminine
hygiene. Look at it this way: it's a big potential market. If they
thought it would sell they'd build little cotton absorbent penis
covers to catch the dribbles.
3) The high tech versions of sanitary pads don't address the real
problems.
This statement affirms that there is a *problem* to be solved. Are
you accusing the patriarchy of being insensitive to your needs as
a woman? What makes you think it's because you are a woman that
they are insensitive? There are many examples of insensitivity
(IBM perhaps) that have no relation to sexism at all!
To me it perhaps demonstrates that *some* attempt is being made.
Why don't you get out your typewriter and give these people some
feedback about what the damn things really should look like? If
you are right they'll have a damn popular product.
I think it is counterproductive, and even wildly inaccurate, to see the world
always in terms of feminine oppression. Such specious concerns, carried out
with needless energy, will divert resources from the more essential concerns
of feminism, and will serve to lower the credibility of those concerns.
I do understand how a female, generally embattled by the male dominated
world, would tend to project feelings of oppression onto many inappropriate
circumstances. That behaviour will yield less accurate understandings of
reality and thus limit one's problem solving behaviour.
Tracy Tims {linus,allegra,decvax}!watmath!...
Human Computing Resources Corporation {ihnp4,utzoo}!...
Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 416 922-1937 ...hcr!hcrvax!tracybarry@ames.UUCP (12/18/84)
[] > But look, "toilet paper" is a euphemism! I don't use it for papering > toilets and I'll bet you don't even either. I don't even use it for > miscellaneous toilet needs: I use tissues for that. What toilet > paper really is is "Strips of compressed cellulose and other junk > used for scraping out the feces that stick in between your cheeks > when you have a bowel movement." They certainly don't call it > "Shit Absorbing Paper" on television. Far as I know, they don't even call it toilet paper on TV. They usually say "bathroom tissue". Euphemisms within euphemisms!