saquigley@watmath.UUCP (Sophie Quigley) (11/30/84)
OK: pet peeve time.
There is one marketing practise that has always been getting on my nerves,
not only because it is stupid, but also because it has me stomped. I've
tried feminist analysis of it, and I just can't really come up with a good
answer.
Question: who is "feminine protection" protecting? and what is it protecting
her(/him?) against? (bears? why didn't they say so!)
I've recently had a pack of "always, feminine protection system" shoved
down my mailbox. (male readers: this is a bunch of sanitary napkins).
Although I appreciate any extras freebies I can get (I ever asked some
people to give me theirs if they weren't going to use them), the accompanying
litterature stomps me: "with dry weave on the surface and superb absorbency
beneath, you have protection on top of protection" and "pads are thicker in
the middle where you need the most protection, thinner at the ends".
In the french part of the litterature there is a less emphasis on protection:
it is mentioned in "protection of your underwear". So, is that what we've
been so worried about all this time? protecting our underwear? not only that,
but protecting it against ourselves? it sure doesn't reflect well on the
concerns of "modern woman" does it? It's funny, but the impression I have
from the tone of the ads I hear on TV or see in magazines, is that we are
the ones being protected. The only thing I can think of we are being
protected against are our own icky bodies with their dripping fluids (after
all, pantiliners are for the "in-between days when <we> only need light
protection").
Personally I am quite sick of these innuendoes of there being some danger
lurking at every period, and in-between too and us needing some BIG pad to take
care of us. Sounds very paternalistic to me. Am I the only paranoid on this
issue?
Sophie Quigley
...!{clyde,ihnp4,decvax}!watmath!saquigley
maybe I should be one the pill, I'd have 'round the clock protection.ecl@ahuta.UUCP (e.leeper) (12/01/84)
REFERENCES: <10083@watmath.UUCP> I don't know about other women but I find that "protection" is needed around the edges and at the ends, not in the middle. Maybe an air-tight seal like in space suits? :-) And a related question: why is it that all the tampons that talk of "ease of insertion" are the most difficult to insert? Evelyn C. Leeper ==> Note new net address: ...ihnp4!ahuta!ecl (Mail sent to my old address will be forwarded temporarily.)
afo@pucc-k (Flidais) (12/02/84)
Speaking of offensive advertisements...
The ones that *really* get to me are the ones for various
pain-relievers and cramp-reducers. The commercials at first just
referred to 'that time of the month'. What time? The end? Payday?
Rent cheque time? :-)
Then, they started getting into 'you know, that pain around the
middle of the month' and the 'time just before that time'. I mean
the advertising industry must have this vision of women trotting
about, clutching at their midsections and moaning.{ And, yes I
realise that there are women who do experience painful cramps, and
ovulation pain (so there!).} I find the whole matter rather
demeaning (we just can't function for a week out of every month
without being totally blissed out on various combinations of
ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or acetylsalcylic acid).
--
Laurie Sefton
{harpo,ihnp4,allegra,decvax}!pur-ee!pucc-h!afo
~As he lay out the tarot, the devil and death, two old and very dear
friends of mine, appeared.~features@ihuxf.UUCP (M.A. Zeszutko) (12/02/84)
I remember some advertising for napkins and/or tampons insinuating that "no one will ever know". Presumably, the protection is against anyone finding out that you're menstruating. It would be horrible for anyone to find out, now, wouldn't it? :-) The advertising "features" for the product "always" sounds, to me, an awful lot like the same "features" found in babies' diapers. You know, the "extra layer of protection which draws wetness away from [baby, your body]". And the "body-shaped" contours! Just what is a "feminine shape"? I've always found it interesting how the manufacturers make such a big deal about this so-called protection. Some of the tampon people seem to think it would be best for a woman's reproductive system to be divorced from the rest of her body; else, why would they have those horrid plastic applicators? I mean, the mere presence of applicators implies an unwillingness to touch oneself "down there"! In a similar vein, has anyone heard anything of those vaginal deodorant sprays that were being marketed ~10 years ago? -- aMAZon @ AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL; ihnp4!ihuxf!features "Don't let the name fool you. What else can you come up with out of initials MAZ?"
beth@umcp-cs.UUCP (Beth Katz) (12/02/84)
Sophie is not alone in wondering about this protection thing. I think it
is a carry-over from when having one's period was considered evil since
so many people (men in particular but women too) did not understand what
was happening. Although my mother had explained it all in sufficient detail,
I was scared when I had my first period. Now it is mostly a bother though
the cramps are still bad the first morning (sorry, Sophie, the pill doesn't
get rid of all such troubles; well, maybe some pills will). Perhaps these
ads are created by people who still consider menstruation an evil or scary
thing. It's natural. It shows you that your body is working (usually).
They don't think that you will think about it and realize that the only
thing being protected is your clothes. You are somewhat protected from
embarrassment if these things leak. Maybe that is what they mean by
protection.
Another angle at the protection bit is that bigger pads will perhaps imitate
larger tampons which you may not want to use because they might be related
to Toxic Shock Syndrome. Therefore, if you have a heavy period and are
considering using tampons, perhaps this 'bigger protection' is protecting
you from TSS. (I'm mostly kidding here. I still use tampons; I just make
sure I change them more often and don't use the super-absorbant kind.)
This is pretty far-fetched reasoning. I think we should just not pay any
attention to their ads. What works for one woman may not work for another.
For example, I can't use any of those products containing any scent though
my sisters think they are fine. You just have to experiment and find
something that works for you. It must be difficult to put a new product
into this market.
Beth Katz
{seismo,allegra,rlgvax}!umcp-cs!bethchabot@amber.DEC (L S Chabot) (12/03/84)
I too find the use of the word "protection" to be a little weird, and frequently amusing. Especially since, before I noticed it cropping up on women's paper products, I used to only notice it on the kinds of underpants and liners for people with bladder problems, and then it crept into deodorant. A lot of the women's paper products these days are scented, too. I guess "protection" means protecting you from having people find out that you're a human being with occasional human smells. (I have a feeling bears still think we smell like humans.) I'd prefer use of words like "absorbent", or something else relating more directly to the function of the product. Hah! Can you imagine what this discussion would be like in net.flame! All sorts complaining about why do we have to discuss such a *disgusting* topic (obviously, it's unnatural!) One of my favorite bits of graffiti at MIT, and in fact, the only lasting one I ever saw in a women's room (you know how the graffiti in "ladies rooms" tends to get cleaned up, but not in men's rooms), was on a Modess dispenser. The slogan for Modess used to be "Modess...because" and this was of course on the dispenser. Some wit had scratched in below "because why?". A question I'd always asked. L S Chabot UUCP: ...decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-amber!chabot ARPA: ...chabot%amber.DEC@decwrl.ARPA shadow: [ISSN 0018-9162 v17 #10 p7, bottom vt100, col3, next to next to last]
grass@uiucdcsb.UUCP (12/03/84)
<>
The vaginal deoderant sprays are still being sold (see your local
pharmacy), but I don't recall seeing advertising for them any more.
I wonder why?
Hopefully, enough women have caught on that these are BAD for you.
(A day or two of the kind of irritation that they can cause might
make you a bit advertising resistant).
Re: Midol etc. and cramping. There have been times that cramping
has made it just about impossible for me to keep to my normal
activities. "Doubled over" is an accurate description. Luckily,
this usually isn't the case. Those pills have helped.
("Blissed out" is not the word. It just stops hurting.) Probably
aspirin would work, but I think the diuretic in those pills also
helps.
Advertising for these products is pretty bizarre. I wonder
how long it will be before they need to create a euphamism
for "protection".
-- Judyalan@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Alan Algustyniak) (12/04/84)
> > So, is that what we've >been so worried about all this time? protecting our underwear? not only that, >but protecting it against ourselves? it sure doesn't reflect well on the >concerns of "modern woman" does it? It's funny, but the impression I have >from the tone of the ads I hear on TV or see in magazines, is that we are >the ones being protected. The only thing I can think of we are being >protected against are our own icky bodies with their dripping fluids > >Sophie Quigley > Right On, Sophie! What self-respecting, liberated person would use toilet paper now-a-days, anyway? > Am I the only paranoid on this >issue? > No, i suspect that there are other people paranoid on this issue, too. sdcrdcf!alan
sunny@sun.uucp (Sunny Kirsten) (12/04/84)
> L S Chabot > ...I guess "protection" means > protecting you from having people find out that you're a human being with > occasional human smells. > > Hah! Can you imagine what this discussion would be like in net.flame! All > sorts complaining about why do we have to discuss such a *disgusting* topic > (obviously, it's unnatural!) I think that's the whole point. You need protection from the unnaturalness of your own body! Wrap it in clothes, because if God had meant you to be naked, you would have been born that way. Use "protection" on as many parts of your body as possible (be a good scent-free clone) so you won't be unnatural and smell like a human. If you want to do THAT, we have another product for you which replaces your unnatural smell (now that we've covered it up with one product) with another natural smell (don't read the list of ingredients!). The only thing we need protection from is Madison Ave. They do their best to create problems which their products will solve. > shadow: [ISSN 0018-9162 v17 #10 p7, bottom vt100, col3, next to next to last] Ok, I give up... to what does your signature refer? Sunny -- mail ucbvax\!sun\!sunny decvax\!sun\!sunny ihnp4\!sun\!sunny<<EOF EOF
eagan@druxp.UUCP (EaganMS) (12/04/84)
Now that this topic is out for discussion this brings to mind another question I have....Bras are also advertised on T.V. (Playtex X your heart for example). Why have they not started advertising Jock straps? When I was around 13 and all my brothers were in the room and bra or napkin commercials came on I used to think I would die! As a child I felt very shy about such things. I also started realizing as I grew up that they didn't advertise the "private" things for men like they do for women.
ginger@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ginger Grover) (12/04/84)
Right! The whole MADison Avenue attitude is stupid and demeaning; they want to promote their "feminine" products, but at the same time they avoid discussing the yucky details. They seem to think of women as cripples in need of a (sanitary) bandage to conceal and contain an embarassing (to whom?) wound. The hour-glass shaped bandage they are currently promoting is a fine example of how little they understand of our needs; a wedge shape would be more appropriate. And how about the scented products? Their subtle way of telling us we stink - "try the lemon, dear, you know lemon goes with fish" :-) I suppose it's just a matter of time before the AMA trys to convince us that we ought to just be vacuumed out every four weeks, and in no time at all a series of products will have sprung up around this new "need". AAARRRRRGGGGHHH! uw-beaver\!ssc-vax\!ginger P.S. Sophie: Why not collect all our comments and mail them to the blithering bat-brains in charge of promotion? G.
saquigley@watmath.UUCP (Sophie Quigley) (12/06/84)
> > > > So, is that what we've > >been so worried about all this time? protecting our underwear? not only that, > >but protecting it against ourselves? it sure doesn't reflect well on the > >concerns of "modern woman" does it? It's funny, but the impression I have > >from the tone of the ads I hear on TV or see in magazines, is that we are > >the ones being protected. The only thing I can think of we are being > >protected against are our own icky bodies with their dripping fluids > > > >Sophie Quigley > > > > Right On, Sophie! What self-respecting, liberated person would use toilet > paper now-a-days, anyway? > sdcrdcf!alan OK, well, I agree with you then, pads, tampons and toilet paper serve similar purposes. So why isn't toilet paper advertised as "protection" then? Obviously if we are to be protected against these kind of things, we need much more protection against the icky stuff that comes out behind us then from the icky stuff that comes out in the front, since the former is much more smelly, and comes out much more often. How come nobody's offering us any protection in this case? Also if there is going to be a protection racket for all of these things, why not target it to the whole population rather than just a subset? Sophie Quigley ...!{clyde,ihnp4,decvax}!watmath!saquigley
saquigley@watmath.UUCP (Sophie Quigley) (12/07/84)
> Sophie: > > Why not collect all our comments and mail them to > the blithering bat-brains in charge of promotion? > > G. (Ginger Grover). This is a great idea! why don't we all do this. I certainly can do my share. Anybody else interested? Sophie Quigley ...!{clyde,ihnp4,decvax}!watmath!saquigley
zubbie@wlcrjs.UUCP (Jeanette Zobjeck) (12/08/84)
1) Because the add campaigns are designed by men. 2) Because in the dim dark reaches of many male brains there is something "dirty" about the menstrual cycle. For years even women viewed puberty as a curse visited on their daughters which was only slightly less demeaning then sexual relations with a man. Since women are much more *delicate* then men it is best not to embarass either men with the outright use of the proper terminology or women with their delicate set of sensibilities by discussing by name in public something which is supposed to be "girl talk" and best kept relegated to the powder room and/or kitchen. Jeanette Zobjeck ihnp4!wlcrjs!zubbie ....I know this isn't Kansas but I'm not sure I want to go there either.
dsg@mhuxi.UUCP (David S. Green) (12/08/84)
> 1) Because the add campaigns are designed by men. > > Jeanette Zobjeck > ihnp4!wlcrjs!zubbie > I have tried to stay out of newsgroups and discussions where I don't belong, but I can't resist putting in my two cents here. Most ( if not all ) New York based Advertising Agencies have a high ratio of women in top positions. When I say high, I mean just about 50% male-to-female at the Account Executive and Vice-President levels. You can check this for yourself in either the "Madison Avenue Handbook" or for the publicly held agencies, look at the listings of the top people in Annual Reports, Standard & Poors and other sources. Also if you are in New York, the New York Times publishes a column 'Advertising News' by Philip Dougherty and you can see for yourself who the people are in the Ad business. I went to B-school for an MBA and it was common knowledge that women could advance further in advertising and marketing than in areas such as banking or finance. So, the bottom line is that if you are angry at ad campaigns of certain products, you should blame women as well as men. David S. Green Bell Labs {ihnp4}!mhuxi!dsg 201-564-4468
techpub@mhuxt.UUCP (mcgrew) (12/11/84)
> > > > > OK, well, I agree with you then, pads, tampons and toilet paper serve similar > purposes. So why isn't toilet paper advertised as "protection" then? > Obviously if we are to be protected against these kind of things, we need > much more protection against the icky stuff that comes out behind us then > from the icky stuff that comes out in the front, since the former is much > more smelly, and comes out much more often. How come nobody's offering us > any protection in this case? Also if there is going to be a protection > racket for all of these things, why not target it to the whole population > rather than just a subset? > > Sophie Quigley > ...!{clyde,ihnp4,decvax}!watmath!saquigley Have you forgotten all those TP commencials? "Honey, do we have a new bathroom tissue?" They can't even call it TOILET PAPER? "Yes dear, isn't it just the most COTTONY-SOFT bathroom tissue?" That's the keyword here *SOFT* we don't need protective toilet paper but SOFT will do! Melanie mhuxt!techpub
zubbie@wlcrjs.UUCP (Jeanette Zobjeck) (12/12/84)
Hold on one minute. TP or toilet paper we all know about and we all know what it is used for. Bathroom tissue is another thing. Judging by a few commercials I have seen Bathroom Tissue is used for: a) Lining a little girl's baseball glove. b) Lining a little girl's britches before a potential spanking situation . c) Selling admition to your bathroom for you friends to see/feel. d) Squeezing in the grocery store. e) Listening to the roll sing and talk while it unrools itself and proferrs itself for a feel of it's softness. None of the above seem to describe any typical uses for toilet paper so the two must be different items =============================================================================== From the mostly vacant environment of Jeanette L. Zobjeck (ihnp4!wlcrjs!zubbie) All opinions expressed may not even be my own. ===============================================================================
miller@nlm-mcs.ARPA (Nancy Miller) (12/12/84)
> I went to B-school for an MBA and it was common knowledge that women > could advance further in advertising and marketing than in areas > such as banking or finance. So, the bottom line is that if you are > > David S. Green Bell Labs {ihnp4}!mhuxi!dsg 201-564-4468 > Pretty interesting. The last I heard, banking and finance were the areas where the really big money was, and marketing payed lower. I'm sure this has something to do with more women in your B-school being channeled into marketing. -- ________________________________________________________________________________ __ __ <> <> | `-' Nancy Miller (miller@nlm-mcs.arpa)
chabot@amber.DEC (l s chabot) (12/14/84)
Sunny == > > You need protection from the unnaturalness of your own body! Wrap it in > clothes, because if God had meant you to be naked, you would have been born > that way. Tee hee! Yes, and if god had intended leaking blood to be natural, we'd be born with blood on us...er...uh... :-) L S Chabot UUCP: ...decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-amber!chabot ARPA: ...chabot%amber.DEC@decwrl.ARPA USFail: DEC, MR03-1/K20, 2 Iron Way, Marlborough, MA 01752 shadow: [ISSN 0018-9162 v17 #10 p7, bottom vt100, col3, next to next to last] ^^^ uh, it has to do with my work, and the shadow part is just an alternate reality I mean machine