Hail to the ....whaaaaaaa?

[clevermanka]

Despite the social grief and physical difficulties that go along with being a woman, I like it. For the most part, I enjoy being a girl. Sure, I'd like to change my sex for a short period of time, just to play around a bit, but I'm (fortunately) quite happy with the sex and gender I lucked into.

That said, being a woman results in being pissed off at something 99.9% of the time. Even when I'm in the best mood ever, everything's going my way, and blue skies are shining, there will always be something that'll cause some rage. We all groan and (sometimes) laugh at those horrible mid-century ads that reduce a woman to her role as mother, wife, home-maker, baby-maker, whatever. But then something comes along to remind me that we haven't come a long way, baby. We've come a teensy little tiny distance, and it's been two steps forward one step back the whole time.

Check out these recent ads from Summer's Eve. Racist and misogynistic at the same time! If only they'd thrown in some some references to income, we could've had classism for a triple crown. There are so many things bad and wrong and despicable about these ads, I can't even begin to start. I do have to admit to liking the phrase "Hello from Vaginaland," but probably not for the reasons the creators of the ad intended.

Ugh. Just ugh.

Now, to cleanse your palate, here are some fucking awesome women doing amazing things.

Comments

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

As grown-up as I like to think I am, ANY references to feminine hygiene products on television make me cringe.
Funny how they seem to make having erectile dysfunction "fun" and spontaneously sweet, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOX0uO9zmz8) but anything female is sad and needs fixing.
Still.. for a giggle instead, I give you this back.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Funny how they seem to make having erectile dysfunction "fun" and spontaneously sweet, but anything female is sad and needs fixing.

A million times, this! Privilege bingo!

Love his steering the car with it. They must've had a lot of fun filming that.

[indigodreamer.livejournal.com]

WOW. Just ... wow.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that about sums it up.

[indigodreamer.livejournal.com]

And before Harry Potter? Seriously? So I'll just plan to have a whispered conversation with my son in a movie theatre someday in order to explain that corporations offensively think women need special soaps and wipes to clean their vaginas? Awesome. Seriously looking forward to that. And also to the necessity of exposing my kid to ADS after I've BOUGHT US TICKETS at a movie theatre. *Head explodes*

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Ugh--ads before a movie in the theater. I've always loved previews, but those ads. Those ads. *thumbs down*

what is this i don't even

[sdemory.livejournal.com]

Yep. Nothing like advertising missing the boat by attempting to find common cause... badly. Sad thing is, it'll get traction because it's "funny."

Re: what is this i don't even

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

it'll get traction because it's "funny."

Yep. People suck.

Have you seen?

[wyckedgood.livejournal.com]

Have you seen Kotex's total sarcastic commercial? The exact opposite of this? Hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpypeLL1dAs

Re: Have you seen?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

HA HA HA! I've seen this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOM4AMV050A&feature=related

And I love it. I love both of them. If I wasn't so happy with my Diva cup (http://www.divacup.com/) and PIMP liners (http://www.partypantspads.com/), I'd totally buy Kotex just 'cos of those ads.

Re: Have you seen?

[wyckedgood.livejournal.com]

Oh thats a good one too! lol

[bluetourmaline.livejournal.com]

I've had a long and tiring day, so I skipped straight to the awesome ladies of the World Cup. (Canada totally lionized Christine Sinclair, which made me feel...odd; she is definitely an awesome soccer player, but at the same time, safety becomes more important to me as I grow older.)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I skipped straight to the awesome ladies of the World Cup

Smart move.

[mikalay.livejournal.com]

Oh geeeZUZ!
I finally decided to peek at your links as I'm in a better mood, and now...

I can't decide if I'm happy or sad that I didn't go into advertising...

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I can't decide if I'm happy or sad that I didn't go into advertising

I completely understand the dilemma.

[annamatic.livejournal.com]

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

PERFECT.

[shrijani.livejournal.com]

I don't know for sure, but I would bet a box of tampons that's the same voice actress in all three ads. Sounds like it to me, anyway.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I would bet a box of tampons

Unscented tampons.

[shrijani.livejournal.com]

In addition to being racist and misogynistic, they are downright fucking stupid.

I could make a case for them being classist, too, since I am hypersensitive to that sort of thing.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Make your case, please, because I would really like to give this a grand slam award.

[geekmom.livejournal.com]

Wow. Please let these never show up on Hulu, because I really don't want to have to explain them to Pari, and I'd be even more displeased if they showed up when I wasn't around. I doubt she'd ask her dad, and then I'd get some weird question without context later. I don't want her to grow up with all these messages of shame about her own body.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I don't want her to grow up with all these messages of shame about her own body.

Good luck with that. Short of putting her on a desert island, I think your best option is to make sure she knows those messages are wrong. Make sure she has lots of exposure to World Cup Women fabulousness to counteract the advertising demons. =)

[geekmom.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know, I know. I've got a lot of competition for messaging space. This is going to be a fun next couple of years, I tell you. I look forward to addressing unnecessary cleaning products and such wonders as vajazzling, Brazillians, and vertical smiles. Ugh.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Skipped the Summer's Eve ads and skipped right to the awesome soccer photos. Thanks for those!