Tellin’ It Tuesday!
Last night I was in rare form (though not really), an ad came on TV and I just started yellin’! I do this from time to time. Like when I watch Food Network Challenges (Ha!) or Hockey or movies where the characters make a dumb move (Always stay in the car!) or even reruns of old shows like X-Files (why do they never shoot the tires out to keep the bad guy from getting away?). But last night there were two commercials that just got me riled up! (I swear a heck of a lot, just to warn ya!)
The first was some sort of exercise game for x-box or something. You wouldn’t have known it at first because it was just a bunch of people talking about going to te gym or getting in shape, staying fit, yadda yadda yadda. When they finally said and showed the game, I was flummoxed! I shouted, “Why couldn’t you just say you don’t have to go to the gym to get in shape? Why couldn’t they say that there’s other ways to get exercise? Why don’t they promote it more positively so it is more attractive to people who aren’t gym rats?!” and then cursed ’em out for a minute or three.
It drove me batty, I tell ya! But it is true; the game isn’t a gym simulator in the least, so why promote it in such a way? I feel they truly lost an opportunity, an audience and most certainly a market share. Yet these idiot marketers are so good at that, right? Had they simply had people saying that they aren’t interested in going to a gym (too expensive, time consuming, boring, gross…) and wanted something more fun and then showed the same people playing/exercising with the game it would have had a much more positive impact! Hello? There are other and far more interesting ways to move your body without stupid gym machines. Ugh!
Not long after this, another commercial did me in! A ridiculous one for a feminine wash product. It had women saying they were terribly concerned about “feminine odor issues.” This one got me truly shouting, “Your vagina doesn’t smell! No one can smell your vagina unless they’re nose-deep into it! Stop freaking women out about their pussies! For fuck’s sake, stop perpetuating vaginal lies and fear!” My husband had questions after my bout of shouts (ooh, good band name!). We discussed the worldwide fear of vaginas. How a lot of women don’t know their anatomy or would even recognize their own vagina.
It drives me bonkers! But then, I too once feared my vagina. Not fear in the murderous sense (oh Maude, could you imagine? My vagina is trying to kill me!), but in the unfamiliar and icky sense and that is bullshit! I find especially when I talk about menstrual cups and all of their magical greatness that a lot of women get are filled with trepidation about it. Even when I mention the fact that the chances of getting TSS (toxic shock syndrome) are practically null! Or the fact that there’s no waste! Ugh! Don’t get me started on that…
Feminine wash? Okay, I use one, but because it is Ph balanced and I had some semi-traumatic childhood memories involving bar soap and my genitals (ouch!). When my husband asked how I use the wash I explained that I just use it for the outer bits and not inside of any orifice. I am not worried about my pussy’s odor, hardly, and it’s not like it gets dirty in the filthy sense. Also, I don’t want any soap residue happening. However, even when I am without my fave cooter cleanser, just water is totally fine for the most part. It is in the actual vagina, and not the labia or vulva (outer/inner lips),that you should not use products to cleanse. I have often heard phrase “self cleaning oven†used in regards to why. But basically you have beneficial flora/bacteria that you need intact in order to fight off infections and things. If you throw off that natural balance you could be causing yourself more harm than you know. Yet these companies find new ways all of the time to oppress women.
In regards to yesterday’s post, in case you didn’t catch the comments (usually where all of the real action happens), I asked what we can do to get the positive messages of Fat Acceptance/Body Acceptance and Health At Every Size to the masses. No one had an answer, but these commercials made me realize just how impactful such a message could be. I think the problem with this is simple: Funding! That’s how these silly products get to the public, right? So who could we get to sponsor such an endeavor? Perhaps we could team up with another group of people who are discriminated against?
I would love to hear your thoughts! Or, just because it’s Tellin’ It Tuesday, tell it like it is in comments, even if it’s not about this post.
Thanks for reading & Rock On!
<3
 S
“No one can smell your vagina unless they’re nose-deep into it!”
That made me laugh!
Glad I could entertain! =0)
Hilarious rant! I find myself yelling at the TV often as well….and I’m not the only one. My 10 yr old daughter now makes comments about how commercials lie when they make outrageous claims…and she’s just 10!
One commercial I have been cheering about lately is the one with the women holding signs with 78% on them and saying that “Women aren’t worth LESS” in regards to women making less money than men. It’s an effective and powerful message and I’m glad it’s out there…finally.
Aw, thanks. And I love your daughter already! Ha-ha! I think that kids today are more keenly aware than we were at their age when it comes to marketing. I haven’t seen the 78% sign holding commercial, but I’ll keep my eyes peeled, sounds great! Thanks.
You are not alone in the yelling at the TV thing. Of course my most hearfelt howls were of ‘Why do you hate me, Joss Whedon?” during nearly every episode of the final two seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but I do it a lot at commercials, too.
Like you, I tend to have a lot to say to the ‘your ladybits are embarrassing and disgusting’ ones.
See, maybe this is what we should talk about my dear. I am thinking of just featuring you alone in a podcast with all of your fabulosity! Next Tuesday, what do you say?
Next Tuesday should be just great! Drop me a line (or give me a buzz) later today and let’s work it out.
Solo??? Not ready for that. I’d need a good script.
Oh I feel you on this. I often find myself disgusted by most ads on the tv. There this is stupid Special K one on right now. With their saying “What will you gain when you lose!” and I just wanna be like NOTHING!
I never noticed how bad commercials were until I found Fa and Haes. Before I guess I just didn’t think or I don’t know thought it was normal and not out of the ordinary. Honestly I don’t know.
<3 Amber
Yes I hate those “special K” commercials, too (WTF?! Is a “K” and why is it so special anyway?)! And yeah, once you drink the rad fatty kool aid, you can see through the bullshit of marketers everywhere! It’s magical. Ha! Thanks, doll!
Been yelling at commercials way too long. My latest headache is Oprah, who owns her OWN network, and is promoting body hatred through her Special K ads. I eSpecially didn’t find the Santa ad to be jolly. When I first saw it I thought, “What an adorable woman in a cute red coat outside in the snow.” Then I was horrified at the reindeer being myopic. How could they help that generous, fat man deliver all those presents if they can’t see? And, the message that Santa is fine before he leaves your loot, but he has a big problem that needs to be fixed with cereal bars the day after. I used to like O and K. Oh well.
I forgot about the new OWN network. I haven’t seen the commercial/s you mentioned, but yeah it is just everywhere! The ignorance, the idiocy and the straight-up lies. Sadly, most people don’t realize this and tend to accept things at face value. I do think that the next generation is getting wiser to marketing tactics and hopefully we will see an end to such ridiculousness soon. =0)
Cate, My boyfriend and I were watching that ad with the Santa. Both of us were like “ummmm wtf she isn’t even fat or anything she looks beautiful and great!” I really do think thats what is wrong with society; we see a woman who looks like that and we are suppose to think she is fat when in fact she is probably healthy as a horse. Its sad
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who yells at television. This is why I no longer watch it!
I have in the past gone a year without television, not as a real choice, but it wasn’t important to me at the time. Now? Now I just get far too much out of it as I watch a lot of documentaries and nature shows and things. But you always do end up yelling with today’s marketing tactics.
I consciously gave up TV, but I still watch a lot of programmes either on DVD or downloaded off the ‘net. No advertising, I choose when I want to watch it, and what I watch!