Filed under: beauty, feminine hygiene, Feminism, feminist allies, feminist movement, feminists, gay rights, gender, gender roles, image, menstural cycles, misogyny, National Organization for Women, sex, women
Sorry if the paragraphs aren’t broken up. For some reason, it’s not doing that, and I’ve tried to fix it, but it doesn’t work. So I gave up.
Are you on your period? Do you naturally bleed each month? Are you a woman? What shame! My God – you should be hiding the fact that your body naturally secretes blood every month because, like, it just grosses us out, hmmmkay?
This is the message you’d be getting if you buy into this shit http://www.simplydiscrete.com/
It’s essentially a little box thing that women can put their tampons in so that they’d hide the fact their on their periods, so that, according to the vendor, if they’re over at their in-laws house, they can change their tampons discretely.
I actually first spotted this product a few weeks ago at the NOW conference in Detroit and it kind of ticked me off. So I played football with the box, which many fellow feminists thought was kind of amusing.
Here’s the thing: I’ve never had a period, I don’t plan on having one anytime soon – and up until last week, I didn’t even know the mechanics of tampons and pads, and the difference between the two.
But I know this: I am not comfortable with the idea that they’re selling a product and making money off women by encouraging them to “hide” what is most natural.
So they bleed every month. So what? They’re supposed to hide this, why? Why are we still taking steps to make women feel ashamed of what’s natural to their bodies?
And this idiot had the bright idea to sell them at the feminist conference!
Secondly, over at a feminist blog, there is talk of new scented underwear that’s coming out. Apparently, the idea behind this all is that women are supposed to smell like flowers (and melons!) because any other would be unnatural.
In fact, I’ve learned that such a product doesn’t provide for much comfort, either, and can create more infections and Urinary Tract Infections.
So, again, why are we shaming women into buying things to make their bodies unnatural and into what we want? This is consumerism and sexism at its best.
And not to be crude – but goddamn, if a vagina looks and tastes like 1800flowers.com just delivered it to my door, I ain’t touching it. Sorry.
7 Comments so far
Leave a comment
America's Next Bill Clinton! 
And it’s pink, too!
I just really hate stuff like this. I also applaud you for being comfortable with menstruation, unlike so many men I know. I once dated a guy who wouldn’t even touch a tampon in my purse, and was always so freaking offended whenever he saw one, even though it was unused. But then, ten minutes later he’d let out a huge fart and wonder why I wasn’t amused. Nice.
I refuse to be discrete about my reproductive functions. I carry a tampon to the bathroom at work, and people look at me like I have two heads. But when other women take a little makeup case to the bathroom, we all know they have a tampon in there, so why not be honest?
And, as for the Feministing.com thread, all I can say that things that are scented to cover up coochie odors usually smell like ass. Really, if you want to vomit, take a whiff of a “deodorized” tampon. And, if your coochie does smell bad, you probably need to see a doctor, not deodorize it. Just sayin.
Comment by Mary September 6, 2007 @ 8:03 pmYeah, like generating MORE GARBAGE is always the way to go. If a person doesn’t want to see tampons in the garbage, get a can with a lid or put it under the sink.
“A woman’s solution to a woman’s concern”? Maybe it’s Debbie’s solution to Debbie’s shame, but a tossed out tampon doesn’t cause me much concern and I’m pretty sure I’m just as much a woman as she is.
Also, that webpage is so floral and pink it makes me want to vomit.
Comment by margosita September 6, 2007 @ 11:09 pmGreat post.
One of my biggest pet peeves is all the products out their designed to cover up any natural smell or the fact that we bleed. I agree with Mary, if your vagina actually has an offensive odor, there’s probably some sort of infection!
In my opinion, if a man is grossed out by periods, he has no business being with women.
Comment by Sunny September 7, 2007 @ 2:14 amI’ve always felt it was so silly how women feel they have to hide this fact from men. I mean, c’mon… if you’re over the age of 13 it’s safe to assume that you’re getting your period every month. Why do we need to keep this a secret? Then again, I’ve known men who honestly believed women didn’t ever go “no.2” in the bathroom, so I guess it’s not exactly rational, now is it? It also makes me laugh how many guys get so uncomfortable when a tampon commercial comes on the screen, to the point of changing the channel.
I’ve also always had a beef with this whole scented-pantyliner, “spray deodorizer for ‘down there'”, douches, etc, industry. Why are we teaching women that their natural vaginal scent is so bad? Especially when, as you mentioned, these scented products can often do more harm than good to a woman’s delicate natural flora and fauna.
But I think it all has to do with how most of us feel pretty ok using the word “penis” and its various other common nicknames, yet “vagina” continues to be essentially a dirty word. For shame!
Comment by Marcy September 7, 2007 @ 10:38 amYou know, I didn’t even realize the whole period thing was so gendered until I spoke to a few of my feminist friends, and it made me realize that even THAT is a big part of feminism.
Regardless, I think it’s sad that women are held on such a pedestal for being so mysterious and soft and goddess-like and such, yet at the same time, are treated like second-class citizens, and even the basics of their bodily functions are denied of their existence, because we don’t think of them as humans.
If you don’t think of something as being human, you don’t have to treat them as such.
I think I am onto the patriarchy’s game.
Besides, I love the vagina and all that comes with it. I think that as primates, we’re turned on by the sexual scents of out partners. I don’t see the need to actually hide that scent.
Key point: I’d get totally turned on when I am “down there” and start tasting and smelling the scent of whatever woman I am with, but I’d never gotten turned on smelling a watermellon.
Maybe I am just noit kinky enough. 😀
Comment by profeministmale September 7, 2007 @ 11:34 am[…] by it’s shoulders and get it to realise that a monthly flow is not gross. I refuse to be Discrete about […]
Pingback by Menstruation is Good « Nakedthoughts’s Weblog September 10, 2007 @ 3:15 amThey were selling similar things at Vons a while back — not a box, but pretty solid little snap containers that looked like you could put your glasses in them. I bought one (because I don’t have a purse, just a backpack, and it is damned annoying trying to find a pad/tampon in a big ol’ backpack), but my dog chewed it up :p
Comment by baby221 September 10, 2007 @ 8:27 pm