Ads about periods too much for MTA

I don't really like these ads much, but I don't see anything offensive about them. The media agency for Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYC) however, has issues with the imagery, and even the word "period." (MTA itself was not involved in the decision.)

From mic.com:

According to Veronica del Rosario, Thinx's director of marketing, the representative was concerned that children would see the word "period" in the ad and ask their parents what it meant. When Thinx later submitted the ad with the word "period" in the copy, the agency told them they could not run the copy "as is." 

"I stated [to an Outfront rep] that it was extremely disheartening that [certain other ads] could fly, but something for women that speaks directly to women isn't OK by them," del Rosario told Mic. "He replied, 'This is not a women's issue. Don't try to make it a women's rights thing.'"

Apparently, they were also concerned with the amount of skin showing in the Thinx ads, as well as the  cheeky use of a grapefruit and the contents of an egg.

MTA has run some rather obnoxious breast augmentation ads before, but apparently children are going to be more traumatized by being reminded of the very organs that made them.

Is this any way to change the perception of women in tech?

An specialized underwear company called "Dear Kate" had a cheeky idea to promote its wares while also celebrating diverse women who are crashing the technology industry "boys' club": get a bunch of female CEOs of tech companies to pose in their skivvies for the online catalogue.

Dear Kate is not an ordinary lingerie company. Its products were originally designed as a less-Dependsish for women suffering from incontinence, and has since branched out into promoting leakproof "period panties."

The Drum reports that the Ada Collection is named after Ada Lovelace, the woman who created the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine. And despite criticism, the women participating felt they were doing the right thing:

Adda Birnir, founder of SkillCrush [seen below] admitted to Time that she did have doubts: “I run a company and you’re trying to have gravitas when you’re a CEO. I was a little bit like, ‘Is it a bad idea to participate in an underwear modelling shoot?'” 

“But it’s a feminist company…and I think it’s so important to support companies that are doing work like that. That overshadowed any of my concerns.”

These women are clearly not just models, but willing participants in whatever this is trying to say.

Adrants quotes Dear Kate CEO, Julie Sygiel: "I think a lot of traditional lingerie photo shoots depict women as simply standing there looking sexy. They're not always in a position of power and control. In our photo shoots it's important to portray women who are active and ambitious. They're not just standing around waiting for things to happen."

However the blog's author, Steve Hall, counters:

Hey, I'm all for women wearing underwear and lingerie as often as possible but when so many are doing so much to battle stigmas and stereotypes relating to the perception of women in the workplace -- and the world at large, this just smacks the face of logic.

I'm not so sure, though. While this could have come off like the European Union's appalling "Science: It's a Girl Thing" video, it just doesn't feel the same. The photos are contrived, sure, and even a little silly. But SOMEONE has to make and model underwear for women. Why not use the opportunity to also demonstrate and inspire female leadership in business and technology?

All images via Dear Kate

It's not really up to me to decide if this is good or bad for women overall, because I'm not a woman. In my opinion, this campaign doesn't feel degrading or objectifying. But I urge women readers to weigh in.

Is American Apparel's most explicit thing yet... feminist art?

American Apparel, apparently concerned that its ability to shock people with its sexualized advertising is starting to wane, has once again engaged the world of earned media with an "outrage":

"The Ardorous X American Apparel Period Power Washed Tee" features an explicit illustration of a woman masturbating while menstruating.

Here's the product description:

The Ardorous is an all-female online art platform curated by Petra Collins, a Toronto-born artist. Petra began her infatuation with photography at age 15 and became an American Apparel retail employee around the same time. She creates portraits exploring female sexuality and teen girl culture. Now 20, Petra has worked with Vice, Vogue Italia, Purple, Rookie, and is a contributing photographer for American Apparel.

Compared to American Apparel's sleazily objectifying ads, however, this one seems to have an authentically feminist purpose — at least to the woman who drew it.

Ms. Collins, who is based in Toronto, told Vice that she was trying to challenge taboos about women's bodies:

Menstruation—and also pubic hair—really freaks people out. There’s pubic hair in the drawing, which I guess is super shocking to people, even though I cannot get over that. I feel like I’m so sheltered in a way. I always forget that people are so close-minded. 

Grown women are taught to repress their postpubescent body or hide it. When you start puberty and you start growing hair you’re taught to shave it, because no one’s supposed to see it. With your period, it’s something that you conceal—no one’s supposed to know. It’s almost pedophilic—and I don’t want to throw that word around. But this feminine ideology we have, of the woman being a prepubescent girl, is how we’re taught to change our bodies. 

That's actually pretty cool. It's not the first time AA has done something constructive in their marketing assault on "decency".  So, while I won't be wearing this unisex V-shirt to work anytime soon, I have to give them points for art. Even if they do stand to make a few bucks from it.

UPDATE: The shirt is no longer available at the AA e-store.

The most entertaining take on menarche since Judy Blume

This advertising video for Hello Flo, by Jamie Mccelland and Pete Marquis and Hayden 5 Media, may just be the most entertaining take on girls getting their periods since Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. And like that classic, it works by good-natured pushing of boundaries around talking to young people abut their bodies:



I wonder how long it will be before One Million Morons Moms gets all upset about a tween saying "vagina" on camera. But to me, it's one more step in the normalization of the word to empower women.

Thanks to Tatjana Vukic for the tip!

Kotex wants women to write a breakup song to their old tampons

It's kind of a cool campaign. In addition to offering women the opportunity to write beak-up letters to their old pads and tampons, the Facebook page features a collaborative forum for writing a "breakup song".



This one actually seems to have struck a chord:

Being of the wrong gender, I unfortunately cannot participate. But that's probably for the best. I'd probably just end up making a joke involving the word "ragtime" and end up getting angrily flamed by hundreds of people with cramps.