We've crossed the bridge into the 21st century--unless you're an actress in a tampon commercial.
On American TV, we're still squeamish when talking about menstruation.
That is, a woman's period.
Her "little visitor."
Being "on the rag," as it were.
As Adweek points out, it's ironic that a product created in the 1930s -- and on television, FINALLY, in 1973 -- is still cloaked in AdLandia shorthand.
Forget code words. White short shorts or short skirts was -- is -- GirlSpeak for "it's okay to use tampons instead of pads, without worrying about bleedthrough."
To paraphrase, Betty Friedan: it's the feminine hygiene mystique.
The FCC has what is calls "the seven dirty words" which are forbidden to say on TV. I'm too much of a lady to say them here, but you can guess what they are:
- Sh*t
- P*ss
- F*ck
- C*nt
- C*cks*cker
- M*therf*cker
- T*ts
Has anyone noticed that dick and penis isn't on the list?
Which is possibly why, yes: those words flow trippingly through the boob tube.
At least, on basic cable, which is known for its potty mouth (DEADWOOD!!! I MISS YOU!!!!)
Some of these words have already slipped into major broadcast network viewing as well.
So why not menstruation, period or vagina? Why do television hostesses fudge it by saying "va-jay-jay? They should follow Lissa Rankin's advice and say it loud, say it proud.
Lubricant ads show couples in bed. Condom ads have now broken the television barrier, too. Turn on a football game and you'll overdose on Viagra and Cialis ads. (Puh-leeeez: get that couple out of their his-and-hers outdoor clawfoot tubs!)
The 1st Amendment makes strange bedfellows. A disparate group has coallesced around the goal of ending television censorship . It includes the Pacifica Foundation on the left, and the Cato Institute (a Libertarian think tank) on the right.
In fact, on July 13, 2010 in New York, FCC regulations regarding "fleeting" use of expletives were ruled unconstitutionally vague by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that they violated the First Amendment in light of their possible effects regarding free speech.
Maybe we're finally crossing that bridge into the 21 century.
So that we get our celebrity fix for the day, click onto the video below. Recognize the actress in this Tampax ad? When it comes to their careers, everyone starts somewhere --
Even if you have to talk in circles to get your point across.
*Picture: The eyes have it! Tampons--that don't leak--are a girl's best friend.
