Saturday, April 25, 2009

TV May Be Getting Stale, But Commercials Amuse Me Greatly

6 comments:

Carrie said...

I had been avoiding watching this commercial for a while - I read a lot of feminist blogs/magazines and there has been a shitstorm of controversy over this particular ad. And I'd been avoiding it because I think it's strange that pubic grooming is seen as a political statement for a lot of people...and maybe I am naive to think it's personal preference.

It does puzzle me as to why a mass-produced ad like this panders to stereotypes -- the Asian woman giggling about having 'tiny gardens'? Please. Having been to more than a few onsens (communal bathing houses in Japan, it's no big deal to be naked with strangers in Japan), I have seen more than my fair share of Japanese 'bush', and to brand all Asian women as 'neat & tidy' (like through this ad) is ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.

Even the way it starts out "sometimes a GIRL can't help..." THESE ARE WOMEN! Not GIRLS!

This rant is not directed towards you, Wilma, I see the humour in the ad, I just hate that it's perpetuating overdone, unhelpful stereotypes. (big bushy afro pubes, teeny tiny Asian pubes -- ha ha ha ha).

Don't even get me started on the vulva/flower metaphor. But basically, it's not the pube trimming that annoys me, it's the racial stereotyping.

Wilma said...

Your comments are really intriguing to me & now I have to think about things.

I consider myself a feminist, but I am most certainly not a hard-core feminist. I am not offended by lots of things that other feminists who are more political than I find offensive. I don't look for deeper meaning in most things. I don't think I'm shallow, just ignorant of most of those things. Plus, despite my insistance that I am a first-class bitch, my first reaction to 99% of life is to laugh. {Thanx Grandma!}

I also am, by my own admission, mostly oblivious to racism & racial stereotypes. I don't know what a lot of racial stereotypes even are!

I never would have interpretated this commercial as racist or stereotypical. I just assumed the Asian woman had a "tiny garden" because she is petite.

Carrie said...

I'm curious to see the male equivalent of this type of ad. There seems to be so many articles in women's mags about waxing vs. shaving vs. lasering vs. whatever, and I just don't know why male pubic hair isn't fussed over as much. Female hygiene vs. male hygiene seems a little bit off-balance.

I recently read an advice column where a guy was writing for advice on how to convince his Italian girlfriend to do a bit of a bikini area trim before going on vacation in her skimpy new bikini with him and his parents. (He didn't care but he 'knew' his parents would be offended.) I can't remember the advice given. But if she's okay with her wild pubes pouring out of her bikini area, why should she have to trim to satisfy someone else's idea of beauty?

And at the same time, I also think that every male and female should be harshly, strongly educated about the number of sweat glands in the male and female genital areas and how bacteria clings to hairs and encourages bad smells.

Knowing is half the battle.

And now, I have officially spent way too much thinking power over a freaking tv commercial. I'm going to go outside now and get a life. (I hope they're on sale....)

Tom Weston said...

I just found it funny.

Having my pubic hair critiqued by a bunch of homophobic firefighters, it sometimes does go both ways. I didn't actually feel shame for the 70s look I had going. It merely didn't occur to me that anyone would care... especially those guys.

when I pointed out that fact that they had clearly been checking me out, I think I sort of embarrassed more than a couple of them.

Carrie said...

Wilma - I love the quote from Horace Mann you have here in the comment box. Sometimes I cringe when I remember the self-righteous opinions I held even 5 years ago.......

Fairy Mae said...

Hahaha...this commericial is fab! I think it's really funny.