The article speaks about a culture that has capitalized on the idea that vaginas aren't so bad after all. There are all kinds of ways that vaginas have been shamed throughout culture and the praises have often been minimized or have gone unnoticed. But now that more and more women are less fearful of the V-Word, conglomerates have popped up everywhere.
(Former cover of a Cosmopolitan Magazine Issue - source)
Whether it's studding sparkly swavorski crystals on to your vagina aka vagazzling, or investing in douche cleansers, the markets are looking for new ways to take your money and new ways to encourage you to sacrifice authentic appreciation of your body.
According to the article, Deborah Mitchell, executive director for the Center for Brand and Product Management at the University of Wisconsin School of Business, says that, "Gen Y people are more relaxed about their bodies, so there's more attention to products that people would have been embarrassed to talk about before".
If women are truly more comfortable talking about their vaginas this is something to be celebrated, not marketed. But of course when something catches on it is only a matter of time before businesses decide to create something for you to buy.
The Huffington Post article, 'Hail to the V': How the V-Word Became Big Business mentions a recent campaign put forth by Summer's Eve "Hail to the V" and "Power to the V" ads.
Hail to the V, showed the hands of people of different races, acting as puppets, which spoke as though they were speaking vaginas. The ads were deemed racist in nature and the ads were eventually pulled off the air along with an apology from the company.
I posted about the Hail to the V ads on this blog in July. To read my post Summer's Eve and their Racist 'Hail to the V' ads: Did You Know Your Vagina Had an Accent?, click here.
Summer's Eve's Power to the V ads have been presented not only on television but at commercial previews at movie theaters (sigh, remember when previews at movies only consisted of coming attractions?).
The ad shows men from various time periods engaged in battle. A woman's proud voice announces, "Men have fought for it, battled for it, died for it. One might say it is the most powerful thing on earth."
The commercial then cuts to present day and in a very cheery voice the woman says gleefully, "So come on ladies! Show it a little love! Cleansing wash and cloths by Summer's Eve. Hail to the V." Just another way in which to tell us females that it's not US that men want but rather our vaginas.
To read my July post, Summer's Eve Feminine Wash Campaign Tells Women That Men Will Fight and Die For Vaginas. You Don't Matter But Your Vagina Does, click here.
According to the Huffintgon Post, Rhonda Zahnen, from the Summer's Eve ad creators The Richards Group, was quoted as saying, "We're really excited about having that kind of publicity and coverage. A month ago nobody was talking about feminine hygiene." She went on to say, "We just wanted to be sure that the conversation is focused on celebrating and empowering women."
Hygiene is important and I think women can take pride in hygiene but douching is not hygiene, it is conformity. Good ol' unscented soap and water will do the trick ladies. "Empowering women" is a great concept to exploit. Empowering women is necessary however patriarchy has become even sneakier by telling us that their sexist slogans and products are actually enhancing a woman's autonomy.
Marketing companies are likely to sell you things that you don't need as well as things you do need. For example, as a woman I know that I need tampons or pads. I have never ventured out to use products like The Keeper which is an insertable, reusable soft rubber cup that catches menstrual blood. If I was a braver lass I probably would.
I buy razors to shave my bikini area however this could be considered a luxury item. I've explored the varieties of Victoria Secret underwear which also could be considered a luxury item.
I have no problem with the buying and selling of such products but I do take issue when companies hock products that compromise health. Summer's Eve feminine washes are definitely in that category.
Talking about vaginas is a big step for some. Embracing vaginas is another step. Marketing vaginas has nothing to do with either. It has nothing to do with personal growth or genuine acceptance.
Sell your bikini cut underwear, push your pads, and hype your razors but please don't tell me that I must open my wallet in order to obtain attention, affection or even love from men.
Of course whether anything we do in the name of beauty is really of our own agency or if it is influenced by patriarchy is an overlapping argument.
To read more on this topic visit my posts Feminism and Hair: Is Shaving for Suckers? and I Don't Wear Makeup. If I Did Would I Be Less of a Feminist? I Say No.
I do not make the claim that I have bypassed patriarchy at every turn. I too have been influenced by its mighty power and I too have given in when I felt I shouldn't. I continue to question my place in consumerism and I continue to explore my general sense of self and self worthiness.
That being said, I didn't need this recent Huffington Post article to make me aware that vaginas are still struggling for freedom.
Eve Ensler started a movement where she assisted women in talking about their vaginas. She also brought to light those who have been talking about their vaginas for years but have never been heard. Whether it be old and young women who were brought up in a time were vaginas were referred to as "down there" or whether it is women in the Congo who have been mutilated.
I was first exposed to Ensler's The Vagina Monologues in 2001. Like many, I felt a sense of release, relief, and praise.When I think of Ensler's work I can't help but notice how underground this movement is compared to the mainstream's version of celebration. And the mainstream version involves penises.
While it is only semi-recently that vaginas have noticeably become a subject for big business, I think it is safe to say that penises have been a part of big business as well - just not in the same way as vaginas.
Men are not often asked to alter the appearance of their penises (although pornography is an area where penis size counts). They are able to sit back and reap the benefits of women changing for the sake of their desires and yes their genitalia. So yes, penises are a part of big business and it seems that men have the luxury of not caring or not even noticing. It is that common place.
If you look around you'll notice that the way in which heterosexual men are being catered to is by foisting ideals onto women. So, your magazine racks will be filled with "men's interest" magazines such as Maxim and Playboy as well as "women's interest" magazines which feature the likes of Cosmopolitan mags which advise women on how they themselves can cater to men.
I would love it if men were more open about their penises in the healthy way that some women have learned to be. I know for a fact that men have plenty of "down there" stories. While women have been fearful of using the word "vagina" men have been fearful as well. This fear is often masked with crude words like "cock" or "dick". Somehow these crude and sophomoric words are supposed to equate to masculinity aka devoid of femininity.
In the current climate of vagina unfriendly marketing let us reconsider what our vaginas really meant to us. And yes straight men, gay men, bi men, transgender men, and intersex individuals can spent some time on this matter as well.
I am not attempting to exclude the woman from the vagina but I think it's important to focus on vaginas as most recently they have indeed been portrayed as something separate from women. A vagina can be considered as attached to a being, attached to a person, and it can be isolated just as we can see an elbow or a foot as a seperate entity. Ultimately though, a vagina is not viewed in the same benign way as another body part. Vaginas are the source of so many things. Pleasure, menses, life and more.
While penises have not suffered the oppression that vaginas have, penises too are a source of pleasure and life. I think it would behoove all of us consumers to appreciate ourselves in this way rather than to focus on how we can decorate our bodies for the sake of others.
And while I say this I acknowledge that I myself must continue the conversation in my head about just how much I have already submitted to in the name of patriarchy. Now pardon me, while I go shave my legs..
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