Comments on: In Woman’s Day Magazine: How To Get A Raise At Work? Clean Your Vagina

By: eva

eva — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:38:10 +0000

this is insane. because unless you’re in the sex industry or planning to screw your way to the top, i don’t know how it could possibly be relevant. i don’t understand how a marketing group could fail this badly…
although… i think if they just included the article, with a “brought to you by summer’s eve.” thing on it, it might be all right. i know there are some products now designed for post-coital use or to be less harmful than soaps on the delicate tissue of the vagina, and maybe the wipes they’re advertising are like that. but do they honestly think women are dumb enough to need to be told not to go into work reeking of sex? seriously? are they even still making harmful douches? who is dumb enough to buy them? i really hope everyone else, like me, got the talk about how you should never use douches along with the talk about getting their period in school. god bless my school nurse, if not.

By: Corrie

Corrie — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:05:43 +0000

Well I know I’m a bit late on this, but really I had to add: Don’t you think Summer’s Eve is probably paying them a great deal to put that amount of advertising in that magazine?
Seriously, the whole thing reads like an ad.

By: BBallQT

BBallQT — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:09:21 +0000

ahem “Great job on the XXX project!” :D

By: Dora Theo

Dora Theo — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:58:30 +0000

Hi, new reader. :P

This ad is horrific. I’m all for good hygiene, but the implication that your vagina plays any role in your job (unless you’re a sexworker) is just so wrong!

Although, I don’t see anything on the website about douches, just feminine washes. I use one, not to smell like flowers or anything, but because I’m prone to bladder infections and I’ve found that using the wash (just on the outside mind you) helps with that.

By: Addy Bell

Addy Bell — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:37:29 +0000

It’s been years since my middle school friends and I made fun of those “not-so-fresh feeling” ads, and I’d sort of blissfully assumed that douching had rightfully gone by the wayside. I’m beyond appalled to find that a “womens” magazine is running an ad like this. And that doesn’t even get to the problems I have with the ad itself.

But I guess that’s the point — like most magazines marketed to women, Woman’s Day is not about women, or our health, or our best interests.

By: Jo

Jo — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:16:30 +0000

Someone made a point about a similar ad – ‘Mom, sometimes I just don’t feel really fresh.‘ Honey, if you have a vaginal unfreshness problem that a shower doesn’t cure, you need to see a doctor, not douche yourself.

Sigh. Poor vaginas.

By: alison Tyler

alison Tyler — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:58:55 +0000

I want to see a companion one from fleet enemas. Don’t ask for a raise until you’re ready for anal!

XXX,
Alison

By: M.Kenworthy

M.Kenworthy — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:49:11 +0000

Mother of all chutzpah. Is there any more misplaced confidence in the corporate mindset that they were able to get something like this all the way to print without anyone putting up a flag, or raising their hand(s) and saying with true concern for the bottom line “are we sure about this?” or “perhaps this needs a rethink?”

I immediately ran to the bedroom and informed my lover of many years why she was still having trouble getting ahead in IT. She looked up for a moment, snapped her fingers, and laughingly said “Damn, I knew there was some reason.” She also queried me as to whether it made a difference if your boss was male a female. A quick recheck of this malodorous advice failed to turn up a difference. Apparently it doesn’t matter what your bosses gender is. Apparently a ‘real’ woman would have known this information already, since she’s the one in control of your potential raise.

Please tell me Oatmeal will be doing a parody of this?

By: BearGriz72

BearGriz72 — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:20:33 +0000

Fail … Epic Fail…

I am a guy and I was offended by this, and I also didn’t catch the sleep with your boss angle right away.

By: alps

alps — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:17:18 +0000

How sick! Douches destroy vaginas!!!!! Please, for the love of the pink zone, never use a douche!

By: Darkstar

Darkstar — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:35:03 +0000

@Anthony Kennerson: I think some of the Axe ads, especially the earlier ones, were pretty awful.

By: Andrew H.

Andrew H. — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:15:34 +0000

Let’s not forget to blame the marketing company as well. Shame on them!

By: violet

violet — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:05:50 +0000

@Anthony – typo fixed. Thank you! I was seeing red when I wrote the post.

@Cyn – I gotcha, though I had to a) say something about the health effects of the company’s main product out of duty and b) I felt like following through the ad’s intent to ultimately sell all the company’s products with this campaign. It’s insane that they also suggest to wipe throughout the day. Someone also just told me on Twitter that I missed the ad’s “sleep with your boss” subtext, too.

@Alison – Can you imagine? “I really want to ask for money but I don’t think my vagina is clean enough.”

By: Alison Tyler

Alison Tyler — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:50:01 +0000

Oh, my god. I really thought it was a joke. Exactly what sort of job is she going for? I’ve gotten dolled up for interviews before, but nobody’s ever smelled my snatch prior to a hiring.

XXX,
Alison

P.S. I’m sorry, but the ‘Great job on the XXX project” made me laugh out loud.

By: Cyn

Cyn — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:48:34 +0000

For what it’s worth, “Feminine Wash” is a foaming shower gel with your choice of overdone girly fragrance. It’s not a douche, it’s closer to a bubble bath that’s gentle enough to not irritate the sensitive parts.

Before you think I’m excusing Woman’s Day or Summer’s Eve, though, I’m not. Just making a point of clarification. The “feminine cleansing cloths” are scented vaginal wipes, they are definitely making that “clean and freshen your vagina today!” statement, and your point still holds. A “freshness pick-me-up during the day”? How exactly are you applying for that raise, that you might have to stop and clean yourself off before lunch?

By: Anthony Kennerson

Anthony Kennerson — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:47:05 +0000

For the record, Violet, it is Daily Kos, not Koz, named after the founder Markos Molitsas.

And yeah…that ad is a million times WRONG….would any male mag put forth an ad from Old Spice saying that a man’s chances of getting a raise would really increase if he eliminated the BO and bathed??? As if he doesn’t do so already?? There would be an actual riot at that advertiser’s HQ were that to happen.

Maybe they can go all the way and advertise for women using Lysol like they did in the 50′s?? Yeeesh!!!

Anthony

By: Rhacodactylus

Rhacodactylus — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:37:14 +0000

Of course I’m joking, no one has ever recommended I give the little general a scrub down before asking for a merit based raise.

By: Rhacodactylus

Rhacodactylus — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:34:34 +0000

You joke, but “clean your vagina” is sort of like the boy scouts “always be prepared” . . . it just makes good sense =)