Ad for an Elldy tampon (Japan) with applicator
(October 1996).
Early Japanese tampon (1977): Shampon
Young.
A Japanese university student generously sent me the ad, along with
others, some very old, which were part of a paper
she wrote about the history of the Japanese menstrual products industry.
And, of course, the first Tampax AND - special
for you! - the American fax tampon,
from the early 1930s.
See a Modess True or False? ad in The American
Girl magazine, January 1947, and actress Carol Lynley
in "How Shall I Tell My Daughter" booklet ad (1955) - Modess . . . . because ads (many dates).
 
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Ad for Kotex menstrual napkins, March 1992,
Good Housekeeping magazine, U.S.A.
No one forced her to do this!
Look at the most painful smile you'll probably ever see in an ad for
menstrual stuff!
Who can blame her? Someone asked her to wear white pants, sit on a bench
and invite millions of people to look at her crotch to see if they can see
a menstrual pad or, worse, red. Or even worse, both. And she's not looking
you in the eye. On the other hand, I don't think she's doing this for free.
I find her expression agonizing; she might be ready to cry (see an enlargement
below the ad). The guy is more relaxed but he wasn't asked to expose himself
in the worst way possible for a clothed woman.
As I mentioned elsewhere on this site, the Rumanian-American artist
Saul Steinberg said that Americans don't smile on only two occasions:
when looking at art and in the presence of a dead person (although I dispute
the latter). Americans wear masks; Steinberg made and often wore masks when
being interviewed - after he became naturalized as an American.
OK, now look at a French woman in
a similar situation! Sure, it's a false smile but at least she's not ready
to have a nervous breakdown. Those French!
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What a brave smile! It'll all be over in a second! Oh, wait, you'll
be featured on a Web site 15 years later.
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NEXT white ad (Camelia, Germany, 1992) - Ad for an Elldy (Japan) with applicator (October 1996)
- Early Japanese tampon (1977): Shampon Young
- Pad directory - tampon
directory
© 2007 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute any
of the work on this Web site in any manner or medium without written permission
of the author. Please report suspected violations to hfinley@mum.org
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