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 gear!
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. Properly
brought-up American women don't
- well, you know!
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
based on my attendence at
funeral parlor viewings).
Americans
wear emotional masks;
Steinberg made and often wore real
masks when being interviewed - after
he
became naturalized as an
American. The
Smithsonian's Museum of American
Art once presented a gallery of
Steinberg's work and the masks he
made - and a photo of his wearing
one.
Japanese also wear masks; that's
another fascinating topic.
Mormon proselytizers in
Switzerland were once warned in
a booklet that the Swiss smiled
far less than Americans, saving
them often for family and
friends. So remember
that when you knock on their
doors.
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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Below:
What a brave,
painful
smile! It'll all be
over in a second! Oh, wait, you'll
be featured on a Web site 15 years
later. Um, what's your name? The
guy's thinking, Can't wait till I
tell my buds what I did today!
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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
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Please report suspected violations
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