YouTubeWarning: many bad names/puns for getting your period ahead. We couldn't help it.
Ladies, let's talk periods. And we promise it's not another story about the Friends Forever Tampon that links you and your bestie via one string and two tampons. Though we still have so many questions about that.
No, this is about the Australian company SOFY and their new commercial promoting their BeFresh pad. The basic premise is that women usually become a monstrous, emotional, cranky version of themselves when the Red Wedding comes to town. And having the proper feminine product can combat that version.
The idea is funny, but the execution is iffy at best. We actually found the "period version" of the woman in the commercial really funny and relatable. If we had a dollar for every time we cried, talked to our cat, yelled at the pizza guy and refused to get out of our sweatpants during The Hunt for Red October, we could afford diamond encrusted tampons. Which would probably hurt. Never mind.
But viewers are taking offense to the fact that a chubbier, conventionally less attractive girl is being used to represent females on their period.
Had they used the same actress for both roles, we think the message would have come across much better. Because yeah, ladies change when The Shining Elevator Doors Open, but the fact that whoever made this commercial decided that the best way to really prove that the "period version" of a woman is disgusting was to make her heavier than the original girl seems kind of like fat-shaming.
Other people are claiming the ad is also "period-shaming," but we think this commercial is actually more realistic than those tampon commercials where a group of laughing women run around in white pants eating salad while rock climbing during Aunt Flo attacks No. Just no.
Having your period does not turn you into a fat, disgusting monster, like the ad seems to suggest. But it does often turn you into a different person, and we see no harm in seeing the comedy in that type of misery. Unless you're the type of female who never gets any cramps, headaches or other PMS treats in which case we hate you and please teach us your sorcery.
We're interested to hear from other ladies about their reaction to the commercial. Let us know if you were offended by this or if you just found it funny, or maybe both?