Why do they have to advertise some things on TV?

[mannasn]

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel awkward when in a crowded room and they start showing advertisements for natural male enhancement and all sorts of feminine hygiene products from tampons and deoderants to Monistat 7, 8, 9 or whatever it is now.

Maybe it's just the Southern girl in me? That there just ain't proper in mixed company, y'all!

 

[transparant]

I hate those commercials. I also hate the verizon one that is out now with the black eyed pea's singing something about "I'm gonna get you drunk, get you drunk off my trunk". My 7 year old heard that one and wanted an explanation.

 

[4nana]

Ditto!

The new evening Victoria's Secret ad sure doesn't leave much to the imagination.

 

[pearlieq]

I can understand why one might feel a bit uncomfortable, but I actually really appreciate those kinds of ads.

I think they provide a valuable service for our society by de-stigmatizing things like menstruation, yeast infections, overactive bladder, and erectile disfunction. I'll gladly suffer through a million of these ads if they got even one person to talk to their doctor and get help for a treatable, but embarassing condition.

I don't want womens periods and health concerns to only be spoken of in whispers--I think that breeds misinformation and a certain sense of shame about being a woman. I'd rather it be accepted as a normal part of life!

 

[mannasn]

True. I can see, in a way, that public service announcements and advertisements serve their place. I just wish they came with a disclaimer or something so I could change the channel first!

In my experience, I have never met anyone who has come into a health care setting asking about something they saw on television. Of course, I haven't had that much experience, either.

My philosophy is generally that the people who are interested in and/or need those sorts of things will usually take the initiative to seek that information out on their own. Of course, I did say - usually - not always.

 

[pearlieq]

In my experience, I have never met anyone who has come into a health care setting asking about something they saw on television. Of course, I haven't had that much experience, either.

My philosophy is generally that the people who are interested in and/or need those sorts of things will usually take the initiative to seek that information out on their own. Of course, I did say - usually - not always.

I guess I think of it more in terms of things like erectile disfunction and overactive bladder. I can picture a lot of men having trouble with that kind of thing, but being embarassed to talk about it and thinking that it's just part of getting old and there probably isn't anything that can be done anyways. Then he sees one of the 50 million commercials during the Super Bowl and a seed is planted. Maybe something COULD be done. So he does a little research. Asks his doctor about it. Gets treated and gets this wonderful part of his life back.

Same with the overactive bladder commercials. I know lots of people who didn't even know that was an actual medical condition that could be treated until they saw those commercials. My mom was one. Now she doesn't have to be trapped by having that condition anymore.

Of course, some are more worthy than others. I think I would sleep OK if I never had to sit through another one of those "not so fresh" commercials or the ones about "Smiling Bob" and how much the neighbors are impressed by his manly attributes!

 

[Stacerita]

I can understand why one might feel a bit uncomfortable, but I actually really appreciate those kinds of ads.

I think they provide a valuable service for our society by de-stigmatizing things like menstruation, yeast infections, overactive bladder, and erectile disfunction. I'll gladly suffer through a million of these ads if they got even one person to talk to their doctor and get help for a treatable, but embarassing condition.

I don't want womens periods and health concerns to only be spoken of in whispers--I think that breeds misinformation and a certain sense of shame about being a woman. I'd rather it be accepted as a normal part of life!

I will also say I am one of those who actually pays attention to the ads and use the ads to help me decide on purchases. I dont want to spend forever in the "fem hygeine" aisle at Target reading the back of products to find out what they do. The commercials do that for me and save me time. Same thing with Monistat, condoms, and other things of that nature.

I am also one who has brought something up with my doc because I had seen an ad about it on tv. Didn't realize it was a problem. It wasn't a big thing though.

And I dont think it being a mixed company makes me feel any different about whats being show in the advertisement. When I was younger it might have. But not now.

The Black Eyed Peas song.....now that makes me cringe when the sweetpea sees it in the commercial.

 

[KarenAylwood]

They gotta advertise somewhere!! The only reason I bought Monistat was because it was advertised and I had remembered the name... otherwise I'd have been totally lost.

Tampon/pad commercials aren't so bad (ok, the one with the girl that was sitting on a beach chair made out of maxi pad material was a bit much... I don't think they play it anymore ). And I could definitely do without the KY warming gel one

DBF is a med student and he's asked doctors if patients really do come in asking about a certain drug on TV because they saw it advertised and it's actually pretty common... it definitely pays to advertise- no matter how "embarassing" it might be to watch it!

 

[mannasn]

Okay, now I'm embarrassed about posting this stupid thread! LOL

 

[Free4Life11]

The WORST is the one where the lady walks up to the women in the tampon aisle asking them if they get "odor" down there. Not only it is nasty, but I find it strange and creepy. Tampon commeraisl are bad enough but to be start talking about tampons and odor...please NO! I mean jeez, I don't go around talking about jock itch or crotch sweat.

 

[beckmrk04]

The WORST is the one where the lady walks up to the women in the tampon aisle asking them if they get "odor" down there. Not only it is nasty, but I find it strange and creepy. Tampon commeraisl are bad enough but to be start talking about tampons and odor...please NO! I mean jeez, I don't go around talking about jock itch or crotch sweat.

THAT one cracks me up!!! I just laugh every time I see it- because I know the people that they "ran into" in the tampon aisle are actors. Catch me in there one day. Ask me what I really think about tampon odor and leakage- gaurantee it'd have to be an HBO special. I mean, who honestly just stops and talks to strangers with cameras about these things? No one. Is this a believable premise? No. HOWEVER- if anyone ever does happen to ask me about it now, they are going to wish they had asked
someone else.

I guess I agree with the other posters who said they'd rather have these things be open and talked about rather than hidden. Then again, I come from a family in which anything and everything is a perfectly acceptable topic of discussion, and this includes fem. hygiene, sexuality, whatever. We're not lewd, just a very open kinda liberal family, so I never get embarrassed about these things. Just the facts of life, so to speak.

 

[Snow_White]

Nope, doesn't bother me in the slightest...and why should it?!?!? They're all totally normal bodily functions. I don't think any guys are surprised to know that products such as tampons and Monistat exist I think it would be equally silly for a guy to get embarassed by a commercial for Viagra or jock straps or even condoms. These are all normal parts of life and nothing to be ashamed about. I really wonder why America is such a prudish society in some ways (i.e. nudity on TV is BAD BAD BAD but gruesome violence is quite alright).

Talking about the silly premises of some commercials is a whole different issue, IMO.

 

[jfulcer]

I could do without that tampon commercial where the girl plugs the hole in the boat in the middle of the lake with a tampon. Sheesh!

I don't mind ads for all kinds of things like that, but plugging a hole in a boat? Come on!

 

[FreshTressa]

I can understand why one might feel a bit uncomfortable, but I actually really appreciate those kinds of ads.

I think they provide a valuable service for our society by de-stigmatizing things like menstruation, yeast infections, overactive bladder, and erectile disfunction. I'll gladly suffer through a million of these ads if they got even one person to talk to their doctor and get help for a treatable, but embarassing condition.

I don't want womens periods and health concerns to only be spoken of in whispers--I think that breeds misinformation and a certain sense of shame about being a woman. I'd rather it be accepted as a normal part of life!

Guess I have to agree!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Commercials don't bother me. You can always change the topic to get the focus off it or leave the room. What gets me are the questionable things in shows between 6 and 9 p.m. while darling son is still up. Geez.

 

[aprilgail2]

I can't stand the ones for viagra! My daughter was 5 and she asked me "mommy whats an erection and why do you have to go to the hospital if it lasts more than 3 hours".....yea now there is a question I never wanted to hear my daughter ask! Darn TV commercials!!!

 

[ILUVMYBRIT]

I guess they dont really bother me. When my DS was young he had a question about a feminine product that had just been advertised so we talked. I never had an open frank discussion with my parents about anything growing up so I make sure my kids can ask me anything. Now the thing that really bothers me...are the Girls Gone Wild "Commercials" that are on here at 5am on whichever channel my 12 year old found it on. Sure they dont really show anything but he knows whats going on. I had to have a looooong talk about that one. I told him that I didnt feel he should be watching it even if it were on regular tv and that if I ever find out he is disrespecting ANY female he will have to deal with me.
Sorry went of topic a bit there but it really irks me that kids can see that type of thing when they get up in the morning. I have since blocked that channel but I know they show it on more then one.

 

[inaminute]

The ads don't bother me at all aside from thinking some are stupid. The only time I'd be embarrassed is if I were responsible for creating one of the more distasteful ads. Since I don't do that for a living, I have nothing to be embarrassed about.

They're just commercials. If my grandson asks about something he sees, I take it as an opportunity to educate and discuss how it fits in with our values.

 

[froglady]

I have mixed feelings about them. Sometimes I feel like it's TMI for a commercial, but then I don't want to go back to the days of MY teen years when everything was so hush-hush.

Anyone else old enough to remember the print ads (no TV ads allowed at all) that had a full page photo of a model in an elegant evening gown, with the caption:

"Moddess....because." Talk about confusing a 12 year old!

 

[Freyja]

I can understand why one might feel a bit uncomfortable, but I actually really appreciate those kinds of ads.

I think they provide a valuable service for our society by de-stigmatizing things like menstruation, yeast infections, overactive bladder, and erectile disfunction. I'll gladly suffer through a million of these ads if they got even one person to talk to their doctor and get help for a treatable, but embarassing condition.

I don't want womens periods and health concerns to only be spoken of in whispers--I think that breeds misinformation and a certain sense of shame about being a woman. I'd rather it be accepted as a normal part of life!

Well said!