This girl can advert. Tampon string

[Looneytune253]

Why does this advert show a close up of a woman's bottom getting ready with a tampon string hanging out? I don't get it, is it supposed to be empowering?

It’s just the same as the old roller skating “fun” montages

I don’t think it’s even possible to have a string showing - they’re too short.

At least it’ll give the perverts something to perv over.

She needs to tuck that string in or it's going to pull on her fanjo when she's walking along!

Am amused that some posters missed the point & think this is about an advert selling tampons...

Well, the string COULD be a long thread pull off some deteriorating knickers, couldn't it? I mean, the string is what you imagine it is, right?

-says a woman with more deteriorating pairs of pants than tampons

I like it, tampon string and all.

It doesn't bloody well normalise periods because literally NOBODY on their period goes round with their tampon string hanging out, that is not normal! And if you ran 10 metres like that the thing would yank itself out.

As a 48yo mother playing full contact sport, I can tell you all about what's normal. Leaking blood, leaking pee, hips and knees which never stop hurting. Never having nice nails, or nice legs that aren't covered in bruises. But I'm capable enough to keep my tampon strings to myself.

This ad could also mislead younger girls into thinking that's how tampons are meant to be worn. Ridiculous.

Samhradh that's really crap about the milk shake. I am pretty sure that would count as an assault of some sort. Please do not let those bastards stop you doing something you love.

And here's me thinking why in this day and age we still need to even try to normalise periods. It's a bloody biological thing that enables you to have children ffs. You bleed once a month. Not a difficult concept to grasp. (Not aimed towards girls who are confused by it)

We all know women have periods. It hasn't stopped women from doing anything before, so what's the point?

That can’t be a serious comment surely. Periods stop women from doing an awful lot. Less so in our country, where access to sanitary protection is easier but there are still so many girls and women living in period poverty that even this government have launched a service to provide towels and tampons to schools for girls who need them.

My periods have stopped me from doing plenty. But then mine are excruciating and last 10 days out of 24. Glad to hear that yours have never been a barrier.

Christ if that's the reality of periods for you then you got off lucky

You literally see the woman curled up in a ball with a hot water bottle earlier in the ad. If you read the interview with her linked above, she has debilitating painful periods and has found that yoga helps her pain. Doesn’t mean it would help yours or mine.

It’s just the same as the old roller skating “fun” montages

I can’t believe a few people have made this comparison. This is the antithesis of those adverts, which were an attempt to sell tampons, and indicated that women who do so can wear white jeans, hot pants and rollerskate with abandon.

I would love to know how this advert is in any way similar, given the source is so different.

Honestly, all this disdain about a tampon string? It’s very depressing to me that this is where we are in 2020.

It’s a string ffs. I honestly can’t believe some women are offended by a string. Seriously. Is it any wonder we need these ads when women are behaving like this?

I don't like the ads but they're not aimed at my demographic so that's probably why. They try too hard to be edgy for me.

I really don't think anyone who sees these ads who feels fat and frumpy is going to be encouraged to go out and lift a kettle bell or swim. But as they've made more of them they obviously have evidence they're working.

I wouldn't have noticed the tampon string if I hadn't been looking for it after reading this thread.

I think the original target age group was the under 25s and I am way older than that.

We're not offended by the string. It just seems peculiar to have it outside your knickers

Never come across this ad or series before. Interesting concept for encouraging women/girls to do more of something they might not be doing enough.

Are there any “this boy can” ads?

Cooking, cleaning, laundry...

"I feel like society has no boundaries left anymore"

There should never have been taboos around periods. Religion has fed into this and as said, it stops women taking part in all aspects of life.

There's still girls dying in the huts they are forced into while on their period. They die from, smoke inhalation, burns and blood clots because they have to squeeze into the small space.

We are 70% of the population and we all bleed (prior to the new contraception), how dare that be made taboo.

" Ialways took “This girl can” to be a direct challenge to the whole “you run/throw/fight like a girl” or “you can’t do that, you’re a girl“ thing; so using the same terminology and turning it on it’s head."

Yes it was. I'm watching classic Eastenders and coronation Street. The sexism is dying out in coronation Street, but it's still terrible in Eastenders and it's now 1994.

I think they've deliberately chosen all female sports setting, otherwise they'd be lying about how easy it is to access and stay in a mixed sex sports setting, as said, without harassment, jeering and leering.

@ponoka7

But how does a commercial playing in the UK help a woman living in poverty under religious oppression in another country?

I can’t read the comments on this thread anymore... people just like to take offence at everything. Fucking everything. The music ( I’m guessing is too urban). The diverse bodies are too contrived, The word girl is too patronising, the tampon string is too periody and we mustn’t ever discuss periods because it’s just one step too far. FFS get a grip.

I can remember when the first one came out - I think the Missy Elliott one - I was just in love with it. As a larger woman ( size 16/18) and pushing 50 it was so nice to see women with bodies like mine being depicted in that way. It’s tough always being the biggest in an exercise class. I used to watch it on You Tube if I wasn’t feeling like exercising. I also have a meme featuring a larger lady on a bike - it says “ Still slow, still lapping everyone on the couch” - I like to think about that when I’m doing the worlds slowest run around the park.

Christ. People are so deliberately obtuse (or thick, can’t decide, really). Of course it’s not ‘real’, of course the tampon string is too long, of course you don’t go round with it hanging out.....THEY ARE MAKING A POINT and it’s a brilliant one, in my view. I think the whole campaign is excellent - can someone explain to me what exactly they object to in the message that physical exercise is good for you, makes you feel better and that stuff shouldn’t stop you from finding something you enjoy? That it’s ok to be crampy and sweaty and wobbly and menstruating whilst exercising?

I’m a fat old lump, but these adverts perk me up and I have started working more exercise into my daily routine, not as a direct result of the adverts but they certainly help me feel better about being a sweaty mess when I’m doing it.

Clearly no women were involved in the making of that advert. Hanging out tampon strings tug and are really uncomfortable. More realistic would be me ducking into the undergrowth and sticking a hand in my pants to tuck mine further into my fanny when out for a run.

How many young girls with no-one to ask will now think that's how you're supposed to wear a tampon, with the string coming out of your underwear?

I don’t think the use of “girl” in this scenario - specifically related to sport is problematic in itself.

Especially as men are routinely called “boys” within the sporting arena.

I LOVE the whole ethos behind the #thisgirlcan campaign. This ad isnt my favourite but the message is sound.

Why no adverts which invade men's privacy? Obviously they don't have periods, but I can't think of any ads aimed at men which are so intrusive and patronising.