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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

I think VIPoo is a feminist issue

53 replies

CupOfTeaAndABourbon · 21/08/2017 13:16

Does everyone know what VIPoo is? here is the website. Basically, you spray it down the toilet before you do a poo, then when you flush after said poo, the toilet will smell of nice things rather than poo.

Okay.

So, me and DP had a rather heated debate about this yesterday. I think VIPoo is a feminist issue but DP doesn't. The product is clearly marketed at women- it fits in your handbag, the bottles look very flowery and feminine and all the adverts I've seen have featured female pooers.

For me, VIPoo is another example of women being encouraged not to take up too much physical or figurative space. For me, it's saying that if you do have to defy the code of femininity and carry out natural biological functions in public then you should minimise the impact of yourself and your biological functions by literally hiding the fact that your shit stinks.

DP said I'm over thinking it and looking for misogynistic conspiracies everywhere. Well, yes, I am but they are everywhere.

What do you think, wonderful feminists of MN? VIPoo is a feminist issue isn't it?

Incidentally, I think it'd make a great essay topic for students "VIPoo is a feminist issue, Discuss" Grin

OP posts:
VestalVirgin · 21/08/2017 15:00

It creates a film on top of the water before you shit to stop smells escaping and also scented just in case.

If the film isn't made of substances harmful to the environment, I might actually think this an useful product ... IF there was no scent added.

Still think it should be marketed to people whose shit smells worse than the average shit. Or just to everyone, though I am not really keen on that.

If both sexes are expected to do it, that's equality, too, but I'd rather have the kind of equality where people can just be themselves. I'm rather lazy.

Thephoneywar · 21/08/2017 15:01

@Vestal, by feminism I am referring to modern feminism. I am a Liberal Feminist and I think a lot of today's feminism has become obsessed with over analysing ever minor detail of culture to find a patriarchal cause.

My brother is a stereotypical conspiracy theoriest and sees the illuminati everywhere, not much difference really between his lot and modern feminism.

Sorry to derail. I think it's a shit product and hopefully people won't be suckered into wasting their money on it.

AfunaMbatata · 21/08/2017 15:01

You can make it at home quite easily and add your own scents or none.

potatoscowls · 21/08/2017 15:04

Agreed.

Flyingflipflop · 21/08/2017 15:05

I think it's a shit product

Yep!

What's wrong with exiting the toilet and stating 'I'd give that a minute or two to breathe!'?

MotherPeresA · 21/08/2017 21:15

Whilst it's utterly ridiculous (and there are definitely issues with men being more readily able to be open about bodily functions whilst women should be more ashamed of them) one has to understand supply and demand and the realities of bringing a new product to market.

Half the products on the market are unnecessary and most adverts prey on people's insecurities. Name me an advert that doesn't do this and I'll show you either a product that doesn't sell very well or doesn't need adverts anyway.

Absolutely none of this is a misogynist conspiracy and saying it is makes you sound like a loon. It's consumerism. I don't approve of it, but that's how it is.

dementedma · 21/08/2017 21:21

I still cant believe this is an actual product.Im convinced its some kind of social experiment to see how many people can be suckered in.

VikingVolva · 21/08/2017 21:26

It is however, neither the first of this type of product in the market, nor the only one.

LaurieFairyCake · 21/08/2017 22:08

QVC do it and have done for a while.

It's just essential oils dripped or sprayed into the toilet water so that it creates a film on the top so the shit smell stays under the water.

It's a good idea for a few reasons. The smaller places we live, the fewer bathrooms we have the more we will want it.

I could easily see myself using it for a few days a month. My crap smells and is horribly loose the first few days of my period - couple that with the iron smell and the clots honestly I could gag.

I don't agree from a feminist perspective that it should only be marketed to women but as far as useless products go they could be marketing it to everyone successfully.

In my last house with dh, dd, ds and ONE bathroom - would have come in useful, can't deny that.

I wouldn't buy it from that company because of the misogynistic advertising but I'd buy it from somewhere else.

LockedOutOfMN · 21/08/2017 22:16

What's wrong with lighting a match?

7Days · 21/08/2017 22:24

Laurie is on to something here.
It is to do with small bathrooms and maybe no windows.
I'm not sure if it is misogynistic or relecting\ exploiting misogyny.
The latter I think. Women buy home cleaning products. We want bathrooms to be pleasant and clean. We cajole our families to co operate. Daughters mostly Do, sons often don't.
Yes I know what i have said is a generalisation so no need to tell me about your individual family members who do or do not do xyz.
Point is, advertisers aren't afraid to generalise, it's their bread and butter.

QuestionableMouse · 21/08/2017 22:26

I wish everyone would use it. I hate cleaning the loos at work when someone has had a shit. It smells awful.

laughingclouds · 21/08/2017 22:32

I'm not sure whether it makes it better or worse, but there's another product virtually the same - Poo Pourri - which do a 'Men's Spearmint' scent..

Their ad is very funny, yes still aimed at women but firmly tongue in cheek and a lot more explicit. Look up: Girls Don't Poop. I think it's what this one was aiming for but missed the mark.

LoyaltyAndLobster · 21/08/2017 22:37

I think it should be aimed at anyone who poos in public toilets.

Crummyfunnymummy · 21/08/2017 22:40

Curtesy flush (one quick flush just after poo hits the water) does the job. A tip given to me by a male friend. I think some people don't want to be embarrassed by the smell of their poo, and some people just don't care. Hate that this product is marketed at women though!!! 😡 Why can't it just be marketed at people who care?! Either men or women. Grrrrrr!!!! The product is not a feminist issue but the advertising is!

wobblywonderwoman · 21/08/2017 22:41

It is ten euro a bottle here in Ireland !! That is ridiculous. Dh does care about leaving the bathroom clean. I don't think all men don't give a shit but I totally agree that the advert makes the product a feminist issue

FrogsLegs31 · 21/08/2017 22:44

I think you're drastically overthinking it.

Think about:
Periods are a natural bodily function, some people male and female think it's gross, tampons and pads are marketed to help women contain that bodily function. Are tampons and pads a feminist issue?

Anyway. Prior to VIPoo coming out we already used PooPourri in my house.
I found out about this product FROM MY BF, he had it in his flat and I asked him about it. He discovered it when he bought it for his workplace after a senior partner kept dropping bombs of doom in their only toilet.

Many men definitely care about the stink of their shit and feel anxiety about having to poo in public... or in a small flat... or in a hotel in France that we visited that had no extractor fan or window in the toilet Grin

Here is the men's 'scent'
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0108YTI28/ref=mp_s_a_1_8_a_it/259-2440846-0983624?ie=UTF8&qid=1503351303&sr=8-8&keywords=poo-pourri&tag=mumsnetforum-21

FrogsLegs31 · 21/08/2017 22:47

I now make my own. 100ml of distilled water plus 10 drops of geranium oil and 10 drops of bergamot oil.

TeiTetua · 22/08/2017 07:13

Was that meant to be "lions and granite" from the start, or have people just been reading it that way? There's a difference between a lion and a loin, you know.

deydododatdodontdeydo · 22/08/2017 08:41

The product is not a feminist issue but the advertising is!

Agreed. DH buys Glade bathroom spray and uses it because he doesn't want the bathroom to stink after he's been.
I don't bother. I don't think the fact the can has flowers on it makes it marketed at women - it's lavender, of course it's going to be purple with flowers on.
Haven't seen any adverts for it though.

AristonAndOn · 22/08/2017 08:50

I bought this for my DH as I'm sorry to say, the smell is so bad I want to be sick. I have always had to nag him to open the window, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he forgets to use it every single time. He doesn't care about the smell. Perhaps the spray is marketed for women, not for themselves, but for their smelly other halves who would never think to buy it.

CatsAreAssholes · 22/08/2017 21:27

I haven't seen the advertising I assumed the bottle was all fluffy to remind us of the old potpourri basket in people's loos.

I've got IBS and it's the bane of my existence, it means I'm scared to leave the house and cause huge stress for me when I feel I might have to use the toilet at an inconvenient time or place.

Unlike with douches or scented tampons, this will not harm my body. This is a problem both men and women struggle with. No one like poo smells they haven't invented a problem that wasn't there.

I think the sexism here is that they know men don't care if their shit stinks. I think that's the feminist issue. Why don't men give a shit if they stink out half the house?

CatsAreAssholes · 22/08/2017 21:30

Oh and agree with pp that unfortunately all cleaning products are advertised at women so it makes sense this would be as well even though it's not specially about cleaning. It's a house proud thing

LilaBard · 22/08/2017 21:39

one bathroom in my house, (male) IBS sufferer, and home carers who are in 4 times a day. Poo Pourri is a god send. But Yes, the VIPoo ads are ridiculously sexist.

VestalVirgin · 22/08/2017 22:45

Perhaps the spray is marketed for women, not for themselves, but for their smelly other halves who would never think to buy it.

Doesn't seem to be marketed that way - that would be smiling women giving it to their husbands and then being all happy and smiley when entering the bathroom after the husband used the spray.
(Coffee actually used to be marketed to women to buy for their husbands ... in a horribly sexist "buy this for your husband or he'll spank you for buying cheap shit" way.)

So, yeah, main problem is the advertising. "Buy this and solve the eternal fight you have with your male partner about his not opening the window after using the loo" would be less sexist ... it would be a lie, considering that Ariston says her DH doesn't use it, but advertisements always lie, so that'd be tolerable.