Have you seen the new Bodyform advert?

[Fairenuff]

Just that really. Sorry if there's already a thread.

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/bodyform-s-new-advert-breaks-period-advertising-taboos/vi-BB16hTmF?ocid=msedgdhp

Great ad.

I'm surprised the TRA's have not tried to have it dragged down yet.

The best thing for me was that in the press release for it they used the words female and women. Funnily enough though The Metro who was reporting on it said ‘people.’

Is it possible to pat a newspaper on the head? Because that's what I often find myself wanting to do to The Metro and the kids who run it. Yes, dear/s, you are truly changing the world one clumsily "woke" article at a time.

The ad is great. So tired of all the frolicking in white clothing bollocks. The only reason I've ever wanted to frolick while menstruating was because I was worried I might be pregnant and didn't want to be, and was therefore delighted to realize that I wasn't.

This made me cry (disclaimer I am pregnant so may be overly emotional!).

It's refreshing to see the pain of periods being represented in the media as it's usually not addressed. Kudos to Bodyform. Well done.

I thought that was awful.....it was like ‘women’s issues by numbers’.

I don’t find my womb or having periods traumatic. This seems to implicate everyone does

That's a fantastic ad. And the press release, which only uses woman/women and no "50 shades of gender" word salad. I may also have had a tear in my eye, courtesy of raging peri-menopause hormones.

It's great!

Unfortunately even the Bodyform press release slips into women-erasing language in places.

Despite endometriosiss* being a condition that impacts 1 in 10 women worldwide4, we found that only a quarter of people know anything about it. Of people that suffer with it, 53% feel embarrassed to discuss the pain, 53% feel their pain complaints aren’t listened to and 52% try to keep what they’re going through a secret as much as possible.

The first 'people' in this quote is reasonable, because "only a quarter of people know anything about it" could refer to both men and women.

But "Of people that suffer with it" - only WOMEN have endometriosis. Only WOMEN suffer with it.

@noblegiraffe

What was the bit where a woman is pulling a plaster off with cuts on her stomach?

That's what I looked like after my many laparoscopic surgeries for endometriosis

I don’t find my womb or having periods traumatic. This seems to implicate everyone does'

I disagree. I think it acknowledges those that do suffer trauma. And it doesn't shy away from it. It's brutal.

TRAs often ask "why do you want women to be defined by our biology?" and this advert is a perfect response to that question. It's not a matter of want - as women we are defined by our biology. You could make that exact same advert (with the first period, the sneeze, the relief/grief at realising you're not pregnant, the hot flushes) about black women in a South African township. The experiences are the same. This is what connects us, as women.

@Randomfires

I thought that was awful.....it was like ‘women’s issues by numbers’.

I don’t find my womb or having periods traumatic. This seems to implicate everyone does

In which case I'm sure you've enjoyed the many years of happy white trousered women enjoying life. Well done you.

I'll be with the lady in the advert rolling around in agony every 3 weeks, ta. Nice to finally have it acknowledged.

Another one here who opened the thread in trepidation as I've used Bodyform for years. Haven't seen the ad yet but it sounds positive.

I thought that was amazing.

That's what I looked like after my many laparoscopic surgeries for endometriosis

Thanks, Honey, that looked awful, I had no idea.

@JellySlice

Unfortunately even the Bodyform press release slips into women-erasing language in places.

Despite endometriosiss* being a condition that impacts 1 in 10 women worldwide4, we found that only a quarter of people know anything about it. Of people that suffer with it, 53% feel embarrassed to discuss the pain, 53% feel their pain complaints aren’t listened to and 52% try to keep what they’re going through a secret as much as possible.

The first 'people' in this quote is reasonable, because "only a quarter of people know anything about it" could refer to both men and women.

But "Of people that suffer with it" - only WOMEN have endometriosis. Only WOMEN suffer with it.

I did a bit of a language comparison on the press release.

Overall it's female language centric. It strays into using 'people' in places and some contexts it's more correct such as when talking about couples infertility.

Like you I noticed the endometriosis paragraph stood out as incongruous but looking at the sources listed I suspect the wording was lifted from the group endometriosis- uk.org who themselves have probably been inclusively re-educated.

I cried at the miscarriage scene, but she seemed too far gone for a dildocam... Then again mine were early ones...

Great advert.

Have just emailed to thank bodyform.

I cried! I didn't even have the sound on and I cried!

I haven't seen it, but I heaved a big sigh of relief when I opened this thread to see it was actually aimed at women.
I had a Godawful feeling they may have been reshaped to appeal to, you know, anyone who feels like wearing them 🤢
Delighted to be wrong.

I don't find having a womb traumatic. I don't mind periods either way, they're ok. I found fearing pregnancy as a teenager and infertility traumatic, conversely, I found having children to be the best thing I've ever done. Isn't the point of the advert that it shows that while we all (women) have different experiences, we all have strong experiences that are as a result of our biology. That is why it's so moving.

I'm not too bothered about Bodyform using people a few times as well as woman in their wording. It doesn't feel like invalidating women's experiences in this context. Probably because it's so focussed on women's experiences throughout.

I'm not crying, you are 😁

Loved it. Slight cry here. I have experienced almost all of the things they depict. Although my periods have been pain free mostly.

The TRAs will hate it because it's not about them. Womanhood was never anything to do with them.

Having now watched the video, I don't like it. Too much emphasis on the problems of periods, and the only joy being sex and having a baby. It's almost like that is the fulfilment, the ambition, the reward for suffering Eve's curse.

What about the periods that are just a discomfort, or manageable pain, not rolling around in agony? What about the living day-to-day life in touch with the rhythms of your female body?

And who's ever been taken by surprise by dripping blood on the floor? You'd have to be standing legs-akimbo for that to happen. Sure, I've had floor accidents, but only on super-heavy-flow days, not as a surprise 'Hello!'.

Though I appreciate that the video was diverse and non-judgemental in terms of age, sexuality, race and life-choices.

Fantastic advert. I’ve not personally suffered from crippling periods that have left me on the floor but I can still absolutely relate to this. Yep made me emotional too.

noble it's a vicious disease. The only diagnosis is via surgery so as you can imagine it's very hard to get one. Perversely I feel lucky that i have had a few (along with other attempted treatments) after over a decade of attempting to get a doctor to take me seriously and refer me.