That is NOT Okay!

It has been brought to my attention that my got-to phrase recently is "That is NOT Okay!" I can usually be heard saying it when redirecting my boys or referring to a situation that is just NOT okay - crime, discourteous drivers, or unnecessary foulness. See. They've already made me a t-shirt.

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Well, I'm going to tell you what is definitely NOT okay. Today's TV commercials!

A week or so ago, while fixing a second cup of my decaf {I know. Decaf. What's the point, right?}, I caught the chatter of a commercial in the background.

You may have heard it...
The one about a very personal and intimate issue some women experience after menopause. In case you haven't had the embarrassing and awkward experience of seeing this ad... here it is. While I realize that this is a real medical condition and it often requires the attention of a physician, do we really need another commercial about dysfunctional genitalia? I mean, are the erectile dysfunction, warts, and feminine wash commercials not enough?

First of all, the pharm industry has gone completely bonkers with their marketing. Am I the only one who thinks I have every disease they aim to treat? I certainly have all the symptoms, so I'm pretty sure I have most all incurable ailments. And their list of side-effects! Well, from the sounds of the commercial, they seem to be worse than the actual disease. 

Thank you, drug company! I don't need to ask my Dr. about your drug. You have scared me enough. {By the way - I think I acquired all the side-effects, just by watching your commercial!}

 

They have jacked these commercials all up! They are going to a whole different level by talking about all these intimate topics. As my mom would say, "is nothing sacred?" If you have issues in those departments - male or female - you need to take that up with your doctor and let them tell you about the best treatment - NOT the commercial during Days of Our Lives or Sports Center.

I miss the Stay-Free and Tampon ads of the good ol' days. You know the ones with the shot glass of blue liquid? And I thought those were offensive in my coming-of-age years. Ha! Looking back, they were quite wholesome in comparison to this.

Any who, there are so many things wrong with this ad, but I personally have issues with a couple of things. It usually runs during the hours targeting women; mid-morning on weekdays, which is fine and I get it from a marketing standpoint, but that doesn't mean impressionable and curious kids aren't home to see it! 

For real! Ya gotta love a good commercial to prompt questions during dinner such as, what is menopause and what is vaginal tissue? Or even better, Mom, do you need that?

Fortunately for me, I haven't gotten those questions yet. Yet! But I'm so sure it's only a matter of time. When they see I match the target audience advertised, sometimes they do  ask me questions or tell me I should buy something. They ARE paying attention.

So here's my other problem. I am not a prude or insensitive to women's issues. I am a woman in a house full of boys, and maybe I'm just hyper-sensitive about this stuff. Regardless, I would like to have certain aspects of life kept private or "sacred". This is going to sound all feminist-y and everything but - why is it okay to shout out female body parts in commercials, but you don't ever hear anyone say the word that starts with /p/ and ends in /eenus/. EVER. Because there are plenty of places I could put that word in male dysfunction commercials and it would make just as much sense. But No! This commercial doesn't leave any guessing for inquiring and developing minds. If that is something that women in their 50's and up {as the commercial portrays} have to face, do we really need to bring it to the attention of everyone in the family? 

I am happy there is treatment for such frustrating and unpleasant, PRIVATE issues. But in my opinion, it is just NOT okay to discuss dysfunctional genitalia and difficulty with intimacy in a flippin' commercial!

Maybe I'm old-fashioned and just getting crotchety in my old age. 

Is anyone else with me?

What are your thoughts? Have you seen it?

Stay tuned for my next post: That is NOT okay! Part 2: My letters to Justin and Miley