There’s been a bit of a brouhaha over a Summer’s Eve douche ad that suggests women would be more confident when it comes to asking for a raise if they had a fresh and clean vagina.
One writer at the DailyKos.com didn’t like the ad that appeared in Women’s Day magazine and even included a phone number so people could call Women’s Day and Summer’s Eve to complain.
The ad includes eight tips for women who want to ask for a raise and here’s number 1:
It should start with your usual routine and all the things you do to feel you best, including showering with Summer’s Eve Feminine Wash or throwing a packet of Summer’s Eve Feminine Cleansing Cloths into your bag for a quick freshness pick-me-up during the day.
Summer’s Eve has been suggesting women freshen up their private parts for years.
So why so much outrage over the ad in Women’s Day? Why? Because society is ok with ads talking about the V-word when it comes to womanly matters, but discuss it in the framework of a man’s world, aka the workplace, then you’re in trouble buddy.
There’s tons of dumb advice out there when it comes to corporate climbing and job searching. One that particularly gets under my skin is when so-called career experts suggest women get plastic surgery because, you know, men age gracefully, women age like old bags.
That kind of stuff should be talked about with outrage. You should get a raise, or a job, because you deserve it, and going under the knife, aside from being dangerous and expensive, is stupid.
So, a company suggesting you cleanse all yourself before you go in to talk to the boss seems pretty harmless to me.
The writer did get immediate action though. In the comment section of the DailyKos piece a spokeswoman for Summer’s Eve wrote:
“I would like to first of all apologize if this ad in anyway has offended anyone. We are taking immediate next steps to remove the ad from circulation. We want you to know that Fleet Laboratories and the Summer’s Eve brand have the utmost respect for women. While we understand how some may come to an alternative conclusion regarding our recent ad, that was never our intention. Thank you.”
Wouldn’t it be great if we could get that kind of timely response for things that actually keep women down?
The writer who wrote the piece in the DailyKos, dhonig, is also a cartoonist. When you go to his site the first image that comes up doesn’t seem to me to be too women-power inspiring. And if you scroll down to the end you’ll also see a cartoon of conservative journalist Michelle Malkin who he probably doesn’t like much depicted as a girl dog.
I’m for free speech my friends, and more power to him for creating these cartoons; and I’m all for being outraged when people try to undercut women, but a douche seems like a stupid target.
OK, maybe I’m a little partial here. It’s called Summer’s EVE after all.
September 3rd, 2010 at 9:29 am
I remember that old ad when it used to play on TV, and asking my mother what the heck was Summer’s Eve? When I got older and joined the feminist camp, and began reading about all women’s issues in earnest, my perspective changed. For one thing, feminine wash products (Summer’s Eve, FDS) are actually not so good for women to use. They often kill the friendly (”good”) bacteria that live in the vagina, and can cause irritation, etc. There’s nothing wrong with smelling like an actual woman. And besides, if you have people sniffing your crotch (that are not four-legged friends) you have much bigger problems. For another, the ads are pretty patronizing.
In terms of “freshen up to get confidence to ask for a raise,” well, it’s not the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard pitched at women. And I prefer that scenario to “freshen up to get a man to notice you.” I wonder if these people are also offended by deodorant ads that tell women to combat BO for more confidence.
September 3rd, 2010 at 9:33 am
Great question Kate. No one is attacking deodorant ads because they’re arm pits and everyone has an armpit.
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:09 am
There is a big ad on TV about a man’s hair coloring product and job placement. Two men are sitting on a couch, one with gray hair and one with brown hair and the interviewers are debating whether they need experience (gray hair) or energy (brown hair). The ad then goes on to state if you use the product, you would have both. Of course, the man (who by the way is the same actor - only different hair color) eventually gets the job and a not so subtle message from the female interviewer “I’ve got big plans for you”. I wonder if she uses Summer’s Eve?
Anyone offended by that one??
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:14 am
Hahahaha. I saw that ad Christina. It was pretty offensive to all gray-haired people out there. I’m thinking everyone in that ad used Summer’s Eve, or at least were douchy. (sorry, couldn’t help myself.)
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:24 am
First of all, after careful consideration, I hereby bestow upon you the title of “Best Attention-Grabbing Headline Creator, Ever.”
The thought of Summer’s Eve playing any sort of role in career advancement seems dim-witted yet harmless to me. I could not agree more with your point that there are far worse things for us to get fired up about, and yet so many do not.
Well said.
September 3rd, 2010 at 11:02 am
I just can’t imagine an ad for a comparable male personal hygiene product. Both men and women use deodorant. Both men and women use hair coloring products. Ever see an ad for “Lil’ Willie’s Male Wet Wipes”? I’ve never even seen such a product (outside the lab at the local clinic, for use before giving a specimen).
September 3rd, 2010 at 12:02 pm
We have become a society of whinny, overly sensitive people that are not only offended by everything but.. actually seem to put effort into making sure we are offended. We need to cowboy up(or cowgirl up) sorry, I didn’t mean to offend anyone.
September 3rd, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Couple of thoughts… (FYI: I doubt you have the fortitude to post this comment & logically respond to it…prove me wrong!)
Yes, the title of this STORY—It’s not an “article” because it is your interpretation of society-gender-workplace— is certainly eye-catching…& your photo selection provocative.
A “ton of dumb advice” exists for nearly anything & everything.
If the ad is “harmless” why use it as the springboard to voice your opinion on gender & the workplace, a somewhat bigger and more consequential “thesis”, no? I don’t see the correlation between taking the topic of hygiene & mixing it with beautification surgery…a bit of an extreme leap, no? Having surgery to advance in the workplace is “bad” (or in your words “outrage” & “stupidity”)…although, if you ask woman who have had it…most would probably say the surgery “boosted their confidence overall”, and possibly as a result of their new found personal confidence…they are performing better @ their job/got a promotion. Sorta like an unintended favorable consequence of my “plastic surgery…which I had for my own personal esteem & confidence” was a promotion at work! Then you could write a STORY about how society has different standards and woman are forced do everything—even dangerous & expensive surgical procedures—to make certain they are not “old bags”…heck, you might even find inspiration to write such a STORY via some “harmless” ad for pop-tarts or rental cars!
What about the positive side? Your the “career diva” (which is a “clever” word combo, yet in reality it makes no sense…do “diva’s” excel in the workplace if they exhibit “diva” like characteristics in the workplace?)…so, possibly a positive “spin” would have been to take the 20-30 yr old commercial & bring it up to “speed” w/ 2010 reality…and ask the question of “relevance” because both the circa 80’s ad & the present-day print ad are based in “assumption” that the man is the “boss”…how many woman have a boss who is “not a man” today opposed to the 80’s? How many woman have a “cyber boss” today opposed to in the 80’s? The “math” at the end would probably suggest that Fleet’s market “assumption” for relevance is becoming increasingly irrelevant. It might also serve to “anger” you towards Fleet. Instead of suggesting that their approach to selling products in today’s market is “harmless”…maybe it is harmful because they obviously possess a very “retro” mentality that subjects woman to possibly feeling lesser…it certainly casts the thought that woman should be aware—and possibly even ashamed—of their hygiene before asking for the “raise” & fix it via a Feet product. That’s not harmful? Possibly you should give some thought before “freely” writing, which brings up the topic of….
…Why state what is abundantly obvious? Making it clear that your for “free speech” just serves to “dumb” down whoever reads what you write…which is not your intent…but, don’t you think—no matter your point—that your readers (i.e. “friends”) realize your pro “free speech”? You probably should be more candid with your readers/friends…it is difficult to believe that what you personally believe to be “harmless”, is so “harmless” that it would prompt you to write a STORY that basically concludes with “I’m all for being outraged when people try to undercut woman” followed by “but a douche seems like a stupid target”—in fact that makes your point pointless, because your referring to what inspired you to write the story as “stupid”, which just in turn diminishes your valid—but also very obvious—point about woman being undercut. Lastly…if your “all for being outraged when people undercut woman” and some “people” feel that the Fleet ad “undercuts woman” and they feel a sense of “outrage”…how precisely are you “ALL” for any “outrage” ??? If you read your words—you actually sound pretty confused. Otherwise, great STORY!
September 3rd, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Nancy, Wow!
I see the Diva’s piece today had quite an affect on you. As a long time reader I generally like when Eve gets the attention she so obviously deserves — notice that her blog has recently been recognized by multiple old school commercial news outlets.
Your attempt to express your reaction to the piece with your comment was a train wreck. Before you take another whack at smarmy, sarcastic, pseudo intellectual flaming have a look at the following:
* http://www.squidoo.com/Clear-Concise
* http://www.ehow.com/how_2317380_write-clearly-concisely.html
* http://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Clearly-Ruth-Beechick/dp/0880620269
Some other suggestions would be to:
* Remove the caps-lock key from your keyboard.
* Never follow a punctuation mark with another punctuation mark.
* Drink less coffee.
* Unclench.
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Tammy, Thank you for the links. I’ve always been a bit self conscious about my writing ability, punctuation, use of grammar, etc. Any help and advice is appreciated.
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:18 pm
@Tammy thanks for the “intelligent” suggestions! I suggest you…
1) Buy “product” referenced in STORY…sorry, you hate the caps…eeekkk
2) Buy lots more of the “product” referenced in STOry…getting better w/ the caps
3) Use “product”
4) Repeat use of “product”, repeat use of “product”, REPEAT…
Then, you can try to be critical of the argument made opposed to grammar usage. It ought be a “refreshing” change for you!
@careerdiva…hum, no “bad” words used…no crude remarks…just some witty satire re: the “product”…but, go ahead & moderate this “free speech” out of the comment thread if you wish.
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Actually, I’d like to bring up another salient point entirely. As the parent of teenage boys, I’m constantly hearing the word “douche”, as in “he’s such a douche”. Does this a) make the use of douche more advisable, b) take the embarrassment out of using douche, or c)harm the status of women? Discuss.
September 3rd, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Cindy, that term has been used in the manner you descibe for more than 20 years.
September 6th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Dear Eve,
While I love your name, I find the ad offensive to women. I feel just fine talking to anyone and I’ve never placed these TOXIC chemicals into my vagina, thank you very much.
It’s one more example of attempting to have women feel insecure about their bodies and like there’s something especially “dirty” about their vaginas, which need to be cleansed before they have a friggin’ conversation with somebody! Are you kidding???
I feel women’s criticism toward their bodies is an epidemic and this is a great demonstration of capitalizing and building upon it.
With that said, we get to choose what we plug into and I would rather help women feel better about their bodies than “fight” something that feels like one more way in which companies make money by creating doubt in women about themselves. We get to decide how we want to feel about our bodies.
Great topic!
September 7th, 2010 at 11:15 am
So THIS is why I had such a hard time finding a job?! You mean, if only I would have douched they would have hired me?
Thanks, but no thanks. If someone can up their self-confidence by douching more power to her (maybe she should see her gynecologist if she’s worried about odor?). For me, a regular shower and standard cleanliness works fine.
At least Lysol isn’t marketed as a douche anymore lol
September 7th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
What horrifies me about this is that it is trying to tell women that there is something wrong with their vagina’s and that men in the workplace somehow
A: can smell their vagina
b: find it offensive
Another marketing/advertising ploy to ty and make us think that we have issues that just don’t exist to sell us a product that we definitely don’t need.