Awkward Advertising

listening to the clip "marketing the unpleasant" was extremely fascinating because it really brought into focus how much more difficult it is to successfully advertise tampons than it is to advertise shampoo. There are some things that are completely natural, yet we still avoid the topic at all costs because it makes us uncomfortable. The reason why certain body parts and bodily fluids are more embarassing than others is hard to explain. I think this segment made me realise that just because something is familiar, does not mean it is not awkward. The man said that females are six times more embarassed to watch a tampon or sanitary napkin commercial than males are. But it goes the other way too. In grade six health class I know for a fact that the boys were mortified when the cartoon character got an erection, while the girls either laughed or just sat there enjoying the fact that they did not have to be embarassed because it would never happen to them. I would rather talk about prostate cancer than cervical cancer. Boys don't want to talk about testicular cancer, but they will talk about breast cancer. Exposing private problems of the opposite gender is just so much easier But what if there is an issue that affects both genders, like bowel and urinary incontinence. We are all embarassed by that. Nobody talks about excretion in everyday conversation. People don't want to talk about things that are kind of gross, especially when they are personal. We all know that everyone urinates. We all know that everyone sneezes. But what is more embarassing, to be walking down the street and and spontaneously urinate, or to be walking down the street and spontaneously sneeze?