As contemporary and forward - thought process as today ’s commercial and sitcoms purport to be when it come to referencing that " clock time of the month,“ not one of them is sheer enough to utilize the biologically - correct term of " menstruation . “ And while this chromatography column will most likely squick out a lot of reader , there might be just as many who will nod their head in avowal .
The Most Humiliating Purchase
You Can’t Do That on Television
The ad of feminine products was restricted to print ads ( usually in women ’s or teen - orient magazines ) until the early 1970s .
Technology Forces the Issue
The healthful mathematical product industry had been dominated more or less by two society until the early seventies . But abruptly several unlike factors machinate to sway Madison Avenue . After decade of the same sometime bulky and belted contraptions , engineering suddenly caught up and offered not only self - adhesive pads but also products of various size and shapes . Modess and Kotex found themselves competing with Stayfree , Playtex , Always and Carefree . A goodly portion of the American population comprised of girls take over during the Baby Boom was also now entering their adolescent year . These missy were product of the electronic eld and were used to sustain most of their information via telly versus powder store and newspapers . At the same time , video execs decide to loose their collar on the topic . partly inspired by the now - pass off hippy move , ( in that " the human body is a beautiful affair / let it all cling out" spirit ) , but more because there was so much money to be had in the industry , they allowed manufacturer to hawk their wares on television . One of the first famous person spokespersons in the musical style was Olympian gymnast Cathy Rigby , who promoted Stayfree pads for several year on TV and in mark ad .
The Cosby’s Get into the Act
Interestingly enough , commercials for such product werede rigueurfor many days before mainstream TV show in the end decided to tackle the subject . ( It also make some form of comment on Hollywood ’s scene of the onslaught of menstruation that when they do tackle the issue , they make it the entire nidus of the episode . Heck , other thanPeter Brady ’s cracking voice , how many show have spotlighted a young male person ’s speculation into adolescence ? ) But when it comes to girl , TV audiences are subject to such plots asCosby ’s Clair Huxtablewanting to celebrate " Women ’s Day" when Rudy comes home early from schooltime on that portentous day that every juvenile lady friend experiences . Roseannestarted off on the right metrical foot , emphasizing Darlene ’s superfluity when her Aunt Jackie greets her with a very syrupy " Hi , honey , how are you feeling?“ ( And how many of us have ring Darlene ’s humiliated response : " God , Mom did you have to say the whole world?!“ ) , but then the writers ventured off into the typical " this is something to celebrate" territory . Maybe some young lady immediately fete their sudden fusion with the lunar cycle , but my guess is that the typical 11 - class - old just wants to be left alone with a bottle of Pamprin when her " entry into womanhood" first occurs .
Married"¦ with Children’s Period Piece
Perhaps the first truly realistic portrayal of " that time" was presented on Fox’sMarried” ¦ with Children . Andit was due to this free-spoken realness ( plus the peppering of the dialogue with run-in like " period" and " menstruation" ) that the original broadcast of this episode was delay for two months after shoot while the producers battled with Fox ’s one censor . Indeed , even the form of address ( originally " A Period Piece" ) had to be changed to " The Camping Show" for meet the web . fortunately , it lastly passed selective service so that the audiences could laugh as they saw themselves in either the testy chocolate - craving too - hot - then - too frigid women or the fuddle men walking on eggshells around them .
