When I first came across the brand THINX, I was in love. A pair of underpants (yes, “underpants” because “panties” is a foul word) strictly for when you have your period? Uhh … BRILLIANT. 

Nothing is more irritating in life then ruining a good pair of underpants during that time of the month, am I right? Leak protection my ass, tampon/pad brands, leak protection MY ASS. 

So you can understand my frustration when reading an article about how one of THINX’s ads on the New York City subway system were “offending” people and deemed “inappropriate.” 

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about where the line in the sand would be drawn for “shock value.” Clearly it isn’t Miley Cyrus spouting out her love for drugs every time a camera is in her face. And obviously it isn’t a bloody, murderous four-way on American Horror Story (and that wasn’t even the most shocking part). But an ad with the words, “shedding of the uterine lining,” which, PS, is medical terminology, well, by golly, SHUT IT DOWN. AVERT YOUR EYES. LOCK YOUR KIDS IN THEIR ROOMS. Men are fainting. Women are gasping. Holy shit it is 1950 again! 

Good God. 

Here’s the thing. You want to “free the nipple” and have your rights to go full frontal on Instagram (which, quite frankly, I will never understand). Yet these ads from THINX are deemed to have “too much skin,” and may lead to kids asking their parents what “periods” are. Heavens!

Kids SHOULD know what periods are. With the hormones, and the pollution, and the nonsense, girls are getting their periods at like birth now. They should know what’s up sooner so they aren’t that asshole in math class bleeding all over their chair leading them to get made fun of for the rest of time. 

I’m not trying to preach how to parent, because God knows I have zero experience, but it’s not like you’re teaching them where the P goes in the V and how to put said P in V successfully (see, I’m a toddler). You’re teaching them about the human body, and a bodily function all women, unfortunately, suffer through. It shouldn’t be something cringeworthy. It should be more like getting inducted into a sisterhood, a horrible, horrible, rage-filled sisterhood. 

In the world we live in today, there are no boundaries. And for some folks to get offended by this advertisement (which, I’m going to assume, were mostly men … and if not I’m even more insulted), is not only incredibly sexist, but shameful. We can have commercials run during all hours of the day spouting out medical information for dudes who can’t get it up, yet we can’t talk about periods on a subway ad …  understood. 

Because guess what world? Once a month, my uterus DOES indeed shed its lining, which then comes out of my vagina and on to an absorbent something or other so I can stay so fresh and so clean clean during this heinous event we (women) have to endure to carry your babies. And if a company like THINX wants to create a product that makes that time of the month just a little more tolerable and decides to represent my uterine lining in a creative and interesting way … then amen. 

Good advertising is eye-catching, different, and sometimes controversial. I applaud this campaign since clearly, after centuries of women bleeding from their vaginas, people (men) still get skeeved out by them. Sigh. 

Well done, THINX, well done.