Feminine Hygiene Ad, 1940

Take a look. Just amazing.

Several things leap out at first glance:
• Lysol, as a feminine cleanser. "In the proper dilution", of course.
• Concept: It's not his fault you're filthy. The best thing you can do for your marriage is douse your crotch with disinfectant.
• The copy tone and themes (marital happiness, ignorance, daintiness, blame) suggests that it was written by a man.

Now, I could be wrong. Maybe a woman wrote this ad. But I doubt it. It lacks sympathy. There's no suggestion that a husband and wife might (gasp) actually talk with each other to determine the cause of bedroom problems. Not one hint to see a doctor about odors. Instead, the woman feels very alone in her troubles, not only in the visual but in the way the copy brings the reader to an answer. Not only blamed, she's isolated. What a great way to discuss health problems.

"But," you might ask, "isn't that the typical attitude towards female health issues before the sexual revolution?" Not necessarily.

Remember Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound? Probably not, unless you lived in the 1880's or read about it somewhere. Ads for this product were written by a woman. Compare the tone to the Lysol ad.

The message is empowering: Women are not alone. No fear, no blame, no threats of a failing marriage. Just reassurance and a solution from a sympathetic friend. Feminism came pretty far in the sixty years after Miss Pinkham, right? Fortunately, these things seem to be cyclic, and now we have sites like Feministing.

I wonder where women will end up in another sixty years.