This popped up on my Pandora page, and I couldn’t help but be distracted by it.  Playtex’s current ad campaign is based on the idea that “every woman’s body is different,” and at first glance it’s a pretty standard tampon ad. Lots of pink and girly girls – note the skirts and long hair. But if you look at this ad, you’ll see that two out of the three female figures depicted here are almost identical, just posed differently. The woman in the middle and the one on the right are both very slim. They are ideal according to the “thin is in” mentality glorified in the media, but in all likelihood quite a bit smaller than the average American woman. The woman on the left is the only who looks “different,” as her silhouette is significantly more curvy than the others featured in the ad. (I’ll be using “curvy” as a very relative term – obviously, the “curvy” woman here is really pretty average, but she’s rather curvy in comparison to the other women in the ad.)

This is a tampon ad, and obviously a woman’s physical appearance has nothing to do with what type of tampon is right for her. But because it presents a picture of female silhouettes, in which we can see only the superficial outlines of three bodies, the focus of this ad becomes female body size and shape.

Each female figure in the ad is paired with an adjective. The curvier woman is described as “empowered,” while the other two women are “chill” and “bubbly,” respectively. This ad is supposed to be about “different” body types, and yet the female figures we see are characterized using adjectives that describe their personalities. What does a woman’s body type have to do with her personality? The prominent placement of these adjectives directly above the women’s heads presents this strange connection between physical appearance and personality as obvious and simple.

What really got me thinking was the fact that the ad’s token curvy girl is described as “empowered.” This isn’t a negative adjective. In fact, I would be flattered if someone used it to describe me. But “empowered” is very different from “chill” and “bubbly.” “Chill” and “bubbly” are adjectives that sound fun and friendly. They make the thinner girls seem like they’d be fun to hang out with (if they weren’t cartoons). “Empowered,” on the other hand, is more a state of mind or state of being. While it might be a positive description, it says nothing about whether this woman is friendly, or if she would be fun to hang out with. “Chill” and “bubbly” are light, casual words. But “empowered” carries more weight. And this ad is all about fun, pink girliness. So what makes the curvy woman so different? Why didn’t she get a fun adjective? Is this curvy girl “empowered” because she is confident despite the fact that movies, magazines and the internet tell her she should be different?

Maybe Playtex’s intent here was to celebrate all body types, and say that curvier women should feel empowered, because they’re beautiful. But if that’s the case, then why doesn’t the ad actually feature a range of body types? What I see here are two skinny girls and one “alternative” body type. This ad says that curvy is ok, too, but skinny wins out two to one. If that’s not the case, then why create this skinny vs. curvy dynamic, with one clear outsider? It’s just too coincidental that the one different-looking girl was assigned the unusual adjective.

Finally, the point of the ad is to promote three sponsored Pandora stations that listeners can choose from. You are supposed to drag one image/word combination to the box to play the station. The image and word cannot be separated. So, potential listeners are not choosing a body type or an adjective, they’re choosing a body type and an adjective together.

What does that say to women who identify as curvy and bubbly? Or skinny women who would rather be empowered than chill?

Obviously Playtex could never design an ad that would really include all body types, because they’re right, every woman’s body is different. But this is a product designed for and marketed to women. The very least they could do is treat us as intelligent, individual consumers and stop equating outer appearance with inner attributes. That might make me interested in their product.

So many questions. SO MANY.

Why does this video even exist?
Why would a human being ever attempt this?
Is there a sanitary napkins prequel?
Has this man ever had sex?

Just kidding. That’s the one thing I know.

[You don't need to understand French to know how weird this whole thing is....]

No, they’re not tubes of chapstick or popsicles.  Those, ladies, are grown men dressed as tampons.  The French division of Tampax decided this was the best marketing strategy to take when pitching you their product.  Huh?  Put aside the fact that there’s a gross string hanging out the bottom of the costumes (I guess it all really is in the details), and ask what wildly misguided life choices these gentlemen made that landed them dressed as feminine hygiene products on French television and the Internet?

How are these men listing this gig on their resume?  Do they get more or less random weekend action since this campaign took off?  Would you hook up with a tampon?  And this maybe asking the obvious, but why are most of the tampons men?  Doesn’t that make the already-creepy infinitely creepier?

Le sigh.

Is this normal and healthy or is it adding unnecessary strain to a relationship?

Is there such thing as knowing (or asking) too much?

We here at College Candy think that making what you feel or want known is one of the most important things in a relationship but we want to know what you think!

Should you ever ask the following questions to your significant other?

Is it OK to ask your guy…

• …to buy tampons for you?

• …to help you pay for birth control?

• …out on a date?

• …to skip a night with the guys?

• …to change his hair, clothes or style?

Running to the bathroom every five minutes while trying to wait on customers is not an easy task. For those who have not had one before, you are very lucky.

Until you have had one, you cannot truly understand the discomfort and annoyance that comes along with one.

Well, after that horrific experience, I take preventive measures to make sure that one never plagues me again. Luckily, Glamour magazine recently published an article titled the “UTI Fixes No One Ever Tells You About.”

The tips go beyond the commonly known things like peeing after sex, drinking cranberry juice, and wiping front to back (gross, I know, sorry) to show that there is actually more that you can do.

1. Choose the Right Condom: “Research has found that using ones with spermicide increases UTI risk.” So, make sure you and your boy are always using non-spermicide condoms.

2. Don’t Wait All Day to Pee: “Holding it in gives infectious bacteria more time to grow in the urine.” Take frequent bathroom breaks, no matter where you are.

3. Change Tampons Frequently: “When left in longer than three hours, tampons can become breeding grounds for bacteria that may find their way into the urethra as you move around or when you wipe.” I think that’s pretty explanatory…Make sure you are changing your tampon frequently for this, and a number of other reasons, like toxic shock syndrome.

4. Don’t Hover: “Squatting over the toilet, which a lot of women do when using public restrooms, deson’t allow your pelvic muscles to relax and fully empty your bladder.” Quit popping a squat in public restrooms…seriously. Put toilet paper down or something on the seat if you are scared of dirty bacteria. And plus, did you know your cellphone is probably dirtier than a public toilet?

5. Try a New Trick in Bed: “Frequent sex in the same position causes friction on the urethra, making you more susceptible to UTIs.” Okay, this one shouldn’t be so hard for most girls, and maybe even a little fun. Who doesn’t love another excuse to spice things up in the bedroom?

So, as you see from these five tips, there is more that you can do daily to prevent UTIs. And some of it isn’t actually too bad. I know I will use these tips to stay UTI free for as along as possible!