Ok, I can see not wanting to use the word 'vagina' in a commercial, but there are much better was to say it versus 'down there'.

How about 'feminine itching'? And who the hell lets an infection get so bad everyone can smell it?!?!

Ok, well sometimes it can feel like a porcupine is down there, but that just means I haven't shaved. I'm not so much offended by the animal imagery, because at least it's not as tacky as a diagram, and But srsly, there are better words than "down there." It's a vagina. Vagina vagina. The tampon commercials call it a period, not "that time of the month." Why can't vagisil use the root word of their product name?

Imagine a male equivalent for jock itch. Haha. "Down there." BALLS.

If you honestly feel THAT BAD and stank like a Skunk, you don't need Vagisil, you need to see a GYN.

I saw this commercial & it made me laugh for all the wrong reasons. It reminded me of the episode of Family Guy when Lois is reminiscing about Brian's favorite commercial--a Vagisil-like ad.

I am allergic to Vagisil. That is not a cool thing to find out.

Sounds pretty damn nasty all right.

When it's itching "down there," I don't really care what it smells like, cause it's fucking itching in my vagina. Is there anything worse than an itchy vagina? Seriously, it sucks, and if anybody else thinks it smells bad, maybe they should try having an itchy vagina and see how much they care then. (An itchy anus isn't much fun either, and never ever Google that shit. You see that one of the possible causes is a worm. Bad dreams for weeks.)

And word to Taisa-Marie. You can go to a doctor, or just get some Monistat and fix that shit these days. I don't think Vagisil would fix it anyway.

How about 'feminine itching'? And who the hell lets an infection get so bad everyone can smell it?!?!

"Feminine" has to be my least favourite euphemism for "vaginal". No contest. Bar none. Yuck.

And why is it that we're the only ones who have the dubious honour of our genital issues being dripped and splattered amongst the toothpaste ads? The only commercials they have about guys' penises are about getting laid. How about some ads for crotch rot remedies or scrotal itching?

Hell, I'd almost pay for a commercial set in a sports bar or lockerroom someplace with a couple of guys sitting around talking about how they suffer from "gentlemanly itching and odour."

GUY 1: Hey, guys, this is kinda embarrassing, but have you ever had a problem with...

GUY 2 (interrupts): Ball stank? Dude, we know. We could smell you from across the gym.

GUY 3 (faces the camera, smiling vacantly, the consummate product placement drone): Hey, lay off him. A few months ago, I, too, had problems with that down there, until I found Scrotasil. Other products for gentlemanly stench take up to 36 hours to work, but new Scrotasil got me sorted within one hour of applying it!

GUY 1: Guess I'm gonna have to go get some Scrotasil, then!

And they all share a manly laugh.

As long as we have to put up with this commercial crap in the middle of our programming, why not make sure everyone is equally disgusted and uncomfortable?

Thanks Stacy :)

And just another thought, if it is that bad that you relate the smell to that of a skunk and fear other people smelling it, you've really let it go so long you need to see a doctor, not an over-the-counter cure-all.

Still, 'down there' can mean anything... all those metaphors could also be used to describe athletes foot!

*dies*

Thank you Elise, that was GREAT! Seriously :)

I know 'feminine ithching' isn't the best, but it sure is more specific than 'down there'. I don't think they are going to start using 'vagina' in their commercials though.

Although thinking about it, doesn't KY use the phrase 'vaginal dryness' in their commercials?

Elise, you have just totally made my day!

You don't even deserve to have "vag" in your name

LOLz.

No luck searching YouTube. I guess 13 year old boys don't tend to upload that sort of thing.
BTW, I'd read that a peeled garlic clove can cure a yeast infection better than pretty much anything you can find OTC. I tried it last time I had one and it worked. You insert it of course. Wash it first.
It'll get your "down there" pretty stinky but who the hell cares as long as it helps you feel better.
And more on the "down there" infantilization issue: you ever see those "male enhancement" commercials that promise to increase "that certain part of the male body?" They're on cable, late-night, and they can't even say the word "penis." How goofy is that? Is the FCC to blame for making "vagina" and "penis" dirty words?

I was watching some DVDs of Grey's Anatomy earlier, and one of the doctors says "va-jay-jay" (although she is giving birth at the time). Do they ever say "vagina" on network TV?

I've seen this ad. I found it about as offensive as that "upgrade" tampon ad where the woman upgrades her boyfriend for someone better groomed and more stylish with a bigger bouquet of flowers.

I feel rather silly asking this, but how do you get the garlic out, happy_bunny? I don't think I'd be able to do it, and then I'd have to get someone else to reach up in there and dig around for it. Would it work as well if I made a tiny mesh vagina-sized garlic bag with a little string like on a tampon? Luckily, I've never had a yeast infection, and hopefully, I remain fortunate, but I'm pretty young.

I've heard of the garlic thing too, my doctor suggested it after I had kidney stones and a three month long kidney infection. Three months of antibiotics makes yeast grow in monster overtime. I told her I'd just keep drinking the liquid acidophilus which was doing the job (just tasted like sour yogurt, bleh).

*An itchy anus isn't much fun either, and never ever Google that shit. You see that one of the possible causes is a worm. Bad dreams for weeks.
I saw that on Oprah when she had that creepy doctor that's not Phil on. What's horrible is the way to find out if you have the worms--sticking a piece of tape over your anus & going to sleep. I couldn't sleep like that!
*Prairielily: I heard that you're supposed to stick the garlic in a piece of cheesecloth & tie a string to that.

Thank you, Moxie! That makes so much sense. (And does essentially make it a "tiny mesh vagina-sized garlic bag with a little string like on a tampon.")

Often when I'm walking around town, I can smell skunks. I realize now, from watching the Vagisil ad, that it was actually my own cootch being stinky.

You hear the word crevix said a lot on television, but hardly ever penis or vagina.

Yeah, if we smell bad down there, we usually just let it rot. I have never heard a guy say "Gee, does my groin stink?" Of course if a guy did say something about the smell of his groin every straight men would stay away from him for months.

personally I have never bought a "masculine" product, except anti-fugal ointments that were actually marketed for athletes food (we know it works for jock itch as well).

However very rarely will you hear a man use the word "penis." Instead they use crude words like Dick, and Cock, which are actually heard often on cable TV shows. Pussy the word appears to be gaining popularity on cable TV shows as well.

I'm looking forward to the day when they call Vagisil pussy cream in an advertisement. Which word do feminist prefer; pussy or vagina? When I talk always use the word pussy to describe the organ between a woman's leg, because it sounds less emotionally detached than vagina. But when I write I always use vagina, because it looks more polite on paper.

couldn't find the one you're talking about but check out this vagisil commercial.

prairielily: you are indeed very fortunate to have never had a yeast infection. You must eat a lot of yogurt or have never needed a lengthy course of antibiotics.
As far as getting the garlic out I reached right in there and scooped it out with my finger. I keep my nails short.
If you want to rig up something with a string I guess you could make a pouch out of sterile gauze. I'd chop or crush the garlic before putting it in the pouch though so the garlic juice can be released to work its magic.
Whatever you put in your vagina make sure it's clean and wash your hands first or you could make matters worse.

"Which word do feminist prefer; pussy or vagina? When I talk always use the word pussy to describe the organ between a woman's leg, because it sounds less emotionally detached than vagina"

i prefer "vagina" -- didn't know vaginas are organs. i want to donate mine when i die then

I never had a yeast infection before, but thenI got sick & was prescribed Amoxycillin. Between that & the horrible allergic reaction I had the second time he prescribed it, amoxycillin is the worst medication I've ever had.

Taisa-Marie: I think they used to say "vaginal dryness" but now for some reason they say "personal dryness." They don't want the kiddies asking what a "vagina" is, I guess.
libber: the vagina's an organ. It's an internal organ. Like the uterus. The whole kit-n-kaboodle between the legs is the vulva. People always get those confused.
I once heard a female comedian talk about a woman she knows getting a tattoo "on her vagina." Now that sounds serious.
Where did your "pussy or vagina" quote come from, by the way?

I haven't had a yeast infection in years, but I had them pretty frequently when I was a teenager. I guess the only worse thing than having an itchy vagina is being 14 and telling your mom that you have an itchy vagina.

I remember *hating* those adds that talked about "burning external itch" because when I had the yeast infection, I would have paid money for an *external* itch. At least you can scratch those.

No matter what, I never get yeast infections unless I'm being sexually active, at which point I get them constantly. I think it's some kind of reaction to latex, because when I switched to non-latex condoms, the trouble died down considerably. Not that anybody wanted to know that.

You hear the word crevix said a lot on television, but hardly ever penis or vagina.

I hate that! In the very first episode of Friends, Ross goes with his ex-wife to the OB-GYN, and starts playing with the speculum while the doctor's out of the room, at which point his ex cuts him dead by saying "The doctor uses that open my cervix."

Which is bullshit! You know what opens your cervix? Giving birth opens your cervix! A doctor opening your cervix without any painkiller would cause you agony! That's what the contractions are! A way of pulling open your cervix! The doctor uses a speculum to open up your vagina.

And then, of course, Ross is skeeved out and drops the speculum, which again makes no sense, as this is his ex-wife, and surely he has put things in her vagina during their time together.

Itazura, I personally prefer cunt, but it depends on the context, and I know many women disagree. I'll use cunt to meet vulva or vagina in an informal context. In a more formal context, I tend to use whatever anatomical word I mean, labia or vagina or vulva or whatever.

Never use Vagisil or Monistat or any of that shit. It's bad for you. Garlic works and so does plain yoghurt. Just lie down, raise your legs and spoon some into your vagina. Seriously. It works, plus the coolness of the yoghurt is quite refreshing for the itch and it also has the benefit of not smelling like garlic. Then just wear a pad for the dripping when you stand up, though not as much drips out as you might imagine.

Men often call their dicks their organs in the presence of women, so I thought organ was a good word to use to describe the vagina. Organ just means body part right?

OK, is it disrespectful to use the word pussy when describing a vagina in open speech?

How about the words cunt or beaver. Is it safe to say those are definitely disrespectful. I have always thought beaver sounded cute, but I have never said the word around women, till now.

Please know that I am not trying to be rude or sexist, I just really want to know, so that I won't offend anyone.

happy-bunny: "I once heard a female comedian talk about a woman she knows getting a tattoo "on her vagina." Now that sounds serious.
Where did your "pussy or vagina" quote come from, by the way?"

The qoute came from Itazura at 1:38 AM. That does sound serious.

A beaver is a rodent. My vagina is not.

Yoghurt never worked for me, and getting it in was a real pain in the...cunt, I guess. I'd read and been told about "spooning" it in, but unless you're very flexible and you have a vagina that gapes open, or some kind of funnel, or I guess a teeny tiny spoon, it's a lot easier said than done. I ended up with yoghurt all over the damn bed and all over my thighs and all over the area between my legs and all over my ass, and that was with my then-boyfriend helping (since it's sex that triggers my yeast infections, I do all that I can to make sure my partners fully understand how nasty the whole experience is; this is one of the many things that makes me a Bad Girlfriend).

Since when I get them, I get them bad, and they don't go away, I just go straight to my doctor, and she either gives me a prescription-strength version of the over the counter stuff, or, if there's a reason I don't want to put up with three to five nights of inserting cream, like, oh, I'm flying to London to visit a fellow in two days, she gives me Diflucan, which is a pink pill which usually takes care of everything in one shot. Be warned though. It is vitally important to take Diflucan on a full stomach. Nobody told me that the first time, and I spent a weekend sick in bed. No fun.

Sorry EG I didn't see your comment.

I never liked the word cunt, because I thought it sounded too much like cut, and I don't want to go near something that cuts. Cunt is more often used by men as a derogatory term for the entire woman. However beaver is only used to described the vagina, and most of the men I know love that term. Which is strange, because most of them say they want their women to shave down there (and whenever they watch porn, they will often complain if the women are not shaved).

I read that you can also insert yogurt using the little pushy-thing that comes with some yeast infection kits. Sorry, I can't think of a proper descriptive word.

Different things work for different people but I would definately suggest all women try home remedies first if only to save some cents.

EG: "I personally prefer cunt, but it depends on the context, and I know many women disagree. I'll use cunt to meet vulva or vagina in an informal context. In a more formal context, I tend to use whatever anatomical word I mean, labia or vagina or vulva or whatever"

so is blogging a more formal context? since u used only "vagina" not "cunt"

In general, Itazura, I think it's best for a man to err on the side of formality when talking about female genitalia. I like to use "cunt," because I think it's a good word, but I have a certain...subject position that you don't, because I have one, and I'm usually using it in contexts that make it clear that I'm not using it as an insult or a term of disdain. I wouldn't want a man using "cunt" around me unless he had an intimate relation with mine, and was thus referring to mine, just because the history of the word makes it sound a bit less like a reclamation when it's coming from a man.

On the other hand, I really, really hate the word "pussy," no matter who's using it. There's something so...soft and helpless sounding about it. Also, I don't like the double s sound. Whereas cunt sounds sort of hard and tough.

I think your best bet when talking to women you don't know intimately is to err on the side of formality: vagina, vulva, labia, clitoris, etc.

It's not 1:38 where I am at.

Beavers are not rodents. But they are the national animal of Canada, and Oregon is the beaver state. Beavers make a huge beneficial contributions to the environment, and everybody loves beavers.

Libber: well, I'll also use "vagina" when I want to be specific that I mean the actual vagina rather than the vulva in general. But it kind of depends on my mood and the tone I'm going for in the post!

definitely not "beaver" -- I hate that word (unless it's used to describe the animal). I don't like "cunt" either, but i'll sometimes use for special effects.

OK EG I promise to always use the word vagina around women, because I won't be intimate with any other woman other than my wife, most likely, ever again.

If I'm being coy and non-organ-specific, I'll call it my "area." Maybe my "elbow."

Hey Itazura, I do appreciate your desire to do good, but I'm not the boss of you! I was just passing on my opinion and advice, not handing down an official party line or anything.

Yeah but you're the one who sets the standard I would like to follow. After the debacle last night you're the last person (woman or man) I ever want to cross again.

Itazura: I love beavers too but I don't like "beaver" when used to denote my vagina

...and speaking of skunks and pussies, lookit this: http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2007/02/he_only_has_a_v.html

I still think beaver sounds cute, but I will only use the term within the confines of fictional stories or essays that I write. I have never heard a man use the term beaver in an attempt to be derogatory.