Kotex, Consumerism, and Racial Ambiguity

A few years ago, Kotex started advertising their new tampons with a bold statement. Unlike most tampon commercials, which feature women strutting around looking happy, comfortable, and carefree, this commercial gets straight to the point when a woman glides through flowing white curtains and declares, “Hi. I’m a believably attractive 18-24 year old female. You can relate to me because I’m racially ambiguous.”

As seen in our recent readings, our fascination with racial ambiguity has been presented in pop culture for decades. In Pinky, Jeanne Craine is a white actress playing a black woman. In Mexican Spitfire Lupe Vélez plays a Mexican woman, while in Hollywood Party she assumes the role of a white woman. In these film roles, the actresses tap into our national racial insecurity. In a white-centric nation where our culture has become more and more diverse, white assimilation is common and expected. In these films, actresses are either forced to pass as white, or express the “otherness” inside them. Moving forward in history, this tampon commercial exemplifies a new norm. In our modern and diverse society, we now identify with someone who is “racially ambiguous.” However, this can also be seen as another form of white assimilation. Although the woman in the commercial is racially neutral, she is essentially white.

Perhaps the most jarring comparison can be found between this commercial and Linda’s “I enjoy being a girl” dance in Flower Drum Song. In both instances, a female is strutting around a completely white scene selling something. Lisa is selling herself as a racially assimilated girl, and the girl in the commercial is selling tampons. In both instances, the women in front of the camera is appealing to middle class consumerism, and illustrating that whiteness is important.