You know it’s a new world when Tampax introduces a new spokes”person” for its feminine hygiene products. Meet Zack and learn all about this 16-year-old through here.
Evidently, Zack’s world, and the world of Tampax, changed when he woke up one day with girl parts and grew an appreciation for those born with girl parts. Zack is 16. I keep thinking about this 1970s show I remember watching during a time we didn’t think much about boys waking up with girl parts – James at 16. Imagine an episode in which James wakes up one morning with girl parts. Maybe it would be better for an episode of Three’s Company (Jack or Mr. Roper?). Or James and Zack talking to mom and dad about how they always wanted girl parts.
But Zack isn’t this new marketing figure invented to discuss gender issues – he’s some new 16-year-old cutie made up to sell tampons to 16-year-old girls. Wow. We’ve come such a long way.
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2009.
Wow. This new Tampax campaign is all kinds of fascinating. I am very interested in the fact that Zack’s vagina magically appeared, yet there are no qualms about calling it a vagina and for all intents and purposes thinking of his new “girl parts” as anatomically functioning and accurate. Yet his penis has gone missing a la that “Detachable Penis” song. That’s a phenomenally effed-up conception of the body. But at the very least, this is now a fabulous example that I can use when teaching gender theory.