Just the title makes me feel nauseated, now that I know what it refers to.
I was alerted to this horrifying product last week by Amy Sedgwick, aka @UterusLover (profiled here on Shameless by D. Cole). “My New Pink Button” is a “beauty product” designed to be used on the female genitals to temporarily dye the inner labia to turn them pink.
Yes, really.
From the FAQ section of the product’s website:
Q. “I used to be so “Pink” and healthy looking on my inside Labia Lip area. Now I am losing that fresh look. Is there anything I can do”?
A. Yes, now there is a solution! “My New Pink Button” is a Cosmetic Dye especially for the woman’s genital area, to help restore that healthy vibrant Rosy color. Until now there has never been a solution for restoring natural pigment. This is a concern with many women and more than you can even imagine, and a frequent question that Physicians are asked. Check out the blogs on the Internet. You are not alone! This is a common problem and we now have a simple and safe solution, restoring sexual confidence to Women everywhere!
[I want to get snarky all over the site for its random use of capital letters (Rosy colour! Women everywhere!), but that’s beside the point.]
I’m sure I don’t even have to point out the problems with this product, but I’ll throw out a few and you can have at it in comments:
• the idea that only very young-looking genitals are appealing
• the acknowledgement that pigment changes are common, but insisting it’s still a problem to be fixed
• the fact that no equivalent “problem” for men is suggested
• the racism inherent in privileging certain skin shades
• um, putting chemical dye on your labia …
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17 comments
Yeesh, that's horrifying.
Posted by Cate
January 18, 2010, 3:29 PM
OMG! That's horrible! Of all the things to have to worry about! Women are beautiful, BEAUTIFUL, just the way they are...however that might be and whatever colour your labia is!
All your points are exactly what I was going to bring up...
"• the idea that only very young-looking genitals are appealing
• the acknowledgement that pigment changes are common, but insisting it’s still a problem to be fixed
• the fact that no equivalent “problem” for men is suggested
• the racism inherent in privileging certain skin shades
• um, putting chemical dye on your labia"
I worry about anyone who actually uses this...I can't imagine what sort of side-effects could occur!
Posted by D. Cole
January 18, 2010, 3:43 PM
I saw this on the Doctors Show several months ago. I ordered it and I have to say, it actually works and no one would know any different. Its pretty natural looking. I guess its a popular item this week...
Posted by Lori
January 18, 2010, 7:44 PM
You know what's crazy too? Vajazzling. I know, it's probably way more than you wanted to know, but: http://celebrities.ninemsn.com.au/blo...
What's with this new trend? Personally I draw the line at shaving my bush into a lightning bolt shape.
Posted by Anna
January 18, 2010, 9:02 PM
I just thought of another problem I have with it: who is telling women that their labia are unacceptably-coloured? Probably their partners.
Posted by Julia
January 18, 2010, 9:57 PM
Well, it may be true that some people have partners whose main experience of women is gathered from watching porn, in which case they may have a few surprises coming to them regarding the appearance and behaviour of non-professional women in bed. But I think more likely this product wasn't devised to take care of an actual need - like most "beauty" products, it creates its own niche, then fills it. It's like that whole "tank top ready" Dove campaign that someone commented on way back when: most women had never even wondered if our armpits were "tank top ready" (whatever that means) until they started airing that commercial. I think while a naive or hurtful comment from a partner can be traumatic, most often insecurity about our bodies comes from the VERY PLACES CLAIMING TO WANT TO CURE THAT INSECURITY. Oh man, capitalism is so ironic!
Posted by Anna
January 20, 2010, 11:38 AM
Sorry, it was "sleeveless ready"; here's the original post: http://www.shamelessmag.com/blog/2007...
Posted by Anna
January 20, 2010, 2:17 PM
What if I don't like the colour of some guys penis?
Can I tell him to go dip that thing a can of pigment?
No, that would be rediculous.
Posted by Sarah
January 20, 2010, 3:45 PM
Actually the MNPB website does politely inform you it can be used for male genitalia as well. But the fact that it's marketed to women tells you a whole lot about who's more likely to feel embarrassed about their bits. I can really only imagine a guy using it because he thought it was funny or novel, like dyeing your hair or getting an ironic tattoo. But somehow "My New Pink Boner" just doesn't sound like it'll fly.
Posted by Anna
January 20, 2010, 3:52 PM
*almost spits out drink onto monitor*
Yeah, I don't think "My New Pink Boner" will make it.
Posted by Julia
January 20, 2010, 4:32 PM
HAHA! I love that.
Posted by Sarah
January 21, 2010, 3:41 PM
A very brave blogger actually tried this out and posted the ingredients (fruit juice concentrate, anyone?) if you'd like to give a read: http://iasshole.org/?p=1771
It made it on to my weird sex toys of the week list over at http://ThatToyChick.com, too!
Posted by ThatToyChick
January 22, 2010, 12 AM
OK, I'll bite. I think the main problem with this product is that it's a bad product on its own merits - it doesn't work well and the fact that it burns is just inexcusable.
"the acknowledgement that pigment changes are common, but insisting it’s still a problem to be fixed" - this is how businesses advertise just about everything, it may be a problem at large, but it doesn't speak of this product.
"the fact that no equivalent “problem” for men is suggested" - not true, men have a lot of issues about their bits, take a peek in your sp@m box if you need proof. Color might not top the list, but it's there.
"the racism inherent in privileging certain skin shades" - no more than any other makeup product. They chose a market and advertised to it. If this was made and sold in India the range and ads would reflect the most profitable market segments there.
"um, putting chemical dye on your labia" - Oh no! Chemicals! Just like the thousands of products already on the market; moisturizers, soaps, fake tans, shaving cream, on and on. I think this product has bad ingredients, but that doesn't make the general case bad.
"the idea that only very young-looking genitals are appealing" - hey, everyone's entitled to their own sense of aesthetics. Show a bunch of pictures of faces, hands or legs to people and most will agree on the few which they think are particularly nicely formed and attractive. Same is true of lady bits, and I believe it is true young looking genitals are considered more appealing.
In short, most makeup marketed to women is supposed to help them look younger, and therefore more attractive. That may be what you have a problem with, but it doesn't make the product worse than hair dye or anti-wrinkle cream. The fact that it's a shoddy product does.
There are already a lot of lipsticks on the market to suit different tastes and skin tones, well tested and won't burn...
Posted by sk
January 22, 2010, 12:16 PM
@SK -- You're right. The article should have mentioned that this is a bad product... BUT ....The main issue though is implied rather than stated here. Are we so obsessed with this very narrow beauty standard that we're ready to change parts of ourselves that only we and our partners see? What does a product like this say about the who fits ideal womanhood? Just because many of these criticisms have been made before about cosmetics doesn't make it any less shocking that cosmetics and beauty ideals are fundamentally changing an area that used to be free from the judging voice of advertisers. Such behavior on marketer's part may be common, but they can be expected to respect certain limits, or face criticism, like that voiced here. I reserve the right to be shocked and offended, even though this is becoming quite common.
Posted by Myra
January 25, 2010, 2:40 AM
"so obsessed with this very narrow beauty standard that we're ready to change parts of ourselves that only we and our partners see?" - well, that really depends on who you're dressing up for and why. If you enjoy dressing up sexy for a partner then great, nothing wrong with that.
If you're pressured by your own insecurities into doing something you don't really want to do, then you should examine that and hopefully start living a less compromised life.
Given the nature of this product I'd assume it'd be something you use because you want to feel a little prettier down there, to be a little more sexy and admired than usual, like a cute thong or lingerie set.
That's why I don't see this product as crossing a line. Saying a little lipstick on the nipples (and elsewhere :-) is cute once in awhile is not the same as saying you're expected or demanded to present yourself in a certain way.
Posted by sk
January 25, 2010, 3:51 PM
I see what you're saying, SK. I'm interpreting it as being marketed differently: not as an occasional beauty enhancer, but as a problem solver.
It's this part: Until now there has never been a solution for restoring natural pigment. This is a concern with many women ... This is a common problem and we now have a simple and safe solution ... that I can't get past.
Posted by Julia
January 26, 2010, 10:01 AM
Oh goodness!
Julia and Anna you're both absolutely on the mark-- this whole "pink button" thing is just another way of patriarchical, capitalist society imposing hurtful, and unrealistic standards on women. As an Indian girl, I am not and was never naturally "pink" down there. Therefore, when darker tone is portrayed as something that is associated with age and "degeneration" it’s a little bit insulting and very narrow. I think that many women, (ex. SK here on the board) never really stop and think about just HOW much women are scrutinized: everything from our face to the appearance of our vaginas are almost treated like objects and that are subjected to an index of codes i.e.--> softer boobs= used up and old, young body= pink etc… I’d like to see a similar culture imposed on males. I mean, like Anna says, it would be absolutely ridiculous for men to dye their penises pink, because it just doesn’t “make sense”. In our society the color of a man’s d*ck has no real significance (of course unless it’s black and then that’s a whole other race issue in itself) but in terms of “age” or “fertility” it has no real meaning. All very interesting—you know what gals? Imma write Tyra about this and ask her to do a show about this troubling issue. I’ll update ya’ll! Maybe one of you guys would be interested in helping to make this issue more public?
Posted by Leese
March 3, 2010, 12:32 AM
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