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Comment on Women's razor ads use bare legs but cleaning products don't use clean floors.

Body hair is stigmatised, but bodies in general are not; bodily functions are taboo which is not the same thing.

In modern Western society people don’t really think that women are “unclean” for having their period, no more than they think anyone is a bad person for pooping. (Notably this has not been true in all times and cultures). But talking about periods and shitting is nevertheless taboo and not considered polite. I think it’s an important distinction to realise, because you can try to push back against stigma, but pushing back against taboo is harder (and often pointless).

Speaking for myself I no more want to see actual uterine lining in an advert than I want to see an actual turd - they’re both fairly gross. Advertisers generally want to associate their products with positive feelings, not disgust.

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chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I’d never even thought of this before. Can you explain the difference between taboo and stigmatized? I thought you generally risk being stigmatized any time you break a taboo.

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- FishFace@piefed.social ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  I don’t think I’m using technical terminology, so I’m just explaining how I see two different concepts.
  
  The important difference I’m getting it is that taboo things can have a “proper place” - pooping in the toilet is fine, doing it in the woods is not. You can expect stigma if you violate the taboo by pooping on the woods, but doing do in the right place is fine!
  
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  - SlurpingPus@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
    
    doing it in the woods is not
    
    I keep wondering if Westerners lug a porta-potty with them when they go camping.
    
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  - chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Ahhh so you would say some sexual fetishes are stigmatized rather than taboo? Like if someone walked in on a person doing various sexual acts, the situation would be embarrassing regardless but only certain things would be scandalous.
    
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    FishFace@piefed.social ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Yes, I’d after with that
    
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ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml ⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
So it should be fine to hang dong, as long as it’s shaved 🤔

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- FishFace@piefed.social ⁨18⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Dong is also taboo, so it’s not “fine”, but also not disgusting, same with pussy.
  
  Like, there’s a reason why Western societies don’t approve of people just wandering the streets naked. It’s not because anyone thinks there’s something inherently wrong with being naked - pretty much everyone is naked at some point after all. Just that there are certain situations where it’s not considered appropriate.
  
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  - possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    I think most situations it isn’t appropriate
    
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