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B.J. Epstein

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Tightwad

Posted: 06/09/2012 00:00

Much has been written recently about the "vaginal rejuvenation" cream launched in India. This cream supposedly tightens and rejuvenates women's genital areas, so women can "feel like virgins" again.

The company behind this product claims that the cream empowers women.

Similarly, there are various types of cosmetic vaginal surgery, which supposedly tighten the vagina (one can also increase or decrease labia size or change the clitoris, among other such intimate, "aesthetic" procedures).

In short, there seems to be a general cultural attitude that women should spend money - and potentially go through the pain of surgery - in order to make their vaginas tighter and more appealing. Whether these creams and operations actually have an effect is debatable, but what is also debatable is whether this is meant to serve men or women, and who is truly empowered by such procedures.

What would it mean to "feel like a virgin"? For many people, it would mean not quite knowing what to do and not having a particularly satisfying sexual experience. For some, it may also involve pain.

This is the state that women want to return to? That seems unlikely.

Men may make much of their desire for tightness in a woman, but is that really something women long for themselves? If sexual encounters are not adequate, why not work on improving technique or changing position rather than attempt something that is expensive, medically risky, and might not even help?

It also seems rather suspicious that the more invasive strategies for supposedly improving sex are aimed at women (sounds kind of familiar - where is the hormone-based preventive pill for men?), and are frequently performed by men. Yes, how very empowering for women.

And with all the other issues this world is facing, how can "designer vaginas" be worth spending so much time and money on? If a woman feels that her genital area doesn't look or feel right, she should see a real doctor, not a cosmetic surgeon who will just sell her false dreams in the form of operations. It may be that all a woman really needs is to see pictures of the variety of genitalia that is out there. Or it may be that she does in fact need medical intervention of some sort, but most likely it won't be in the form of a "rejuvenating cream".

Promoting cosmetic surgery and tightening creams is distinctly unethical, and just encourages women to think that there is something wrong with her and how she looks.

In short, how does spending hard-earned money on quack creams and unregulated surgeries empower women? It would be better for women to remain tightwads than to open their wallets and their legs to people who are just preying on their insecurity, insecurity that society has created and is now profiting from.

 

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Much has been written recently about the "vaginal rejuvenation" cream launched in India. This cream supposedly tightens and rejuvenates women's genital areas, so women can "feel like virgins" again. ...
Much has been written recently about the "vaginal rejuvenation" cream launched in India. This cream supposedly tightens and rejuvenates women's genital areas, so women can "feel like virgins" again. ...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Laatab
All The Worlds A Stage
05:03 on 07/09/2012
What a hoot. Whatever next!
03:35 on 07/09/2012
I hear that when opened the tube plays an old Madonna song.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Handyman 123
23:10 on 06/09/2012
Is this world really going Crazy. I know we are label obsessed, but designer Vagina's
My wife say's she doesn't need this cream as hers (censored) is tight enough. I think she's referring to me!

I wonder if they will get Madonna to do a Marketing song for this product.
20:38 on 06/09/2012
"What would it mean to "feel like a virgin"? For many people, it would mean not quite knowing what to do and not having a particularly satisfying sexual experience. For some, it may also involve pain."

Are you really this stupid? It's a euphemism for feeling tight again and nothing else.

And obviously this will be for women rather than men because it's virtually impossible to make men bigger and easy to make women smaller.

As to whether it works or is just pandering to pointless worries, or even trying to create worries to stimulate demand I predict that a great many people will do it because we are such suckers for good avdertising and this ticks all the boxes.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Yorkshire common sense
Nah then!
19:58 on 06/09/2012
I though "tightwad" was a euphamism...oops.
19:39 on 06/09/2012
Agree with all this, but just to speak for a moment about the myth and the fantasy of virginity, I do think it's a mischaracterisation to say this is purely a male fantasy (though it does so often manifest as a toxic motif in a lot of patriarchal and misogynist thinking). The idea of the pure virgin is deeply embedded in pretty much all human cultures.

I don't believe that the 'deflowering the pure virgin' trope is a fantasy that only men entertain, some women do find it very arousing. Just thought that ought to be mentioned, as the article would suggest only men find it arousing, so women undergo these procedures purely to please them. There's an insidious and pervasive element to it I think that the article misses, and it's helpful to be aware of when considering this phenomenon.
This comment has been removed.
14:43 on 06/09/2012
"since the female author didnt really understand the concept or male perspective, let me put it in terms of shoes."

well, let me put it in terms of foot size
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Darlene1964
16:12 on 06/09/2012
Maybe men should get bigger "feet"
14:40 on 06/09/2012
well, let me put it in terms of foot size...
14:03 on 06/09/2012
since the female author didnt really understand the concept or male perspective, let me put it in terms of shoes.
when you bu a new pair they look so good and feel so comfortable. after many many times worn they dont quite feel as good. thats the time to see a cobler or buy a new pair of shoes
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Laatab
All The Worlds A Stage
04:55 on 07/09/2012
Strangley my experience of shoes is exactly the opposite as long as they remain in one piece.