More ads for teens (see also introductory page for teenage advertising): Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins and Quest napkin powder, 1948, U.S.A.), Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins, 1953, U.S.A.), Are you in the know? (Kotex napkins and belts, 1964, U.S.A.), Freedom (1990, Germany), Kotex (1992, U.S.A.), Pursettes (1974, U.S.A.), Pursettes (1974, U.S.A.), Saba (1975, Denmark)
More ads for teens: See a Modess True or False? ad in The American Girl magazine, January 1947, and actress Carol Lynley in "How Shall I Tell My Daughter" booklet ad (1955) - Modess . . . . because ads (many dates). Freedom (1990, Germany), Kotex (1992, U.S.A.), Pursettes (1974, U.S.A.), Pursettes (1974, U.S.A.), Saba (1975, Denmark)
DIRECTORY of all topics (See also the SEARCH ENGINE, bottom of page.)
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
Some MUM site links: homepage | LIST OF ALL TOPICS | MUM address & What does MUM mean? | e-mail the museum | privacy on this site | who runs this museum?? |
Amazing women! | the art of menstruation | artists (non-menstrual) | asbestos | belts | bidets | founder bio | Bly, Nellie | MUM board | books: menstruation and menopause (and reviews) | cats | company booklets for girls (mostly) directory | contraception and religion | costumes | menstrual cups | cup usage | dispensers | douches, pain, sprays | essay directory | extraction | facts-of-life booklets for girls | famous women in menstrual hygiene ads | FAQ | founder/director biography | gynecological topics by Dr. Soucasaux | humor | huts | links | masturbation | media coverage of MUM | menarche booklets for girls and parents | miscellaneous | museum future | Norwegian menstruation exhibit | odor | olor | pad directory | patent medicine | poetry directory | products, current | puberty booklets for girls and parents | religion | Religión y menstruación | your remedies for menstrual discomfort | menstrual products safety | science | Seguridad de productos para la menstruación | shame | slapping, menstrual | sponges | synchrony | tampon directory | early tampons | teen ads directory | tour of the former museum (video) | underpants & panties directory | videos, films directory | Words and expressions about menstruation | Would you stop menstruating if you could? | What did women do about menstruation in the past? | washable pads
Leer la versión en español de los siguientes temas: Anticoncepción y religión, Breve reseña - Olor - Religión y menstruación - Seguridad de productos para la menstruación.

Patriotism in menstrual hygiene!
"Are You in the Know?" (Kotex sanitary napkins, U.S.A., May 1944)

Read the discussion of this ad's patriotism and its faces on the "and I promised Mom - " page (Kotex, May 1943) and read something about "Are You in the Know?" ads in general. And see a Candian "Are You in the Know?" ad from the same year.
Look how the male and female faces are essentially identical (see enlargements at the bottom of the page); the females differ mainly by hairdo, but are equally tall, whereas the identical boys even have identical haircuts - they are uniform, even in height, all a goal of the military. But later "Are You in the Know?" ads also often use the same faces.

The ad cleverly compares battle camouflage to menstruation camouflage. In that section we read "Then, be gay!" Times change, don't they? See a Midol ad about gay-ness - er, gaiety.

Compare to another Kotex war ad, "Are You in the Know?" (May 1943, The American Girl magazine), where the faces are virtually identical.

See blowups of two illustrations below the main ad.

Five pictures, long download! I broke the ad into three chunks to make a faster download.

 
 

See Quest powder and "As One Girl To Another," advertised above.

 

 

Compare faces and salute the flag in another Kotex menstrual pad war ad, "Are you in the know?" in May 1943, The American Girl magazine (U.S.A.)

© 1998 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute any of the work on this Web site in any manner or medium without written permission of the author. Please report suspected violations to hfinley@mum.org