Condoms, For Men Only.

Hi Saakshi,
irregular reader of your blog… Pretty good point you are making there.. But unless the advertisement for testers says something like “couples wanted to test new type of male-condoms”, it would become way too complicated to make the whole affair appear P.C. like you have mentioned..

but then, aren’t there female condoms too? or is it just that this knowledge and availability is limited to certain “open-minded” nations only?

good post!

Ha, a perfect example of what the experts call penis envy.

Uggh..Apologies..Previous Comment was crapped up (preview ain’t working)

@Arun - FYI, India got it’s

Talking of Future, Female Condoms are already being (planned?)

@sakshi - Very well written..and i could not agree more..

Also, congrats.. about your work in economic times. Very Well Done

Very well put. A woman has very much the right to choose, as the man.

Sandeep : WTF !!!

Sakshi, the ad actually doesn’t sound blatantly sexist to me. I take your point about the woman also being an interested (!) party in the use of the condom. However, it looks like the manufacturers recognize men as the primary purchasers of their product and hence it is targetted at them. It seems to be a purely marketing desicion and not a social one.

I also don’t think that they’re making an anti-gay statement. This is based only on the lines that you have quoted since I’m unable to access the link from work. Does the complete campaign anywhere make references to heterosexual couples?

Wah madam kya baat kahee…..

Couldn’t agree more with you.

Its quite upsetting to see that even in this day n age women have to shut up when it comes to sexual expressions. Men are still the ones who dictate the decisions in the bedroom.

Sad but true.

And when you complaint the condom companies of being sexist, you are forgetting the fact that they feature both the man and the woman in equal prominence in their ads, be it print or electronic.

Yeah it’s sad I can’t take part, would love to have the “a certificate that endorsed my participation and gives me the status of a good lover!”

I mean that’s what we’re all living for right? I’d frame it and display it in the middle of my living room.

I was a condom tester and they found me to be a good lover!

Maybe somebody should ask who is Durex testing the condoms on? Will the men just wear them and sit for the damn thing to fail? They gotta test “with someone”.

Link.

How can any decision be anything but social? Since when have large conglomerates stepped out of normatives and begun thinking ‘out of the REAL box’? So IdeaSmith, I don’t agree with you on that one: marketing decisions, in fact, can not afford to be anything but social.
I don’t think the question here is of penis envy either. (unless of course you were trying to be quippy Sandeep). It’s more of acknowledging the vagina. Ideally, the ad should have been: We’re out with a new condom. ‘Guys AND GIRLS, please come and sign up to get famed certificate of approval.’ That’s equality.

I think they would be in some legal soup if they invite women.

Wouldn’t that mean that Durex would have to go to a woman and say “I will pay you money if you are are prepared to have sex with some men I will bring”? Wouldn’t that make durex - a pimp?

That women get paid for a highly granular act, a condom test, and not the entire act of sex itself would be considered - just a technicality.

are you nuts or just bored?

Sakshi, I don’t think there is anything sexist about this. To my knowledge they are looking for condom testers to test condoms for men and not women.

I they were calling men to test condoms made for women then its altogether a different story.

When the manufacturer makes condoms for men they would have certain criteria in mind like size, fit etc. I really don’t see why women have to be called for it.

But if you envy that the Condom Testers would be provided with a certificate that gives them the status of a good lover then one can’t help. You have to wait for your for your turn.

Sakshi,

Easier said than done .

(With due respect to you ) Will you volunteer for the test(No Offense meant)?

Regards,
Arnie

frankly speaking i dint get wat point you wana make in this blog yours. condoms are for both sexes males and females , respectively and male condoms are more in use. If durex wants to test there product on indian males for various pursposes including size as well as allergies, which is a common problem with latex from which condom is made. I dont think the company will be providing girls for these so called volunteers to test there libido on them. this aid is more of a campaign thing rather then a serious comment on the sexual independence of todays females.
On the contrary to your view that females are not asked about the usage of condoms by males as such in indian society , yes it is true but in other way round that most guys dont use them and cause more sexualy transmitted dieseases including AIDS and unwanted pregnancies without much fault of the lady herself.
lastly female condoms are being promoted by govt. of INDIA to prevent alot of sex related problems of females. AND this tool has empowered females in some places to decide about there sexual life . and i am hopeful that one day u will see an advertisement from DUREX itself asking for female volunteers to seek work with pleasure. It will happen soon.

The ad actually doesn’t sound blatantly sexist to me. I take your point about the woman also being an interested (!) party in the use of the condom. However, it looks like the manufacturers recognize men as the primary purchasers of their product and hence it is targetted at them. It seems to be a purely marketing desicion and not a social one.

I also don’t think that they’re making an anti-gay statement. This is based only on the lines that you have quoted since I’m unable to access the link from work. Does the complete campaign anywhere make references to heterosexual couples?