Well, I was going to dress up as Cher and pose in a variety of fright wigs for your enjoyment tonight, but I can’t because I keep seeing the new Tena lady ad and it is driving me insane.
You know the one don’t you?
A visual of 3 annoyingly smug and kind of tweedy looking women painting a sleeping man’s toenails is accompanied by the voiceover; “Now I’m thirty, does that mean I should stop having fun?”
Then they’re wearing mad eyelashes and riding bicycles, and the annoying, patronising, evil voice says; “Now I’m in my thirties, should I care how I look?”
And then finally you get; ”Now I’m thirty, should I let bladder weakness get in the way of my life?”
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Ok, number 1: I’m 34, and I look (I think) and feel a whole lot younger than the ladies in this ad. (No offense ladies in the ad.) I mean seriously, women in their thirties can be stylish and funky. We’re not that ancient people. I even have my own hair and teeth. No, REALLY.
Number 2: Yes, sometimes we are silly, but if I’m honest, painting a blokes toenails isn’t really my idea of fun. Thirty does not mean we’re so decrepit we’ve regressed into our second childhood. In fact, most of us are still quite witty, intelligent and attractive!! (Though it’s ok to be childish too, because erm, I can be, quite often…cough, but just not in the cringy way this ad depicts.)
Number 3: NOT ALL THIRTY YEAR OLD WOMEN HAVE BLADDER WEAKNESS, AND IF WE DID HAVE WE ARE PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF DOING PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES. HELLOOOO!!
You all think I have bladder weakness now don’t you?
Bothered? ;D
I’ve had two kids people, so I am fine admitting that I’ve had the occassional, erm, wet sneeze, but really, can tena lady be more patronising??
Argghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
I don’t know why it’s affected me so much. Maybe it’s because as a newly single woman I watch that ad and feel like I’m being told that I’m past it.
How rude.
Not that I’m on the prowl for a new man. I’m not. I’m quite happy just being me for a while. But who knows what’s around the corner? I have a lot of life ahead of me and I’d like to think that if and when I choose to have another relationship I won’t be needing plastic sheets on the bed. Tsk.
SO what am I saying here?
I’m saying this.
Bog off Tena lady.
We’re in our 30s, not our 90s. If you write me off you’re writing off a whole bunch of other thirty somethings, forty somethings, fifty somethings, sixty somethings…
Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale, Halle Berry, Kate Winslett, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Uma Thurman, Liv Tyler, Charlize Theron, Alyssa Milano, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Denise Van Outen, Tess Daley…
I am woman, hear me roar.
I mean really.
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May 7th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
I have not seen that ad, but UGH!
“I’m 30 – should I just shoot myself in the head now?”
Seriously. WTF?!!
May 7th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
I haven’t seen that ad either, but I wouldn’t like it. argh….
May 7th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Awww geez! No-one ever told me I was over the hill! I must be ready for a walking frame if you are old at 34! LOL
May 7th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
30 is the new 20. Who loses bladder control at 30??? I mean, I’m almost 28 and sometimes I hold it till I almost leak, but that’s due to my stubborn nature, not a weakening bladder. Yeesh.
May 8th, 2009 at 12:50 am
You can paint my toenails if you’d like!! Only offering…
May 8th, 2009 at 1:50 am
Roaring right there with you!
May 8th, 2009 at 2:47 am
I’m well into my 40’s and I’ve never heard so much nonsense. 30 is so young these days, and 40 isn’t old. I’m not going to believe that 50 is so old, either. I won’t consider myself old until I’m at least 70 – my mum is in her mid 70’s and is just starting to feel her age, but then my dad is 84 and has only started to feel old in the last few years. Maybe whoever thought up these adverts still thinks we are in the 1800’s, not the 21st century.
Enjoy the rest of your 30’s and beyond.
May 8th, 2009 at 3:34 am
Oohhh Tena.
I think that advert is hilarious. Mostly because it drives lovely ladies like you bananas – not that you need any help with that
.
May 8th, 2009 at 4:18 am
You remind me of someone in that photo. I can’t for the life of me think who tho
You should complain! Apparently men of a certain age (i.e. mine!) all suffer from ‘erectile dysfunction’ if the ads are to be believed that is. Ohh the pressure!!
May 8th, 2009 at 4:47 am
Ha ha ha ha ha…ok, so at almost 35 I don’t suffer from bladder weakness. HOWEVER, you did almost make me wet myself laughing with this post. x
May 8th, 2009 at 6:17 am
‘Wet sneeze’? Still laughing. (And of course have NEVER experienced one).
May 8th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Amen!
May 8th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Angie uses Tena .. they’re in her lips
HERE the Tena ads show a woman rushing to get from her car to the loo in her house but she fumbles her bag falls the keys roll away .. and just then a portable loo drops from the sky into her garden .. does she go use it? NO. She stands there looking at it and completely forgets she needed to pee … now … I guess when the portable loo fell from the sky, she peed herself
May 8th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Yaaaaaaaaaaayyyy Jo! I have seen it and I KNOW what you mean. I am 43 (same numbers as you, really, they are!)(just not in the same order) and I do not look like, act like or have the problems these three crows, erm, ahem, ladies seem to have!
Patronising doesn’t even come close.
And no, I don’t need a plastic sheet. And I have two kids! ;0)
May 8th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I’m almost 60 and I don’t need Tena lady either! I’m with you gal!