Tampax Facing Boycotts After Controversial Sponsorship Choice
Tampax made the decision to sponsor two trans female TikTok influencers and then purportedly posted a tweet that was overtly sexual in nature, both actions served to fuel a Tampax boycott.
A Tampax boycott is spreading virally on social media. The hygiene company is facing backlash after posting a controversial tweet that large swaths of individuals feel demoralizes and degrades women. Monday’s tweet comes after controversy was initially sparked following Tampax’s announcement that it would sponsor two trans women TikTok influencers.
Twitter users are using the hashtag #boycotttampax to voice their disappointment in and disdain for the company in response to both its sponsorship decision and the contentious tweet.
The individual that handles Tampax’s social media clearly did not think before posting this tweet. Or, perhaps they did with the intention to further gaslight the very Tampax boycott that is occurring right now. I’m not sure which is worse.
Regardless of the intent, those three sentences are clearly littered with innuendoes that can be easily construed as offensive. As a woman, I can directly attest to that. The phrase “We’re in them” is overtly and unmistakably sexual in nature, especially when put in context with a tampon’s applicability. And judging by the popularity of the Tampax boycott hashtag the sentiment is being shared by countless other individuals.
However, some chose to respond to the purportedly offensive tweet with apathy or humor instead of an all-out Tampax boycott. One user remarked that it was so “peak 2022.”
Another posted a gif that perfectly encapsulated an, “I could care a less” attitude.
Simultaneously, others are using the same hashtag to vocalize their opinions about Tampax’s decision to sponsor two trans TikTok influencers that were biologically born male. This decision is purportedly the original inciting incident that fueled the current Tampax boycott.
Regardless of where your feelings may lie on the Tampax boycott spectrum, it is worth noting that you may want to take the recent tweet with a grain of salt. While the tweet certainly looks like it came from the official Tampax account, Twitter has been dealing with a slew of fake official accounts in recent days. This is because, following his takeover, Elon Musk introduced a subscription service that allowed individuals to receive a verified blue checkmark on their accounts if they paid a nominal amount per month.
Suffice it to say, numerous individuals capitalized on the option to become official by creating accounts that were made to look like the actual companies they chose to pose as. For example, one user created an “official” Nintendo account and posted a picture of Mario giving the middle finger.
All that said, at the time of writing, no information has surfaced that would delegitimize the tweet. Although, even if it did, given the traction that the Tampax boycott has gotten I doubt that would be enough to put an end to it.
One thing is for certain, if what Tampax wanted was attention they most definitely got it. And it will certainly be interesting to see what the company does in response to the overwhelming Tampax boycott that is currently monopolizing countless Twitter users’ news feeds.
