when you assume, you make...

Have you seen the newish Kotex campaign that makes fun of other tampon/maxipad ads? It's fairly brilliant in its cleverness, though I'm not sure it's going to win them any customers. Women are pretty product-loyal about that sorta thing. Nevertheless, my favorite commercial in the series is one in which the spokesmodel says something like, "I'm racially ambiguous so you can relate to me!" And it's true! She could be white or Latina or Asian or very light-skinned black or, most likely, a mix of some of the above and you can just see casting directors in 2010 America looking at her and thinking ka-ching! everywoman! I was reminded of this yesterday whilst waiting for the T.

There was a young woman standing in front and slightly to the side of me on the platform, so that I could only see her from the back. I guess I noticed her because she seemed like she was doing the quote unquote walk of shame*** She had on a very tiny black skirt that was sorta bedazzled with tiny studs and a shiny satiny jacket. Maybe there *are* places you'd be wearing that outfit to on a Sunday morning at 10:30, but both at the time and now, I can't conceive of where they'd be. My second assumption about this woman, as glimpsed from behind, is that she was Asian. She was probably five foot nothing and 85 pounds and you just don't see many adult women that size who aren't Asian. Also she had long hair that was dyed a caramel color but which was obviously originally black.

What was hilarious to me was that there was an old Chinese man standing behind and to the other side of her and he was giving her *such* the stink-eye. I am positive from his expression that he had made both of the same assumptions that I had and that he strongly objected. "No granddaughter of mine would be coming home on a Sunday morning dressed like that, and you're a disgrace to your people, you little hussy!" was written all over his face.

Well, two trains later the woman and I ended up sitting directly across from each other. (Apparently we were headed in the same direction!) And when I could actually see her face, I saw that not only was she definitely not Chinese, but she might not even have been Asian. She might possibly have been Hispanic. Or maybe not. Totally racially ambiguous. And all I could think was, dude! if only you had turned around on the Green Line platform, you could have saved that grumpy old man a whole lot of agita!

xoxo

***I hate that term, if only because a.) it is meant to humiliate women, solely and b.) getting laid is nothing to feel shame over and c.) there are plenty of reasons one might be coming home in yesterday's clothing that don't involve sex (maybe passing out drunk *is* something to be ashamed of, but let's not get all judgy about that either)