When it comes to designing a pool float, there are plenty of things to consider. Is it easy to get on? Can it hold a drink? How will it look on Instagram?
But one of the things that should also be pondered: does it look like a giant sanitary napkin?
Apparently that was not the case for the creators of the Pasadena Pool Float, a picture of which was posted on Reddit a few days ago to immediate hilarity.
"It gives me the confidence I need to float in the pool," wrote the user.
Twitter picked up on it and quickly decided on the problem: there were likely no women consulted in the creation of this pad pool toy.
Focus group. This could have been avoided with 1 focus group (of women). pic.twitter.com/C76lv5ji33
— Jillian David (@JillianDavid13) July 3, 2017
Alternative theory - it was designed by a woman who was sick of the men in her family stealing all the pool floats 😉
— sam (@verysimple) July 3, 2017
Hahaha I would so buy this and go use it in a public pool. ⚡️ "Who hasn't wanted to float on a maxi pad?"https://t.co/ewCwY3XH9z
— Ash (@WildIsTheAsh) July 5, 2017
So there is the possibility that the backlash could really work in this company's favour — we can picture plenty of people grabbing these for a girls' getaway weekend or simply just taking ownership of the fact that menstrual products shouldn't be relegated to back corners of bathroom cabinets. Lie on them in the pool instead, dammit!
A girl can only dream.