My Take on Frida Uncensored: Helpful Videos But You Can Ignore the Products
The Frida brand, best known for baby products like the NoseFrida, has just released a website called Frida Uncensored with how-to videos for things like perineal stretching and lactation massage. These videos use Asa Akira, who is a porn actress, to actually demonstrate these techniques on her own genitals and breasts. I think this overall a net positive for people to have this resource, but I have some more nuanced thoughts.
As a pelvic floor PT who helps teach people things like perineal stretching, it can be a challenge to provide adequate visuals for clients to refer to at home. Actually showing a vagina or breasts requires a model willing to show those sensitive areas and often can’t be distributed more broadly. When I heard about Frida’s creation of videos that actually show these techniques directly I was very intrigued.
I’m happy these how-to videos are available and I think they can be a useful tool to help educate. However, each video uses a Frida product that is not strictly necessary to accomplish the technique. The videos are helpful in showing what you are trying to accomplish on an actual body, but most can be accomplished with hands alone or with the help of a partner. You’re welcome to purchase and use the products if they seem helpful to you, but know that you do not need them.
The use of a porn actress to demonstrate the techniques says a lot about how we think about naked female bodies, even pregnant ones. Porn actors are clearly already comfortable showing their naked bodies for consumption, and we as a culture have already accepted nudity from this category of actors. But the flip side of that is that we are still very culturally uncomfortable with the nudity of everyday people. I’m hoping we can expand educational tools like this to include more diverse bodies that have not been deemed acceptable to show because they have already been sexualized in the media.
The consumerist angle of these videos is notable as well. Because these videos come from a brand, there is always an inherent motivation to sell products. Each video so far uses a product from Frida. I am all for products if they truly help a person through the prenatal and postpartum phases, but I do want to resist the idea that we need a product to care for ourselves. Too often we substitute products for actual support because the products are unfortunately more accessible than quality care for many people.
Overall, I’m happy that these videos are out there for people to access. It’s a step in the right direction and hopefully it paves the way for more acceptance of educational nudity that does not need to come via brands and porn actresses. I will likely direct people to them as a visual aid, with the note that you do not need to buy their products to perform the techniques that these videos show. But the more out there to help birthing people, the better!