# Vagina and product brand names
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 3, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118 "2002-11-03T17:18:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/1 "2002-11-03T17:18:45Z")
Was watching the Sopranos the other day and the claim was made that products (like Vaseline) which start with a “v” have been “shown” to make the purchaser sub-conciously think of vagina.
Kind of hard to believe, though maybe the Vicks’ and Viceroy people are onto something. And I’m sure if you did some survey specifically asking what the letter V made you think of, some folks would just say vagina. But that’s hardly the same as linking it everytime someone mentions, say, hmmm… Virgin cola or Vassar. Any truth to this claim? 🙂
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### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/2 "2002-11-03T17:28:20Z")
Well, [Vagisil](http://www.vagisil.com/frame_product_foam.html) always reminds of the word vagina, I thought it was just me though.
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### Author:  [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/3 "2002-11-03T20:42:31Z")
I may never eat Velveeta again.
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### Author:  [@Mister\_Damage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Damage)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/4 "2002-11-03T21:36:40Z")
Actually, that would make me more like to eat Velveeta 🙂
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### Author:  [@Mister\_Damage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Damage)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/5 "2002-11-03T21:36:40Z")
Actually, that would make me more likely to eat Velveeta 🙂
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### Author:  [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)
#### Post date: [November 3, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/6 "2002-11-03T22:36:30Z")
I’d dispute this. Why? For one, I don’t think the majority of the population finds “vagina” to be a sexy word. I’d guess it sounds too medical, too impersonal.
Yeah, and theories of subliminal advertising are a dime a dozen, because, really, Who Can Say?
🙂
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### Author:  [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/7 "2002-11-04T00:23:00Z")
So that’s why I enjoy my Varilux lenses so much … hey, it might even explain my preference for vanilla.
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### Author:  [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/8 "2002-11-04T01:05:37Z")
Vegemite is yeast extract. Whaaaaa! I don’t want to think about it any more.
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### Author:  [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/9 "2002-11-04T01:09:22Z")
That’s only assuming that you use the word “vagina” to refer to it, and not “genitals” or “down there” or “pussy” or “c\*nt”.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/10 "2002-11-04T01:16:02Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Muffin \*
> \*\*Vegemite is yeast extract. Whaaaaa! I don’t want to think about it any more. \*\*
Thanks, **Muffin**. Now you’ve got _me_ thinking about it.
Gotta keep myself busy now. That’s what I get for looking at threads with “vagina” in them.
Peace,
mangeorge
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### Author:  [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/11 "2002-11-04T01:20:05Z")
And media (like television drama) which start with a “t” and “d” have been “shown” to make the viewer sub-conciously think of total dreck.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/12 "2002-11-04T01:50:50Z")
Which reminds me, The Simpsons is on tonight. Gotta go.
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### Author:  [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/13 "2002-11-04T02:45:08Z")
I’d much rather eat vegimite than peanut butter.
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### Author:  [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/14 "2002-11-04T03:05:07Z")
That’s just it. If it is true, which I doubt, whether it helps is in the eye of the beheld. And it would be worse for restaurant names which start with V – I’ve eaten in one called Vito’s Cave. This theory could easily be extended to other letters, but that gets pretty hairy. And as Duck said, who calls it vagina anyhoo?
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### Author:  [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/15 "2002-11-04T03:10:09Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by antechinus \*
> \*\*I’d much rather eat vegimite than peanut butter. \*\*
You mean penis butter?
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/16 "2002-11-04T03:15:24Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by antechinus \*
> \*\*I’d much rather eat vegimite than peanut butter. \*\*
T’aint that much between them. Sometimes they get mixed. Up.
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### Author:  [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/17 "2002-11-04T03:58:15Z")
Oh, yeah, the Big V-twin from MilVaukee. Now I get it. Vini, Vidi, Vici. I came…
–Nott
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### Author:  [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/18 "2002-11-04T06:40:54Z")
Now you know why the “V-Chip” was invented. But seriously, folks…
Back in the 80s, when there was a group (sponsored by Prince) called [**Vanity 6**](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=SEARCH&sql=Bnfxvadzkt8w8), a lady I was dating told me a rumor she’d heard — that Vanity’s name was originally supposed to be Vagina. And that it had been changed at the last minute to Vanity.
I would have been skeptical about this rumor, except I remembered reading in the _Rolling Stone_ article how she explained her name…
> [@](#):
>
> “I believe a woman’s most important possession is her vanity.”
Somehow I didn’t think she meant a mirror for applying makeup.
(Update: Vanity has gone back to using her real name, [Denise Matthews](http://www.denisematthews.com/homepage2.htm), and she’s now a born-again preacher.)
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### Author:  [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/19 "2002-11-04T06:47:28Z")
Now you know why the “V-Chip” was invented. But seriously, folks…
Back in the 80s, when there was a group (sponsored by Prince) called [**Vanity 6**](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=SEARCH&sql=Bnfxvadzkt8w8), a lady I was dating told me a rumor she’d heard — that Vanity’s name was originally supposed to be Vagina. And that it had been changed at the last minute to Vanity.
I would have been skeptical about this rumor, except I remembered reading in the _Rolling Stone_ article how she explained her name…
> [@](#):
>
> “I believe a woman’s most important possession is her vanity.”
Somehow I didn’t think she meant a mirror for applying makeup.
(Update: Vanity has gone back to using her real name, [Denise Matthews](http://www.denisematthews.com/homepage2.htm), and she’s now a born-again preacher.)
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### Author:  [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2002, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vagina-and-product-brand-names/135118/20 "2002-11-04T07:02:15Z")
Vitameatavegemin?
:eek: