GOING WITH THE FLOW
When I ask Vinnie if he's going to make condom cases next, he says with a sigh that he gets asked that all of the time, but feels that it would conflict. He believes that it's important for teens and pre-teens to have access to the tampon cases, and to learn a new way of thinking about their periods. Vinnie is concerned that condom cases would be sold next to the tampon cases in a store, creating a sexual association which might scare off an audience that he wants to reach.

Does Vinnie consider himself as a feminist?

"I'm not anti-feminist at all; I'm definitely a feminist," he says. "But I like to think of myself as more of a humanist, because I think that both groups [men and women] need a lot of work, and need to come together more than be separated. I put a man's face and my name on the tampon case because I want it to speak to both genders, and it does."

"How do I know?" he asks. "Because guys stop me on the subway, and at Knicks games, and want to talk to me about my winter jacket, which says 'Vinnie: The Undisputed King of Tampon Cases.' "So, there I am at a Knicks game, talking to a couple of guys...about tampons!" Vinnie exclaims. "I mean, tell me, this has ever happened before?"

No, Vinnie, it hasn't. And how cool is that?

 

GET YOUR OWN VINNIE'S TAMPON CASE!
Vinnie's Tampon Cases can be found through the web site at: www.tamponcase.com.

Lori Greenberg is a New York writer and designer. Her Vinnie's Tampon Case resides next to her lenticular wallet, in her 'Astro Boy' handbag. She is the head of a design studio called Shake Well, and is edits the online design magazine Visual Seltzer, which can be found at www.cyberg.com.