Thinx Underwear and the MTA May Have Called a Truce Over the Word 'Period'

Earlier this week, the “period-proof” panties company Thinx and New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority seemed to be at odds over the use of the word “period” in some new subway ads. Now the MTA has retreated a bit—the flailing corporation just takes forever to make decisions.

A spokesman for the MTA confided in the New York Times about the kerfuffle anonymously, saying, “Of course they will be approved.” Meanwhile, the official stance from Outfront Media, the company handling ads for the MTA, remains that the Thinx ads are “under review.” It’s still unclear what form the ads will be approved in, if they’re approved at all.

The “controversial” Thinx ads feature an image of a peeled, halved grapefruit and a runny egg alongside women in midriff tops and panties (all archived at MIC for your viewing pleasure). No nipples or excessive cleavage can be seen, unlike other plastic surgery ads found on subway cars for years. In response, Thinx CEO Miki Agrawal called out the MTA for their inconsistent double standard and rallied the public behind her. Just 24 hours and many tweets later, the MTA maintains that some form of the ads will be approved for the subway.