Maxi Pad Parody Uses Red Instead of Blue Liquid, Shows The Absurdity Of Advertising

You've essentially seen this commercial played out a million times on public TV -- so what makes it so cringe-worthy now?

In this parody of a maxi pad ad, UCB Comedy makes us laugh -- uncomfortably -- by simply replacing the familiar blue liquid with red.

Though we are used to seeing the "liquid demonstration," the color swap forces us to make a direct association with horrible, disgusting, OMG-get-it-away blood -- and that's a horse of a different color.

But why does the color switch gross us out so much? Does the blue liquid in real pad commercials contribute to a the implication that a woman's natural process is inherently dirty?

The idea that periods are inherently disgusting has been so socially engrained that studies show consumers have subconscious feelings of disgust even when UNOPENED packages of feminine hygiene products merely touch other items in their shopping bag.

The UCB parody might be over the top, but it also makes us consider the psychological effects of advertising, and how a simple color can change the way we think about the "crimson wave."