Tanya Mosley

A mom is implanted with what you call a brain worm, which basically equates trust and intimacy with the brand. And there are several ways that was executed, but I want to play a clip from a commercial from 1985. This is three years after that study linked ovarian cancer to baby powder. And in this clip, there's a couple in conversation, and the man is

holding the woman's teddy bear that she's had since childhood, which she has named Oscar. And the woman is putting baby powder on her arms as they're talking. Let's listen.

holding the woman's teddy bear that she's had since childhood, which she has named Oscar. And the woman is putting baby powder on her arms as they're talking. Let's listen.

holding the woman's teddy bear that she's had since childhood, which she has named Oscar. And the woman is putting baby powder on her arms as they're talking. Let's listen.

That was a commercial from Johnson & Johnson's baby powder marketing, 1985. It's marketed towards young women. Gartner, the company continued to use talc even after those studies showed links to ovarian cancer. What was the justification for that when there were other alternatives like cornstarch?

That was a commercial from Johnson & Johnson's baby powder marketing, 1985. It's marketed towards young women. Gartner, the company continued to use talc even after those studies showed links to ovarian cancer. What was the justification for that when there were other alternatives like cornstarch?

That was a commercial from Johnson & Johnson's baby powder marketing, 1985. It's marketed towards young women. Gartner, the company continued to use talc even after those studies showed links to ovarian cancer. What was the justification for that when there were other alternatives like cornstarch?

So Johnson & Johnson just switched over to cornstarch just a few years ago. So this is not that long ago that now you can't really buy talc baby powder. But does the smell change with cornstarch?

So Johnson & Johnson just switched over to cornstarch just a few years ago. So this is not that long ago that now you can't really buy talc baby powder. But does the smell change with cornstarch?

So Johnson & Johnson just switched over to cornstarch just a few years ago. So this is not that long ago that now you can't really buy talc baby powder. But does the smell change with cornstarch?

Tell us about the first case brought against J&J over its baby powder. Yeah.

Tell us about the first case brought against J&J over its baby powder. Yeah.

Tell us about the first case brought against J&J over its baby powder. Yeah.

Okay. I want to parse a little bit more the legal ease here because I noticed that you have written about how there are something like 93,000 suits against J&J. But I was noticing that J&J says that they have prevailed in 16 or 17 of the ovarian cases tried in the last 11 years. Right. And they're making the distinction of the last 11 years. Is that true?

Okay. I want to parse a little bit more the legal ease here because I noticed that you have written about how there are something like 93,000 suits against J&J. But I was noticing that J&J says that they have prevailed in 16 or 17 of the ovarian cases tried in the last 11 years. Right. And they're making the distinction of the last 11 years. Is that true?

Okay. I want to parse a little bit more the legal ease here because I noticed that you have written about how there are something like 93,000 suits against J&J. But I was noticing that J&J says that they have prevailed in 16 or 17 of the ovarian cases tried in the last 11 years. Right. And they're making the distinction of the last 11 years. Is that true?

Our guest today is investigative reporter Gardner Harris. We'll be right back after a break. I'm Tanya Mosley, and this is Fresh Air.

Our guest today is investigative reporter Gardner Harris. We'll be right back after a break. I'm Tanya Mosley, and this is Fresh Air.

Our guest today is investigative reporter Gardner Harris. We'll be right back after a break. I'm Tanya Mosley, and this is Fresh Air.

So let me just go back to the testing from the FDA in 2019. If I am reading this correctly, though, the FDA had not received any testing results of baby powder danger since the 70s? Since 1973. OK, so they did their own testing just a few years ago and found that baby powder indeed had asbestos in it.