1 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to stuff Mom Never told You. From house Supports 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Kristen 3 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: and I'm Caroline, and today we are talking about something 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: that a surprising number of listeners have requested and and 5 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: something I have been curious about for quite a while, 6 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: female urinary devices. And this is not a U t 7 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: I a urinary tract infection. It actually might help prevent 8 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: U t I s. Yeah, I just like that. The 9 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: abbreviation is FUD where if you put an um out 10 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 1: over the U, it could be food, which I actually 11 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: think there is like a restaurant or something that bring 12 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: your foods ladies. Yeah, bring your food to the food 13 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: I don't know. It doesn't really work, but I thought 14 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: that it would be great to talk about. Because it 15 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: is summer, it's hot. You might be out hunting or camping, 16 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: or going to music festivals or doing all three at 17 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: the same time, going on that classic All Ladies Summer Hunt. 18 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 1: Maybe you were hunting at Bonnaroo. I don't know what 19 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: people do there. It's weird, but hunting something. But either 20 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: way or any of these ways, you probably have experienced 21 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: a little bit of awkwardness, discomfort, maybe even a U 22 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 1: t I if you have had to hold it or 23 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: feel like you couldn't pee or clean up after yourself 24 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: because you're in such an awkward position, Caroline. One of 25 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: the most panicked moments of my life in public that 26 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 1: I still vividly remember, which is surprising considering how much 27 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,559 Speaker 1: beer I had had to drink that day, was at 28 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 1: a beer festival, which is why I had a lot 29 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: of beer. And there were maybe two porta John's designated 30 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: for women, and the lines were astounding, and I did 31 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: the thing where I waited too long and I got 32 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: in the line and I immediately had to go because 33 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: you know how it is when you drink a lot 34 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:02,919 Speaker 1: of beer. Somehow it just kind of kind of speeds 35 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: the whole process up a little bit, steaks up on you. Yeah, 36 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: And I stood there in the panic hit of I 37 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: am about to urinate all over myself in front of 38 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: just hundreds of people, and this is how it's going 39 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: to be. And I had actually not been working at 40 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: how stuff works all that long and was with co workers, 41 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: and I was imagine having to go back to where 42 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: all of my co workers were with with pea pants. 43 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: So what happened, Thankfully, someone saw the panic in my 44 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: eyes when I said, anyway, I can cut in front 45 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: of you and mercifully let me use that porta potty. 46 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: You must have looked so terrified for someone to let 47 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: you cut in line on the porta potty line. I know, 48 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: I know, desperate times, but I tell you what, I 49 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: have tried to repay that porta potty karma anytime. So, ladies, 50 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: if you see me and buy FORTIFII, and you really 51 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: need to use it before me, I'll let you go 52 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: because I feel that pain. That is so it is 53 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 1: the worst pain. It is the worst pain. And that 54 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 1: is why I've really been interested in female urinary devices. 55 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: I mean also really an unfortunately clinical name for P funnels. Yeah, 56 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: P funnels. Uh, some people literally use funnels. Some people 57 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: go on the internets and and purchase ready made the 58 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: ladies specific type funnels. But I mean there's also the 59 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: whole issues of potty politics we talked about literally in 60 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: our potty Politics episode a couple of years ago, of 61 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: trans men needing these same devices to use the bathroom 62 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: and be able to they're called stand top devices when 63 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: they're specifically used by and for a trans men. Though. Yeah, 64 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: there's the whole gender neutral bathroom issue potty parody where 65 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: bathroom equality and quotes isn't the same number of bathrooms 66 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: for men and women, they things to the time and 67 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: space it takes women to go because equal usually means 68 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: more stalls for women than men. Yeah, we take up 69 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: more space, takes us longer to get in and get out. Yeah, 70 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: I mean half the time. It is because I'm tweeting. 71 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: But well, at least you're not talking on your phone. 72 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 1: Why is there always someone talking on the phone in 73 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: the bathroom. I don't know. I think that's another podcast 74 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: that is Yeah, you're right, Um, that's my own personal politics. 75 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,359 Speaker 1: But and we will do that podcast in the bathroom, 76 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,919 Speaker 1: my friend. The acoustics so great. Um. But part of 77 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: that potty politics episode that we did the way back 78 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: when we did mention the issue of men standing out 79 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 1: versus women sitting and how that in and of itself 80 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: takes up more space. You've got to take off your pants, 81 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 1: roll your pants down, or pull your skirt up or 82 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: your hoop skirt. God forbid. Um. But the thing that 83 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: makes that easier is stuff like the peamates. This little 84 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: it's like a little cardboard like funnel. You just like 85 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: pop up in and fold it out and stick it 86 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: up in there. I'm using technical terms. We don't really 87 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: stick it. That kind of makes it sound like a tampon. 88 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, you don't. You don't like stick it up 89 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: in there. You just stick it like you hold it 90 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 1: against your lady, I guess yourself. Yeah, yeah, against your vulva. 91 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: There we go, and it peammate the disposable one. Yeah, 92 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 1: and they're kind of cute, I gotta say, because they 93 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: have a little designs on the side, very Hello Kitty esque, 94 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: at least the ones that I would I spot a 95 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: marketing opportunity. I mean, if like, why not I should 96 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 1: make our own Hello kitty will see our pants offended? 97 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: I was thinking, a hey, ladies, teammates with our faces 98 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: on at the back to back, does well, I got 99 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 1: to make a buck somehow, Girl, I agree. But I myself, 100 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:50,599 Speaker 1: you know, in all of the discussions, I myself have 101 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: never used one. I have never used whether it's disposable 102 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,279 Speaker 1: or whether it's one of the funnels. I've never used 103 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: a P product at all. I have never used a 104 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: P funnel. But I would be lying if I said 105 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,559 Speaker 1: I never tried, just for my own amusement to see 106 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 1: tests out being standing up and it is challenging. The 107 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: aiming is hard, but I think that with practice I 108 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: could I could perfect it. P practice P practice, practice 109 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: makes perfect. Yeah, it's just really I don't know that 110 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: I have the passion or the drive that I was 111 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: really hoping you were going to keep using pe words, 112 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: the passion or the persistent there we go to to 113 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: keep doing that. But I really would enjoy at some 114 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: point learning how to do it so that if my 115 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 1: fiance ever walks into the bedroom and our apartment, I 116 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: could just weird amount a little bit. I like that, 117 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: that's your motivation, spice things up. Water sports. But these 118 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: are being used and for very practical reasons by women 119 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: who are out hunting women on job sites. This reminded 120 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: me a lot of our Women in Construction episode where 121 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:07,919 Speaker 1: on construction sites finding a sanitary, safe place to go 122 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: to the bathroom is not so easy for women especially. Yeah, 123 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: we got a letter from a listener named Courtney, and 124 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: we did read her a letter previously on the podcast, 125 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: but I think it's worth repeating some of the things 126 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: she said and encouraging us to do a FUD episode. Um. 127 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: She talks about how not being able to have access 128 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: to a safe or private or clean space to go 129 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: to the bathroom is probably a bit of a health 130 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: and safety issue, especially when you're talking about it being 131 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 1: hot outside. Courtney was talking about working in open farm fields, 132 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: and so a lot of women, whether you are like 133 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: Courtney working in a farm field or you're a military 134 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: service member in Afghanistan, a lot of women will end 135 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: up dehydrating themselves on purpose to avoid having to pet 136 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: too often. And so Courtney says, maybe we should learn 137 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: to love and embrace the FUD. I agree. I mean, 138 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: she says that's were occasionally mentioned in jokes as a 139 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: kind of weird, ridiculous thing that anyone should be embarrassed 140 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: to even consider using. But if they can solve something 141 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: that is more than a minor inconvenience and often a 142 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: very real problem for women, maybe we should learn to 143 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: love it. And this also reminds me of squeamishness surrounding 144 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: menstrual cups. There's the whole fear factor of coming into 145 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: contact with your own labia, and I understand too, it's 146 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: also menstrual blood factor with that, but women people with 147 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: labia and Volvo's it's okay, we can come into contact 148 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 1: with our own genitalia. Yeah, it's just part of your body. Yeah, 149 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: it's like an armpit. I mean, it's not like an armpit, 150 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:51,679 Speaker 1: but it's as if you know, it's anyway. So anyway, 151 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: moving beyond armpits, you know, we think of these female 152 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: urination devices, it's a very clinical term. Like Kristen said, 153 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: we think of them as being such modern and inventions. 154 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: We think of the cardboard peammate, we think of the 155 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: Lady j or the freshet. But people have been sort 156 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: of tinkering with this idea for a lot longer than that, 157 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 1: especially FUD pioneer Edith Lacey. You cannot, like, I can't 158 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: express to you how excited I was that one of 159 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: the earliest, if not the earliest FUD creator and patent holder, 160 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 1: was a woman. Yeah. She was a British woman who 161 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 1: filed a U S patent application for a quote sanitary 162 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: protector in August nineteen eighteen, and her pattern was improved 163 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 1: in February, and you can read it over on Google Patents, 164 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: and she in the patent she describes, quote my invention 165 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: relates to a sanitary protector suitable for use by female 166 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: persons and urinating. And the principal object of my invention 167 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: is to provide a cheap device of this class which 168 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:05,079 Speaker 1: is used but once being especially suitable as a sanitary 169 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 1: device in toilet rooms. And she goes on to say 170 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: how it should be made of disposable material which you 171 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: can then burn after the us. I don't know, Kristen. 172 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: I I laughed out loud the other day next to you, 173 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: and that's what I was laughing at. I like, I 174 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:24,600 Speaker 1: think I did, like a laugh, like a solitary laugh, 175 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:28,319 Speaker 1: clap and combo, and it was because I was so 176 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 1: tickled at the idea of like burn it burn itt um. 177 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: But yeah, so I love that her goal was not 178 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: just to give women like a clean, easy way to 179 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: pee without having to come in contact with a seat, 180 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: but that she wanted it to be cheap and easily accessible. 181 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: She foresaw these devices being sold in public toilet rooms 182 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: and elsewhere. From the well known coin controlled apparatus had 183 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: a nominal cought. So this makes me think of having 184 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: them in the tampon dispenser. Yeah, ye, old tampon dispenser. 185 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,439 Speaker 1: And how might you use such a thing, Caroline, Well, 186 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: she writes that you would hold it in engagement with 187 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 1: the body. I love that also, it sounds so dainty, 188 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: with the entire edge engaging said body around the mouth 189 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 1: of the well, covering the urethra. And then you know, 190 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 1: you pee into it while you're in a quote unquote 191 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: suitable place. I like how she describes it, those the 192 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: urine being led off, like it's like someone just taste 193 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:30,839 Speaker 1: taste his little yellow hand and takes it away. It's 194 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: the end of like every Western and it's just riding 195 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: off into the sunset through your peammate. It's true. And 196 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: the benefit, she writes, is it is accordingly unnecessary for 197 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: the user to sit upon the closet seat, and the 198 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: urine is let off without danger of soiling the clothes 199 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: of the user or the closet. And then, like christ 200 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: And said, you burn it, and then you must burn up. 201 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: You have to do a ritual to draw a star 202 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: on the floor and burn your cardboard thing. You pull 203 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 1: some some sage out of your purse. Brought that in there. 204 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: But it was also made like she hammered on the 205 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: idea of it being stackable. So I imagine, you know, 206 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 1: when you go up to the water machine at work 207 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 1: and you pull the cup out. That's that's what she 208 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: was envisioning, because I have a picture here. Sorry, listeners, 209 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: you're on the on your podcast listening devices. And yeah, 210 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:25,320 Speaker 1: when you look at the rendering from above, it's an oval, 211 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 1: so you can just stick it right up against your 212 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: labia over the urethra and and have your urine let away. 213 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: I like how passive that is, as if you have 214 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 1: nothing to do with it. Well, and keep in mind 215 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: how especially practical something like this would have been at 216 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: the time too, because if listeners have heard our History 217 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:46,839 Speaker 1: of Panties podcast, then you would know that this At 218 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 1: this time, most women were still wearing bifurcated undergarments that 219 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: are very loose. Well. And then in nineteen fifty four 220 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: another woman came along, Madonna Willis, who along with Leo 221 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: Willis Russell, patented a quote unquote urinating device. Yeah, I 222 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:09,080 Speaker 1: love it. In the patent application, it's described as the 223 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,440 Speaker 1: urinator which is like the terminator, which is why I 224 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: was tickled the urinator um. And it was designed to 225 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 1: prevent infections among women using public toilets, which which is 226 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: a total noble goal. You want people to be clean 227 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 1: and comfortable and safe. When they're using the restroom. UM. 228 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: But as I was reading their patent application, UM, it 229 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: became clear that the whole idea of preventing infections had 230 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: a lot to do with this idea that the public 231 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: toilet seat was a site of easily communicable disease. And 232 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: not only that that the inventors were also very concerned 233 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: about femininity. They write that, you know, they want to 234 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 1: keep the bear, the woman's bear skin from coming in 235 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:00,080 Speaker 1: contact with the seat because they say this is not 236 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: only offensive to a woman's sense of cleanliness and daintiness, 237 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 1: but is a proven source of infection by disease germs, 238 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: not disease germs, not disease germs. I would like to 239 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 1: clarify for listeners who are thinking, yeah, disease germs toilet seats, 240 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: no thanks. Research has fully demonstrated that actually sitting on 241 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 1: public toilet seats is not as dangerous as you might 242 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: think because are handed indies. Skin is really good at 243 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: blocking microbes. It's more an issue if you sit down 244 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 1: on that and then you don't wash your hands. It's 245 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: more what gets on your hands that's an issue. But 246 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: that doesn't take away from your fear of sitting in 247 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: someone else's year in and how ichy that feels. That 248 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 1: is true, it's the worst feeling. The splashback is definitely 249 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: an issue, and also just having to come into contact 250 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: with I mean, the site, the smell a disgusting public 251 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: restroom is unpleasant. I fully understand that, and I fully 252 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: agree that these are these these are disgusting things. Um. 253 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: And we are going to talk more about the modern 254 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: day uh use of female urination devices and you know, 255 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: whether you're camping or festivaling or going to Afghanistan when 256 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: we come right back from a quick break. So, Caroline, 257 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: one of the most incredible things about female urination devices 258 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 1: today is how many products are on the market. It 259 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 1: is its own industry because you have people who just 260 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: want to avoid having to go into a porter party 261 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: environment to begin with, but then more usefully, you have 262 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: people who just have no toilet anywhere to use exactly. 263 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: And that's why some ladies over at gear Finder, which 264 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: I sure you is a site for hikers, not people 265 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: looking for random hookups or I don't know, maybe they 266 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: ever lap um they tested out a bunch of what 267 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: reviewer Molly Loomis termed sheenesses uh and they broke down 268 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 1: these reviews, and I thought they were fascinating. They tread 269 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 1: out everything from literally just a basic plastic automotive funnel, 270 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 1: which they described as sturdy but a little bulky to pack, 271 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 1: all the way to silicone and rubber things like the 272 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 1: Go Girl, which they found works best if you take 273 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: your pants down to position it, therefore defeating the purpose. 274 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: And there's a ton of stuff in between. You've got 275 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: the Lady j which is marketed towards service women and pilots. 276 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: It's made of malleable plastic um. You've got the Shewy, 277 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: which is small, which is great for backpackers, but it 278 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: also means it takes a little more practice in the 279 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: shower before you go on your backpacking trip. And then 280 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: they tried out the Whiz Freedom, which they said was 281 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: lightweight and malleable, which is great, but the fact that 282 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: it is so malleable can kind of contribute to accidents. 283 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:05,119 Speaker 1: And then the final thing that they tried out was 284 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: the travel Mate, which is super small and also a 285 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 1: little tricky. And it's interesting to see how all of 286 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: these are a little bit different, I mean really depending 287 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:19,440 Speaker 1: on what they're made of. How Like you said, malleable, 288 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: the kind of plastic it's made from might be, or 289 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: if it's just made straight from treated cardboard or paper, um, 290 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,639 Speaker 1: and all of the different attachments you can get, like 291 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:34,439 Speaker 1: is the funnel detachable? Does it fold up? Apparently the 292 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:41,760 Speaker 1: Go girl folds into a tiny almost capsule sized carrying capsule. 293 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 1: It's not really carrying case. So I mean the bonus 294 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:49,679 Speaker 1: of that, though, is it seems like you can find 295 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:53,120 Speaker 1: a fud to fit your your vulva, because as we know, 296 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:55,439 Speaker 1: you know, everybody's vulva shaped a little bit differently, and 297 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,440 Speaker 1: probably different kinds of fuds would work better for different 298 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 1: kinds of bodies exactly. And one of the ones that 299 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: the women at Gearfinder liked the best was the Freshet, 300 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 1: who has the tagline when nature calls, the answer is 301 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: it's Freshet. Yeah, that's the answer. Uh. They found that 302 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:15,439 Speaker 1: to be the most full proof and efficient, which is 303 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:21,880 Speaker 1: interesting because the military also recommends the Freshet as sort 304 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: of the the fud of choice, if you will. Yeah, 305 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: there was a paper that we found in the journal 306 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: Urologic Nursing got my subscription, I don't know about you, 307 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: that came out in two thousand and thirteen looking at 308 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 1: this issue of service women having to take off so 309 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: much gear and their uniforms and considering the context of 310 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:46,399 Speaker 1: where they might be at the time to go to 311 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: the bathroom, and so there were a lot of concerns 312 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 1: about female soldiers who might be deployed and like you 313 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, holding it or not drinking enough water, you know, 314 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 1: to an unhealthy extent is to not have to go 315 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:03,680 Speaker 1: through all of this. Yeah, And they wrote that the 316 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 1: current I like how technical this is, current measures utilized 317 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: for urination difficulties predisposed women to dehydration, urinary symptoms, and 318 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:17,280 Speaker 1: or urinary tract infections, basically breaking down the idea that 319 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 1: the way that women have to pee in the field 320 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:25,639 Speaker 1: can prove to be humiliating, time consuming, and therefore dangerous 321 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: because if you have to be popping a squat out 322 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: in the open, you've got to pull down your pants 323 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 1: and your underwear, sometimes in plain sight of others, whether 324 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 1: those are other service members or whether it's the freaking enemy. 325 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,360 Speaker 1: And due to that, in the early nineties we learn 326 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:45,479 Speaker 1: from this study, US Congress actually funded two studies looking 327 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: into the best fund options for military women, and they 328 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:53,480 Speaker 1: compared the Lady j and the Fresh at among one 329 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,120 Speaker 1: women participating in a two week field exercise and two 330 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: lady aviators, and both groups found both fuds acceptable and convenient. 331 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,360 Speaker 1: Freshet went out when it came time for an official recommendation, 332 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:11,919 Speaker 1: so as a result, military women's flight uniforms were redesigned 333 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: to have a one and a half to two inch 334 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: extended zipper to accommodate the fuds, which thanks a lot military. 335 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: I do appreciate that that's a that's a that's a 336 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 1: polite step to take. But despite all of this research 337 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 1: and the fact that many non military women are armed 338 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:35,440 Speaker 1: with fuds, they're still not used by a lot of soldiers. Yeah, 339 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:38,399 Speaker 1: this was really disheartening. I got so excited about the 340 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:41,399 Speaker 1: idea that some of the uniforms had been designed or 341 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: redesigned with a fud in mind, or just with women's 342 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 1: urination habits in mind. But the papers authors said that, hey, 343 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 1: we've got to do something because too many people still 344 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:54,879 Speaker 1: don't know that this is available, that this is a 345 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 1: thing that women can have. And so in interviewing military nurses, 346 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 1: they found either ignorance of the devices all together or 347 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: a preference to just pop a squat and let it 348 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: all hang out in the interest of time, which can 349 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 1: lead to sand getting up, their irritation, infection, or like 350 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: we said, they just allow themselves to get dehydrated. And 351 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 1: so you've got sort of layers of problems on problems 352 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: on problems because some of the military, the lady military 353 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: service members they talked to, we're not super likely to 354 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: go seek gynecological care, whether it's because of a lack 355 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,400 Speaker 1: of trust or time or transportation, or just feeling more 356 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: comfortable with a female provider. And there just wasn't one. Well, 357 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: And you've got to wonder too, what role socialization plays 358 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: in all of this, in normalizing the use of fuds, 359 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:52,440 Speaker 1: of normalizing women standing up to use the bathroom if 360 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:57,879 Speaker 1: they need to, because obviously in the United States especially, 361 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,960 Speaker 1: there are some countries where men to to sit down 362 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: to urinate. It's such a masculine behavior to stand up 363 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: and p you know, um. And this is where conversations 364 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 1: about trans men and those stand top products comes in, 365 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:18,640 Speaker 1: because this is also part of transitioning of being able 366 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: to go to your gender appropriate bathroom that you want 367 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 1: to use and not be nervous that you will get 368 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 1: side eyed for how you are sitting. Yeah, it's so 369 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: many of the websites we looked at talking about stand 370 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:37,160 Speaker 1: top products talk about standing two p as an important 371 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:40,879 Speaker 1: socialized behavior, whether you're assist gender man or a trans man. 372 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: And so then when you take into account that maybe 373 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 1: the men's room doesn't have a stall, or maybe it 374 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:50,200 Speaker 1: doesn't have a stalled door, there's a lot of anxiety 375 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 1: that that can breed among people. And so then we 376 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: get these stant to pee urination devices that are made 377 00:22:56,320 --> 00:23:00,119 Speaker 1: specifically for transmant things like the urinal mr pee, this 378 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 1: STP fits man go pack, and p prostesis. I mean 379 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:07,680 Speaker 1: there's a ton of them. Some of them actually are 380 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:12,199 Speaker 1: made to look like penises. They're flesh tone varieties of 381 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: flesh tones, I should say. Some of them are like 382 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 1: bright pink or purple or green. Um, but it's the 383 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:19,679 Speaker 1: same kind of thing. It's so nice to see that 384 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,920 Speaker 1: just like, uh, if you're just you know, a woman 385 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:24,879 Speaker 1: wanting to go to music festival and not use a 386 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:27,280 Speaker 1: porta potty, you have a whole selection of different like 387 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 1: pmate style products. Well, if you're a trans man who 388 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:32,240 Speaker 1: wants to be able to stand to pee in a 389 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:35,120 Speaker 1: public restroom, you also have a full range of products 390 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 1: to use. Plenty of people have said this is an 391 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,159 Speaker 1: issue and I don't want to feel anxious or awkward 392 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: or scared about walking into a bathroom. Well, and it 393 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:49,360 Speaker 1: can be quite literally a lifesaving device considering how bathrooms 394 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:52,119 Speaker 1: and especially men's bathrooms, let's be honest, have been sites 395 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 1: of violence for trans people. So this is a very 396 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 1: important thing. It's not just so laughable like oh phenis 397 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,439 Speaker 1: ha ha, No, this is something that's very important for 398 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: people to have access to. And there are also suggestions 399 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,440 Speaker 1: that standing up to P could be good for us, 400 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:17,880 Speaker 1: although I've also seen studies on men that sitting down 401 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:21,640 Speaker 1: to P if you have a penis is good for you. Yeah, 402 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 1: what's that? Do we need to switch? Should women be 403 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 1: standing and then be sitting? What's going on? Well? The 404 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: International euro Gynecology Journal, Kristen, you've got that subscription, Yeah, 405 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,679 Speaker 1: that's mine. We trade she and I trade um. In 406 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight, they had a study looking at 407 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 1: women who used the pmate standing and the PMATE sitting, 408 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,959 Speaker 1: so it was p made across the board and found 409 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 1: that the health the woman's health was not affected either way. 410 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: They basically had a satisfactory P whether sitting down or 411 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 1: standing up, it's sort of a matter of like, here 412 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 1: you go. You have an ability to have a personal 413 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: preference now, And I think that personal preferences is a 414 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: is a big part of why it's great that these 415 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: fuds exist. Although let's be honest, you can make your 416 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: own fud if you have you can go to auto 417 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 1: zone or if you have some treated cardboard, like from 418 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 1: a milk card and you can roll that puppy up 419 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 1: and hey, boom funnel and that will work. Um. But 420 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 1: I gotta say when people try to tie it to 421 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,160 Speaker 1: feminism and make it a joke of like, well we've 422 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:32,639 Speaker 1: achieved feminism because women are standing up to pe. You 423 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:37,439 Speaker 1: bore me, because you clearly don't understand what feminism is about. 424 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, women should be able to use the 425 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 1: bathroom in a healthy, safe kind of way, trans men 426 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 1: should be able to use the bathroom and healthy, safe 427 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 1: kind of way. Everybody should be able to But I 428 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 1: don't think that standing to p is necessarily a feminist issue, 429 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 1: because feminism is not about emulating male behavior right or 430 00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 1: making men emulate female behave exactly. So it's just it's 431 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 1: just a stale joke to me by this time. Yeah, 432 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:06,639 Speaker 1: but I am glad that there are options out there 433 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 1: so that when I go into a disgusting porta potty, 434 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:13,640 Speaker 1: I don't have to touch anything. Because I'm very much 435 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 1: like you. Stop complaining about public restrooms. It's fine to 436 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: sit down. Just get some toilet paper and wipe the 437 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,399 Speaker 1: seat off or put a seat cover down. You'll be fine. 438 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: But I have been in plenty of disgusting porta potties 439 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: where I would be glad to have one. And it's 440 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 1: also so good to hear from listeners who have the 441 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: added perspective of being on job sites or out in 442 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:37,680 Speaker 1: the field working, um who need these things for for 443 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: just basic health. We'll tell you what, Caroline, the next 444 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:45,159 Speaker 1: music festival and more importantly, beer festival I go to. 445 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: I'm taking a fund. Yeah, are you thinking the disposable type, 446 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: one of the rubber ones? Are you just gonna go 447 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 1: to the automotive store and pick yourself up a funnel? See? 448 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:58,200 Speaker 1: That's the struggle, because my thrifty side says, make your 449 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:02,679 Speaker 1: own roll up some news paper. But my, you know, 450 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 1: my my luxurious side says, maybe a go girl, maybe 451 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 1: something with some soft silicone. That's wonderful, And you have 452 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,399 Speaker 1: so many color options from there too, Yeah, all too pink, 453 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 1: green or green. And you know, my feminine side says pink, 454 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 1: but my more rustic side says green. So it really 455 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: is a lot of choices. And that's a great thing 456 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:28,040 Speaker 1: about fuds and feminism is that, you know, you ladies 457 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: really can choose their choice. Yeah, take a stand. Ha 458 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: ha ha. I like that. I think that we now 459 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,639 Speaker 1: need to make Sminty Fudds because you just came up 460 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:40,639 Speaker 1: with our tagline. Yeah. Absolutely, We've already discussed having hey 461 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,280 Speaker 1: ladies on the side with our back to back posts. 462 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 1: We've got our design, we've got our tagline. All we 463 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: need now is a manufacturer. So listeners call one eight 464 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:55,640 Speaker 1: hundred Sminty Fudds feminist fuds, p like a feminist. That's 465 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:59,359 Speaker 1: too many numbers. Yeah, that's a very long number. Um, 466 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:02,920 Speaker 1: but maybe maybe we can pay extra or something like that. Well, 467 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: now I want to hear from folks out there, because 468 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:10,480 Speaker 1: clearly there are some fun users in our audience, and 469 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 1: does anyone have any personal reviews to share with us, 470 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 1: because I'm all, I'm on board for these, but I 471 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 1: want the personally, I want the stories of of when 472 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: you were learning to use it because I understand that 473 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,440 Speaker 1: a lot of these because they can be finicky. Uh, 474 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: it takes a lot of practice for some of them, 475 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:28,880 Speaker 1: and so I want to hear I want to hear 476 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:33,120 Speaker 1: your your p practice, horror stories, drivel stories, stories, Yes, 477 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: mom stuff at how stupworks dot com is where you 478 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: can send those stories, or you can tweet us if 479 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 1: they're really short, to add mom stuff podcasts or messages 480 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 1: on Facebook. And we've got a couple of messages to 481 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: share with you when we come right back from a 482 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: quick break. Well, Caroline, I have an email here from 483 00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:02,680 Speaker 1: Priscilla about our man Cave podcast subject line man cave 484 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:09,760 Speaker 1: led to break up? What us or no? So Priscilla rights, 485 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: my ex boyfriend's man cave led to our breakup, So 486 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: we didn't break them up. It wasn't us. My ex 487 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: boyfriend and I used to live in a small apartment. 488 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 1: As soon as we moved into a house, he declared 489 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 1: one of the rooms exclusively for him, explaining that I 490 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 1: had the rest of the house. I didn't think much 491 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:31,160 Speaker 1: of it at the time, but then he started to 492 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 1: use his man cave as an escape when he was 493 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: not in a good mood. When he wanted to decompress 494 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: after a bad day at work, when he wanted to 495 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: play online games with his friends, or when he wanted 496 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: to watch shows I wasn't interested in. In the end, 497 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,120 Speaker 1: it got to the point where he stopped communicating with me, 498 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: first about important things and later even about small things. 499 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 1: And one day out of the blue, he broke up 500 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 1: with me after I returned from a trip. It was unexpected. 501 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,479 Speaker 1: In hindsight, I can see how I was living together 502 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: but yet separate in the same house and not talking 503 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: a k A parallel play could lead him to believe 504 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: what's the point. I don't know if he has ever 505 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,320 Speaker 1: realized what a big part his man cave played in 506 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: our breakup. So, Priscilla, I'm so sorry to hear that 507 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:20,920 Speaker 1: that happened, And listeners cautionary tale about man caves, because 508 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: even if yes, you need a room of your own, 509 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 1: communication is still vital, even more vital. Perhaps I have 510 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: a letter here from Wren, also about our man caves episode, 511 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 1: and he writes, I was impressed at the amount of 512 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:35,760 Speaker 1: information you were able to provide. As a man who's 513 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 1: been living with my wife for the past six years, 514 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: I felt inspired to share some of my views. The 515 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: instinct to have an isolated physical space is a trait 516 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:46,239 Speaker 1: common to personality types of either gender who draw their 517 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 1: energy from psychologically defined flow state activities. Maintaining a flow 518 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,240 Speaker 1: state requires keeping focused attention on the task at hand 519 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:57,480 Speaker 1: without distraction or interruption. Flow state activities range from socially 520 00:30:57,520 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: gendered ones like working on a car in the garage 521 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 1: or eating baby clothes, to more gender neutral activities like gardening, reading, 522 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:06,960 Speaker 1: and playing music. For a variety of cultural reasons, men 523 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: habitually spend more of their time in flow state than women. However, 524 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:13,959 Speaker 1: this is changing is the historical gender roles progress toward equality. 525 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 1: My feeling is that the majority of caves men create 526 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: are not motivated by a need for masculine expression, but 527 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 1: rather by the desire to create a functionally isolated and 528 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:26,920 Speaker 1: or focused work or leisure space. Women who have the 529 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 1: same desire are equally likely to carve out spaces of 530 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 1: their own. Often, there is a perception of gender association 531 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,240 Speaker 1: based on the function of the space. Video game stations 532 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 1: are perceived as being masculine, whereas craft rooms are proceved 533 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:42,240 Speaker 1: perceived as being feminine. But to say that the function 534 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: of the space defines its gender affiliation is to imply 535 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,000 Speaker 1: that women cannot be gamers and men cannot be crafty. 536 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:50,840 Speaker 1: Anyone is allowed into a quote unquote cave so long 537 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: as they commit themselves to performing the activity the space 538 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 1: was designed for. I personally dislike the term man cave 539 00:31:57,280 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 1: because it reinforces notions for what kinds of activities are 540 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 1: appropriate for each gender and implies that one of the 541 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 1: primary motivators from men creating personal space is to assert 542 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: their masculinity. Yes, there are hyper masculine man caves with 543 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: cagurators and swimsuit calendars. However, my impression is that these 544 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 1: kind of caves are the minority. Thanks for reading my 545 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 1: thoughts on the topic. I love your podcast and find 546 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,760 Speaker 1: each and every episode to be very enlightening. And RN, 547 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:26,680 Speaker 1: we loved your letter and greatly appreciate it, and we 548 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 1: are definitely very pro having a room of one zone indeed, 549 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:34,400 Speaker 1: so thanks, and we're also pro hearing from you, dear listeners. 550 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: Mom Stuff at how stuff works dot com is our 551 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: email address. You can also messages on Facebook or tweet 552 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:42,719 Speaker 1: us at mom stuff Podcasts and for links to all 553 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,600 Speaker 1: of our social media as well as all of our bologs. Videos, 554 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:50,880 Speaker 1: and podcasts, including this one. So you can see those 555 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: amazing patents for feminine urinary devices. Head on over the 556 00:32:57,280 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: Stuff Mom Never told You dot com for more on 557 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics. Is it how stuff 558 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:15,160 Speaker 1: Works dot com