1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,920 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Steph. 2 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: I've never told your production of I Heart Radio, So Samantha, 3 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 1: on this show, we've talked a lot about periods. Yes, 4 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: we've talked about periods and horror movies and we used 5 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: the excellent I think it was excellent pun period Peace. 6 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: But we've talked about some of our most embarrassing instances 7 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 1: of when a period arrived. We've talked about our first periods, 8 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: and recently we had the people from Tampon Rock on 9 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: the show, and uh, we mostly you. I think everyone 10 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: was open to it. The conversation just flowed float away. Hey, 11 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: nice pun, keep going. I don't mean to do it, 12 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: but thank you. I float away from that. And so 13 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: for Days Classic, we want to bring this back since 14 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: we have been talking about it. And I remember when 15 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: this episode came out. It was around the time. I 16 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: don't know if you remember this, Samantha, and I can't 17 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: remember her name, so I'm being very unhelpful. But like 18 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: when that singer or drum I think she was a drummer, 19 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: she ran the marathon with her period and she was 20 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: just bleeding, like didn't cover it up, and it was 21 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: for period pride. I don't remember that right, yes, And 22 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: then like people were posting their period blood on Instagram. 23 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: It was all around that time, and I, you know, 24 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: I suppose my question is like, did you ever have 25 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: when you're a group of friends. Was it something that 26 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: you talked about openly or was it not something like that? 27 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: Oh gosh, I feel like I've shifted through so much 28 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: because I started my period when I was twelve, so 29 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: I was a little younger side, but I'm also I 30 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: started the four majority of my group of friends. I 31 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: feel like as when we got older, I started asking 32 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: people what their periods are like because I was very 33 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: confused about how different people reacted differently, and I was 34 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: trying to figure that out and whether or not I 35 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: need to be on medicine how bad, because you know, 36 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,839 Speaker 1: also part of the conversation and about period is how 37 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: painful are for some people, as well as the fact 38 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: like clotting, which we kind of got into with tampons, 39 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: even though they weren't specifically talking about period necessarily. But 40 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: they're also like not being ashamed of it. But yeah, 41 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: so like all of those, I think I was more 42 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 1: curious because I was very concerned about whether I was 43 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: normal or not, and that was the biggest questions, like 44 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: is this normal, and then finding out there's no real 45 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: such thing as normal and even the most like horrifying 46 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: thing that you could think of is fairly normal. Yeah. 47 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: And I think that's a great point because I was 48 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: really open with my friends about it, and I feel 49 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: like I had a core group that I'm still friends 50 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: with that we're looking out for each other. You know, 51 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: if you need the whatever medication, I've got it for you. 52 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: If you need to back up pad or tampon, I've 53 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: got it for you. Or if you've got like a 54 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: stand got the show in front of me, I got you. Yeah. Oh, 55 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: it's so good to have friends like that, And that 56 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: was really nice. And we did all generally have very 57 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: different experiences, which is pretty wild, and we all went 58 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: different ways when it came to birth control too. And 59 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: as I think I've said before on this podcast, I 60 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: have at a period of many years, and that is 61 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: something that does get left out of this conversation a 62 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: lot is like having a period is not like a 63 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: thing that's necessary to be a woman, And a lot 64 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 1: of times in the conversation it's like you become a 65 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: woman when you have your period, but you know, not 66 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: everybody has periods. But I do see the need of 67 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: this like period pride kind of thing, or being like 68 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: we said in Tampon Rock, like not terrified when your 69 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: tampon comes out and when you're checking out at a 70 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: store and not feeling ashame for some right need Right, 71 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: that's normal and everyone typically at least half the population 72 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: typically need it, which, by the way, actually I think 73 00:03:54,480 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: it's sure there's more women in the world, oh kidding, 74 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: so technically more than half. Yeah, that sounds really even 75 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: having to we've been having to ye around places like 76 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: Scotland providing a universal menstrual products. So yeah, with all 77 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: of that said, we hope you enjoy this classic episode 78 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 1: have Pride in your period. Welcome to stuff Mom never 79 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: told you. From house topports not come hello, and welcome 80 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: to the podcast. I'm Kristen and I'm Caroline, and I 81 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: feel like we should offer a disclaimer right now that 82 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: if anyone is uncomfortable with the discussion of menstrual blood, 83 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: this might not be the episode for you. I hope 84 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: they would have picked up on that by looking at 85 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,039 Speaker 1: the title and description of the episode First Period Pride, 86 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: Well maybe someone might think that it's a grammar or 87 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: an to an episode of No More Semi Colon's period Pride. Well, yeah, 88 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 1: and not putting two spaces after the period, you just 89 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: put one. WHOA, Okay, that's a little bit controversial. We 90 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: are we're getting not just going to go that far. 91 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: Nobody's using typewriters anymore. People just use one space and Caroline. 92 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: I also feel like I'm not qualified to even be 93 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: talking about period as in menstrual not grammatical pride, because 94 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 1: I'm not currently on my period hashtag tm I because 95 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: I really feel like part of period pride is being 96 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: loud and proud about when aunt flow And why is 97 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: it your aunt ps comes a knocking. I don't know. 98 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,359 Speaker 1: I guess it's because your mom is always there, so 99 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: it can't be like mo flow, or maybe mom's working. 100 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,480 Speaker 1: Moms working, so aunt flows in town. But Aunt flows 101 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: like the aunt. She's not really your aunt. She's like 102 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: your mom's friend who just comes around a lot, you know, 103 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: so she's not literally your biological aunt. Yeah. We recently 104 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: saw a hashtag pop up that was live tweet your period, right, 105 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 1: that wasn't that's not brand new? Is it brand new? Now, 106 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 1: it's not brand new, It's been around, but it really 107 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: hit the mainstream when the New York Times covered it. Oh, 108 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: you like most things in June, Yeah, the New York 109 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:23,840 Speaker 1: Times made it official, which was I mean, which was 110 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: kind of incredible to see that The New York Times 111 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: was covering hashtag live tweet your period, and we're going 112 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: to get to live tweeting your period because there is 113 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: some interesting stuff that folks have to say about that, 114 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: and also funny stuff that folks have live tweeted about 115 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: their periods. But can we briefly talk about periods in 116 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:49,720 Speaker 1: the nineteen seventies radical feminist period, the period period? Yeah, 117 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: I feel like Germaine Greer was kind of the original 118 00:06:53,760 --> 00:07:00,799 Speaker 1: period pride leader because in her book The Email Eunuch, 119 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: she wrote quote, if the idea makes you sick, you've 120 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: got a long way to go, baby. And the idea, friends, 121 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: that Greer is talking about, is tasting your own menstrual blood. Yeah. 122 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: I had to have a moment. I've read that before 123 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: and and every time I've read it, I have to 124 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: take a moment and think, like, am I really my 125 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: self hater? Do I hate women? Do I hate my body? 126 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: If I don't want to taste my menstrual blood. And 127 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 1: then I thought of all of the other things that 128 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: come out of my body on a regular basis, whether 129 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: it's regular blood, not that I'm bleeding all the time, 130 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: whether it's regular blood or sweat or like, yeah, who 131 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: knows what. It's not like I go around putting that 132 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: on sandwiches either. So I'm so glad for that, Caroline. 133 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: So I don't feel like that necessarily signals a discomfort 134 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: with my body. But German Gree, I get what you're saying. 135 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: But our bodies, ourselves, which came out originally in made 136 00:07:56,120 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: a great point about not necessarily needing to you see 137 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: what your own menstrual blood taste like, but embracing your 138 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: body and all of its fluids that naturally occur. Um. 139 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: So in our bodies ourselves, it says, quote, ignorance, uncertainty, 140 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: even at worst shame about our physical selves create in 141 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: us an alienation from ourselves that keeps us from being 142 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: the whole people we could be. Yeah, I meet behind 143 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,239 Speaker 1: that absolutely, And it seems like Caroline, in the past 144 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 1: couple of years, a lot of people who have periods 145 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: have really been embracing that our bodies ourselves, ethos of 146 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: period pride. We were talking to some women um last 147 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: week actually, and periods came up and someone commented, it 148 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: seems like menstruation is really having a moment right now, 149 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 1: and everyone said, yes. It seems like everywhere returned, especially 150 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,680 Speaker 1: on the internet. There is some kind of viral posts. 151 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: There's a hashtag, there's a controversial Instagram photo detailing frankly, 152 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: the occurrence of menstruation. Yeah, and it seems like this 153 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 1: is a wave that we've been riding. Do you see 154 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:14,960 Speaker 1: what I Yeah? I like that, Like you got that. 155 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: It seems like we've been writing this for a couple 156 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: of years now. It really sort of hit the media 157 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:24,560 Speaker 1: big time in because a couple of things happened. It 158 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: was like critical period mass um, a period of critical 159 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: period mass right period period period uh no, double space 160 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: after um. One of the great things that came out 161 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: of this was Hello Flows camp Gino commercial, which went 162 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,839 Speaker 1: live in July and has since been viewed more than 163 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: ten point four a million times, and it's really cute. Um. 164 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: It's if you haven't seen it already, it's featuring this 165 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: girl who she's the first girl at camp to get 166 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 1: her period. She becomes sort of a little tyrant, handing 167 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: out tampons and paths to people, and then she's dethroned. 168 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,079 Speaker 1: Be because you have the Hello Flow company that sends 169 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:07,079 Speaker 1: these care packages full of not only uh, period products 170 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 1: like tampons and stuff, but also candy. It's you can 171 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: get a little care package basically. And so it was 172 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: very cute and it was refreshingly not shocking, but just 173 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: kind of refreshingly open in the way that it was like, oh, 174 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: it actually uses the words vagina period. The little girl 175 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: calls getting her period the red badge of courage, which 176 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: is hilarious. Yeah. Before that, I don't think I'd ever 177 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:34,319 Speaker 1: seen such a public celebration of monarchy. Yeah. And then 178 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: on the heels of that and October, a feminist rap 179 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: trio with the PG thirteen name hand Job Academy came 180 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: out with a parody period that's hard to say at all, 181 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: parody period rap video called Shark Week came out blew 182 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: up the Internet. All of the lady blogs were blogging 183 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: and reblogging it, and sample lyrics, for instance include things 184 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: like bleeding int eleven and it feels like a werewolf 185 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:07,680 Speaker 1: is living in my uterus, which I love, which I love, 186 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: and it's and it's wonderful, and that you know, women 187 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,839 Speaker 1: women talking about their periods and being in your face 188 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: about their periods and trying to get people to get 189 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: over the quick factor of periods is nothing new, but 190 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: this is definitely a new medium. You know the rap 191 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 1: music well, the viral rap music video the Internet and 192 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 1: viral rap music by ladies. And then another bit of 193 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 1: imagery that people sort of freaked out about, which happened 194 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: in October as well, was artist and photographer Petrick Collins 195 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:43,560 Speaker 1: drawing It was an illustration, not a photo. It was 196 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,679 Speaker 1: suggestive of a woman on her period masturbating, and so 197 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: American Apparel put that on a T shirt and it 198 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: went viral. A ton of people saw it, and a 199 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: ton of people freaked out about it. Yeah, I don't 200 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 1: know how many of those shirts American Apparel actually sold 201 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: because US people seemed universally freaked out at the thought 202 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: of even seeing this imagery, much less wearing it. But 203 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: if anything, they succeeded in making a lot of headlines. 204 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 1: As American Parel, sweet probably all know, has been pretty 205 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: good at doing for better or worse. So what's going 206 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: on though, with all of these examples of this more 207 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: in your face period talk, well don't just take it 208 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: from us, you can take it from the creators of 209 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 1: all of this media going on. So, for instance, if 210 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 1: we look at hand Job Academy, Um Salon talked to 211 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: them about their Shark Week video and when Salon spoke 212 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 1: to Clear withdrawlt AK a Clear Business in the rap group, 213 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: she said that it was meant to clash with what 214 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 1: she called the breast cancer pink ization of culture, and 215 00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:59,959 Speaker 1: she goes on to say, quote everything is kind of pinterest. 216 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 1: You can't say vagina, you say the j J or 217 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: the jazzle. So I mean, from that perspective, there was 218 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 1: a desire to just speak frankly about how periods work 219 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 1: and happen and get messy and usually involve your vagina, right, 220 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: and not have to be cutesy about it or high 221 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 1: behind that pink ization as she calls it, and actually, 222 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:27,599 Speaker 1: like you said, just be frank about the fact that, 223 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:31,559 Speaker 1: oh yeah, my body does this. And talking about her illustration, 224 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 1: Petrick Collins told Vice that with your period, it's something 225 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: that you can seal, no one's supposed to know. It's 226 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,319 Speaker 1: almost pedophilic. And I don't want to throw that word around, 227 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 1: but this feminine ideology we have of the woman being 228 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: a pre pubescent girl is how we're taught to change 229 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: our bodies. And so here you just have people who 230 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 1: are saying, we've got to get over this idea that 231 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: women are like these squeaky clean robots who don't ever 232 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: have any sort of body all the function happening. Well, 233 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: and speaking of squeaky clean, I think it's also too 234 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: targeting that idea of periods as dirty and shameful. Um 235 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: and when it comes to monarchy with the Hello Flow campaign, 236 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,960 Speaker 1: not I'm a bloom who found it. Hello Flow told 237 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 1: the Hairpin about the making of that commercial quote. I 238 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: just wanted to talk about a true thing that happens, 239 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: to make an ad that women would actually recognize themselves 240 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 1: in to show that the reality of periods is not 241 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: this hidden, sanitized things where girls are wearing white pants 242 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: and riding horses in a meadow, which reminds me of 243 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: the classic imagery in tampon or maxipad commercials, where to 244 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: show how absorbent it is, they pour what is this 245 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:51,600 Speaker 1: blue liquid? Yeah, you don't, you don't have blue liquid 246 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: coming out of you I shouldn't go to the doctor. 247 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: I think I might. And of course the reason why 248 00:14:57,120 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: the liquid is blue and not red is because again, 249 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: period blood has been considered obscene, and not just on television, 250 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: but even on social media. And speaking of which, period 251 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: power got quite a jolt of energy or moon energy 252 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 1: from your moon cycle in thanks to Instagram. Yeah so, 253 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: artist Rupi Kaur posted a picture on Instagram that basically 254 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: featured It was a woman lying in bed um and 255 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 1: you could see her. She's facing away from you, and 256 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: you can see that she has period blood on the 257 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: back of her pants, and then there's also a stain 258 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 1: on the sheets. And Instagram took it off, not once, 259 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: but twice. And the artist is like, yeah, I I 260 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: knew that this would happen, and this is exactly what 261 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: I wanted. And so it created a huge stink and 262 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 1: people sort of took up the cause for for her, 263 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: and Instagram apologized, they reposted the pics and Ker responded, 264 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: thank you Instagram for provide me with the exact response. 265 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: My work was created to critique when your pages are 266 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: filled with countless photos and accounts where women, so many 267 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: of whom are under age, are objectified portified and treated 268 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: less than human. Thank you, And really with that, it 269 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: seemed like, especially when we go from more of an illustration, 270 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 1: more of a jokey thing in the vein of a 271 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 1: Shark Week or even Camp Gino, we've now entered a 272 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: new and more frank phase of period pride because that 273 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:39,800 Speaker 1: photo actually shows a woman on her period. So in 274 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: two thousand and two thousand fourteen, it seems like the 275 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:48,720 Speaker 1: groundwork was laid for today's period pride that is now 276 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:53,840 Speaker 1: the stuff of internet virality. I feel like we see 277 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: so regularly any kind of visual oriented post having anything 278 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: to do with menstruation that automatically blows up in social 279 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: media gets a million shares, and so people are creating 280 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: this stuff even more and online media outlets, I think 281 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: are looking for it even more. So. For example, over 282 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,719 Speaker 1: at BuzzFeed, Sammy Main and Dan Meth got together and 283 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: created something called good Night Mensies, which of course is 284 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: a play on the children's book good Night Moon. And 285 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:32,640 Speaker 1: they essentially took the illustrations and the structure of good 286 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: Night Moon and made it menstruation themed and it's kind 287 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:39,920 Speaker 1: of adorable. But the fact that they're making this specifically 288 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: for buzz feed, I think speaks to how periods have 289 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,679 Speaker 1: gone viral. Yeah, yeah, I don't think buzz feed does 290 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: anything that's not shareable in some way. Um, but artist 291 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 1: Georgia Gibson did her own photography project which I think 292 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 1: is fantastic, which also went viral, and it features pads 293 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: and tampons with red glitter, and it's so stunning. It's 294 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:10,680 Speaker 1: so visually stunning because it combines like, oh, sparkly glitter, 295 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: which is so like, you know, glitter is always like 296 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: cutesie and unicorns and stuff, with just the idea of 297 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: periods and menstruation and so, Gibson says, the title of 298 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 1: the piece, I Don't Only have Glitter in my Veins 299 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: was originally inspired by a boy who would compliment me 300 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: on all of these silly things like you're so pretty, 301 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:32,880 Speaker 1: you have glitter in your veins, But he would only 302 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 1: focus on pretty aspects of women and not their whole identity. 303 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,880 Speaker 1: So what a great way to sort of combine these 304 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: ideas of the cut sie and the pretty and the 305 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,679 Speaker 1: sterile and the sanitized with like, oh, hey, I have 306 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:47,439 Speaker 1: periods and you need to deal with it. Yeah. So 307 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 1: here's here's some sample text. Good night, laptop and sweatpants. 308 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: Good Night to the lamp, good night, pitiful bed nest 309 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,159 Speaker 1: where you suffered through cramps, good night blanket checking you in, 310 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 1: Goodnight Eve for this original sin, good night stars, good 311 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 1: night air, good night noises everywhere. I'd read that to 312 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 1: some child. I'm not a parent, but you know, well, 313 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: you know, if a if a friend of yours is 314 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: on her period, you can call her up skype er, 315 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:21,160 Speaker 1: FaceTime or reader. Good night mencies might might ease the pain. Yeah, hush, hush, Now, 316 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: let me read this this, this story to you of 317 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 1: of your period. Put away, y'll cheetos, your sweatpant. Lets 318 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: me read to you. Well, so they're not the only 319 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: ones talking about periods in a really kind of funny 320 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 1: and cute way that ends up going viral. You've also 321 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:40,919 Speaker 1: got artist Georgia Gibson who did a photography project called 322 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 1: I Don't Only Have Glitter in My Veins and it 323 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: features um really shiny, sparkly red glitter on things like 324 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: tampons and pads. And she was saying that she was 325 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 1: inspired by a guy who would compliment compliment her all 326 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 1: the time, saying silly things like you're so pretty, you 327 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 1: have glitter in your rains. But she says he would 328 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: only focus on pretty aspects of women and not their 329 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:07,479 Speaker 1: whole identity, and so it is sort of visually arresting, 330 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:09,920 Speaker 1: not in the way that like petrock Collins illustration is 331 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 1: visually arresting, but just like seeing something that's like red 332 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: glitter that's so frequently associated with you know, crafting and 333 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: magical girliness, and have it be read and have it 334 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: beyond tampons and pads. I think it's it's an excellent 335 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 1: um juxtaposition. And honestly it has me wondering why you know, 336 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:33,359 Speaker 1: glittery menstrual products don't exist. I mean, I know the 337 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: answer is you don't want glitter stuck in your bolva, 338 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: I know, because you can never get glitter off. You 339 00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 1: really can't. I mean, a glitter tampon is a horrible idea, 340 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:48,120 Speaker 1: but so cute. So you know, maybe a glittery rapper, Yeah, 341 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: it could be nice, and then everyone would know that 342 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: you're on your period because you'd have a little glitter 343 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 1: hands glass half fall. It would still be the silent 344 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: rapper it though, because God forbid a woman in the 345 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 1: stall next you knows that you're having your period. Yeah. Well, 346 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: another artist too who got some Internet fame using her 347 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 1: period blood, as Jen Lewis, who kind of went Germaine 348 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: greer with her project. She used menstrual blood and then 349 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:26,360 Speaker 1: suspended it in liquid and took photos of it. It's beautiful. Yeah, 350 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: I mean it is beautiful because she was saying she 351 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 1: got the idea she was using a menstrual cup and 352 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 1: was emptying it out and sort of got the idea 353 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: of like, oh, look how it's how it is in 354 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: the water. It just like goes in and spreads out. 355 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: It's kind of like paint. Wait a second. And I 356 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: do think that these different kinds of projects that are 357 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:49,919 Speaker 1: playing with either actual menstrual blood or the idea of 358 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:54,959 Speaker 1: menstruation and all the cultural baggage it has, are serving 359 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,920 Speaker 1: a good purpose of normalizing this thing that even still 360 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 1: is so taboo that a lot of people still feel 361 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 1: a lot of shame and hesitation around in a way 362 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 1: that isn't as I think, unnecessarily shocking, as say, showing 363 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 1: an illustration of you know, someone masturbating on their period, 364 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: which is clearly intended more to shock than educate, I 365 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,680 Speaker 1: would argue, Yeah, And I think the overall or underlying whichever, 366 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,719 Speaker 1: The underlying tone of a lot of this is that 367 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 1: people are just sort of fed up at the idea of, 368 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,480 Speaker 1: like you said, periods being gross, periods being dirty, periods 369 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: being secret, that you should be ashamed somehow that you 370 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 1: know it makes you crazier, limits your ability as a 371 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 1: woman to function um. And that's why you get people 372 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,800 Speaker 1: like the fabulous women behind Dear Kate's underwear and thinks 373 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:53,119 Speaker 1: period panties, UM, people who are just saying, like, no, 374 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: this is a thing that happens. This is a natural 375 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,440 Speaker 1: part of your body that just happens, and so let's 376 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: find a great way to deal with it and not 377 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 1: have to stop what we're doing, not have to worry 378 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,639 Speaker 1: about throwing our underwear out or staining our pants or 379 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,679 Speaker 1: anything like this. Let's let's function within it and not 380 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: try to avoid it, all of which I think are 381 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:19,480 Speaker 1: fantastic initiatives. Which leads us full circle to hashtag live 382 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: tweet your period, which, yes, it is a legit hashtag, 383 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 1: like we said, The New York Times covered it, and 384 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,920 Speaker 1: Jenna Wortham, writing about it UM for The Times, wrote, 385 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:35,200 Speaker 1: on the surface, the hashtag seems like little more than 386 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 1: communal commiseration, but to me it felt like something bigger, 387 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: a micro protest against a modern paradox. Social media is 388 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 1: saturated with images of hyper sexualized women, but these are 389 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:51,359 Speaker 1: rarely considered a scandalous as the content that dares to 390 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:55,680 Speaker 1: reveal how a woman's body actually functions. Yeah, and so 391 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: you get tweets like scientific fact salt and vinegar chips 392 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 1: tape forty six percent better when you're on your period. 393 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 1: Another one, which is totally a sympathetic tweet is oh 394 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 1: my god, my effing uterus hashtag live tweet your period 395 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:15,360 Speaker 1: or these ovaries ain't loyal hashtag live tweet your period. Honestly, 396 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: if you are ever on your period and are feeling 397 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: bummed about it, just google that hashtag and just read through, 398 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: because it really, I mean, there is that communal commiseration 399 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: aspect of it, and also the hilarity of the sometimes 400 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 1: ensues with life on your period. Sure, well, I you know, 401 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: I have an I U D and so I don't 402 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:40,479 Speaker 1: necessarily get a period every month. It's it's it's funny. Uh. 403 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 1: Sometimes I get a really heavy one, sometimes I don't 404 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: get one at all. Sometimes it's light. So it's like 405 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: the Goldilocks of periods. Um. But I can always tell 406 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: that stone's common because I will suddenly be hoovering up 407 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:56,639 Speaker 1: And I hate to be a stereotype, hate it, but 408 00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: I'm suddenly hoovering up anything that is chocolate or salty, 409 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 1: like like I've wanted it, like I've never wanted anything 410 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 1: before in my life. Well, Caroline, I mean it is 411 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:10,159 Speaker 1: a scientific fact, per cent yeter. So if you can 412 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:12,440 Speaker 1: send me a bag of salt and vinegar chips followed 413 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 1: by like a pack of Hershey Bars or something, or 414 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,600 Speaker 1: any any chocolate. Well, and speaking of I U d s. 415 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 1: I gotta tell you, Caroline, because of mine. I I've 416 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: had mine long enough that I never really ever ever 417 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:29,239 Speaker 1: have a period. So I honestly felt a little bit 418 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 1: left out when I was reading all of this time 419 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: about period bride and live tweeting your period and look 420 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: at all this stuff for periods, I'm like, well, I 421 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: don't even I don't even really have one anymore, which 422 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 1: I'm pumped about. Don't get me wrong. I love that 423 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:48,199 Speaker 1: about my Marina. But at the same time, I mean, 424 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: maybe I just like fake tweet my period. That okay, 425 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 1: a period poser. That's Okay, what's the what's the quote 426 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:57,040 Speaker 1: on the internet, no one knows you're a dog. I 427 00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 1: think that on the internet, nobody knows you don't have 428 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,880 Speaker 1: a period. Just it's fine, be part of the community. 429 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 1: So what do we think about this in the grander 430 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 1: scheme of things? Um and Freedman, whom we say all 431 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: the time, and he was also one of the leading 432 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: commentators on millennial ladydom these days. And I really hope 433 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 1: that if someone like informs her that I said that, 434 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 1: that she takes it as a compliment and not an insult, 435 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 1: because I love her writing and all of her insights. 436 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:31,679 Speaker 1: Um And one thing that has jumped out to me 437 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:36,879 Speaker 1: though with and Freedman's work is how pro period she 438 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:39,960 Speaker 1: is in the sense of saying, let's get real sometimes 439 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 1: periods are awful and debilitating and acknowledging that is okay 440 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 1: and it should be okay. Yeah. I love her personal 441 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:55,359 Speaker 1: nightmare pie chart that's split up into basically fears fears 442 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:59,119 Speaker 1: that a company your period, and a quarter is getting 443 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: attacked by arc because we are leaking period blood in 444 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:04,439 Speaker 1: the water. Another quarter of the pie is getting period 445 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:06,600 Speaker 1: blood on the passenger seat of a crush his car. 446 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 1: And then there are a couple of other ones. What 447 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 1: are the other ones? Getting period blood on a bar stool, 448 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 1: getting period blood on a friend's couch, and then finally 449 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 1: getting period blood on a lone remaining fair underwear without 450 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 1: period sayings which I've been there, you know, because sometimes 451 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: you get busy, but obviously that was in my my 452 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:31,399 Speaker 1: pre pre Marina days. Well, while you have somebody like 453 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: Ann Friedman who is saying periods are normal, but it's 454 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: also okay to not like your period or to be 455 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,639 Speaker 1: like so over it and what it does to your underwear. Um, 456 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 1: you've got somebody like Amanda Hess at Slate, who in 457 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: offered a slightly different perspective. She said, menstruation has been 458 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,680 Speaker 1: stigmatized as gross and embarrassing for so long that it's 459 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:54,440 Speaker 1: only natural to want to fight back with roaring pride. 460 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,159 Speaker 1: But trumping up the act of menstruating as a source 461 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: of power only gives fuel to the detractors who hope 462 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:04,880 Speaker 1: to define us by our bodies. And I get it. 463 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:10,200 Speaker 1: I read I read Hess's peace, um, and I understand 464 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:13,920 Speaker 1: the idea of like, hey, guys, there's there's no need 465 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:18,640 Speaker 1: to trump up your period as a powerful act because 466 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:23,640 Speaker 1: most people who have periods are getting them regardless. It's 467 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: not like a feminist act of like, this month, I'm 468 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:27,439 Speaker 1: going to have one and I'm going to be a 469 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:31,639 Speaker 1: better feminist for it. On the other hand, I absolutely 470 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:34,200 Speaker 1: support the idea of like, no, we're going to talk 471 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:36,240 Speaker 1: about this and talk about it and talk about it 472 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 1: and tweet about it and text about it until people 473 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:43,760 Speaker 1: are just not so grossed out by it. Yeah. I 474 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: think if anything, it's really dismantling that shame and dirtiness 475 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 1: factor around it. I mean, we haven't even touched on 476 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: and aren't going to go into detail on period sex 477 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 1: for instance, about how if a woman is on her period, 478 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:02,880 Speaker 1: like that's just such a big deal as to whether 479 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 1: or not her partner or even she is comfortable with 480 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: her even being naked in bed and enjoying sexual pleasure, 481 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: which I think is uh. It has been personally and 482 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:23,480 Speaker 1: also were publicly disheartening because it's like, why why does 483 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: this Why should this thing disqualify us from that one 484 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 1: week out of every month because it's dirty, No, it's not. 485 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: It shouldn't be considered something that doesn't belong in the bedroom. Well, then, 486 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 1: I mean we also have to mention the fact that 487 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 1: menstruation isn't every woman's experience. That's true and and not just. 488 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 1: And we don't just mean you know, women who are 489 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:51,600 Speaker 1: post menopausal who no longer get a period. We're also 490 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: talking about um, trans women who don't get periods, and 491 00:29:56,560 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 1: so the idea there's there's definitely a criticism there, the 492 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:07,680 Speaker 1: idea that menstruation equates to true womanhood, because that's it's 493 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:10,479 Speaker 1: just not true. Um. I don't think that you are 494 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: defined as a woman. I don't think you're defined by 495 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: menstruation right well, and by extension too, you have trans 496 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:22,520 Speaker 1: men who have periods, so by that virtue, obviously, periods 497 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: don't equal real womanhood um in absolute terms either. And 498 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: I think that that's where where the line starts to 499 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:33,479 Speaker 1: get crossed with period pride. I'm all for period pride 500 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: in terms of embracing, reclaiming, and destigmatizing menstruation. But to 501 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 1: then take it this step further and make it part 502 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: of identity, I think is where we get into the 503 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 1: troubled waters, so to speak, troubled shark infested water, troubled 504 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 1: shark infested waters absolutely well. Caroline, in the process of 505 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 1: recording this podcast, I have been internally confronting I think 506 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 1: some of my my own period nervousness, because I feel 507 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 1: like we've gone more T M I and Frank in 508 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: this episode than we have and probably most stuff I've 509 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 1: never told you episodes. I mean, we've talked about our 510 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 1: own personal periods and experiences with that, our period underwear 511 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: thoughts on period sex. I don't even get so personal. 512 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,120 Speaker 1: I'll even tell another period underwear story, all right, go 513 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 1: for I have this great pair of green undis that 514 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 1: I love. Um, they're great, bright green, but I never 515 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:33,480 Speaker 1: wear them because they have a stain on them, and 516 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 1: I just happened to wear them at one point. My 517 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 1: boyfriend was like, Oh, those are so cute. I've never 518 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: seen those before. Why don't you wear them? And I 519 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: was like, Um, I guess they're just always in the laundry. 520 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 1: Uh so so much like so much period embarrassment. They're 521 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 1: wrapped up in those underpants. So what do you think 522 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 1: is the best way then to show your period pride? Well, 523 00:31:55,480 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 1: you could take a queue from Mesopotamian women who painted 524 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 1: conception spell dolls with their minstrual blood. I was going 525 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 1: to do that this weekend. That is to say, maybe 526 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 1: we could all take a cue from some of the 527 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 1: artists and people who are creating some interesting period art. Carolina, 528 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 1: you to open up a period art at Sea Store. 529 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 1: I feel like I feel like you've got a little 530 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: glimmer in your eye. Well, no, that's the thing, Kristen, 531 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:25,960 Speaker 1: Like I said, with my I U D you never know, see, 532 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,560 Speaker 1: I wouldn't be like, I'm not a I'm not a 533 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 1: reliable source of of menstruation. Yeah, neither am I I'm 534 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 1: not reliable at all. Well, I guess maybe we need 535 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: to hear from more reliable sources of administruation listeners, that's you. 536 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: What do you think about period pride? And I also 537 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 1: want to hear from people who don't have periods, have 538 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:49,480 Speaker 1: never experienced periods, about this whole period pride thing. Does 539 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:54,120 Speaker 1: it totally weird you out? Mom Stuff at how stuff 540 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:57,040 Speaker 1: works dot Com is our email address, and if you 541 00:32:57,080 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 1: want to tweet us, you can do that at mom 542 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 1: Stuff pod asked or messages on Facebook. And we've got 543 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 1: a couple of non period related messages to share with 544 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 1: you right now. Well, I have a letter here from 545 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 1: Lacy on our Bisexual Erasure series. She says I was 546 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 1: struck by the advice columnists who told a married bisexual 547 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:24,920 Speaker 1: woman to essentially stay in the closet, And of course, 548 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: Lacy is referring to the Dear Prudence column that Kristen 549 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 1: and I talked about in an episode number one. UM. 550 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 1: She says, although I absolutely agree that no one should 551 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 1: have the right to tell someone else whether to come 552 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 1: out or not, in some ways I can see where 553 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:39,960 Speaker 1: she was coming from. I'm a bisexual woman who came 554 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:41,720 Speaker 1: out to most people in my life when I was 555 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 1: twenty two and single. Nine years later, I'm married a man. 556 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:47,400 Speaker 1: My husband knew I was bisexual from the start, and 557 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:50,160 Speaker 1: we talked about it on our first couple of dates. However, 558 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 1: now that we're married, it's true that my bisexual identity 559 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:56,959 Speaker 1: is mostly invisible. Were monogamous, most of the world assumes 560 00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: him straight, and I'm sure some of the people that 561 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 1: I came out to you have off my bisexuality as 562 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 1: a phase. I think some family members are even relieved 563 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 1: that because I married a man, they will never have 564 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:10,800 Speaker 1: to explain or defend my more complicated identity to acquaintances, coworkers, 565 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 1: and strangers. While bisexual arrachure is very real, I feel 566 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:17,520 Speaker 1: somewhat irritated by the implication that bisexual people have an 567 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 1: obligation to come out Because of it. I felt compelled 568 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:22,880 Speaker 1: to come out fairly widely when I was single because 569 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:24,719 Speaker 1: A I didn't want people to be shocked if I 570 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,400 Speaker 1: started dating a woman, and be I wanted folks to 571 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:29,840 Speaker 1: know I was open to meeting and entering into romantic 572 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,120 Speaker 1: relationships with people of any gender. But now that I'm married, 573 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 1: I do not come out as frequently as I used to. 574 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:37,880 Speaker 1: In particular, my husband's family and friends do not know 575 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,680 Speaker 1: that I'm bisexual, and I may not ever tell them. 576 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 1: This mostly has to do with privacy. I know some 577 00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:45,840 Speaker 1: of these people I haven't told harbor prejudice and assumptions 578 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,279 Speaker 1: about queer people, and would likely be troubled by a 579 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,280 Speaker 1: whole string of stereotypes about bisexuals that just don't apply 580 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 1: to me. I'm not going to leave my husband for 581 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,520 Speaker 1: a woman. We do not have threesomes, etcetera. I don't 582 00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:58,839 Speaker 1: feel as if it should be my responsibility to take 583 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:00,919 Speaker 1: it upon myself to etch a hate these people about 584 00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:04,520 Speaker 1: what bisexuals are quote unquote really like, because this ties 585 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:06,720 Speaker 1: into my private life and my past, which I should 586 00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:10,800 Speaker 1: be able to disclose only as into whom I see fit. Ultimately, 587 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:12,839 Speaker 1: the choice to come out or to keep coming out 588 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 1: is always a personal one. I have told the people 589 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: in my life who need to know the whole met 590 00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:19,480 Speaker 1: my husband, my friends, my family's I don't feel like 591 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:22,120 Speaker 1: I'm hiding if I don't tell every acquaintance I come across, 592 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:24,440 Speaker 1: if I don't share other intimate details of my life 593 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:27,279 Speaker 1: with them, why should I feel a duty to share this? 594 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,279 Speaker 1: So thank you lazy Well. I also have a letter 595 00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:33,719 Speaker 1: here on our bio Ratiare podcast from someone who would 596 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:37,799 Speaker 1: like to remain anonymous, who writes as a bisexual woman. 597 00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 1: I've become accustomed to assumptions, generalizations, and uncomfortable questions once 598 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 1: I've come out as bisexual. Actually, quite recently, my roommate 599 00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:48,600 Speaker 1: and I were having a conversation and they said that 600 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:51,200 Speaker 1: since I'm a bisexual woman currently in a relationship with 601 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 1: a man, that I'm no longer bisexual. On another occasion, 602 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:56,680 Speaker 1: at a party, a woman who I don't know trying 603 00:35:56,719 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 1: to force herself on me once she found out I 604 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 1: was bisexual. This by very clearly attending the party with 605 00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:06,040 Speaker 1: my own significant other. It's uncomfortable experiences such as these 606 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:08,839 Speaker 1: that make being bisexual unique challenge all on its own. 607 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:11,839 Speaker 1: Not being recognized by many communities only makes it more 608 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:14,160 Speaker 1: difficult due to the lack of a strong community and 609 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:19,360 Speaker 1: recognition that bisexuals deserve within the broad spectrum that is sexuality. 610 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:22,600 Speaker 1: And it's by no means trivializes any of the struggles 611 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 1: of those who identify as any other sexualities, but it's 612 00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:29,720 Speaker 1: fantastic to get some recognition and understanding on a larger scale. 613 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:33,920 Speaker 1: So thank you so much ladies for doing this podcast, 614 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 1: and thank you everyone for sharing your insights with us. 615 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:40,680 Speaker 1: Mom Stuff at how stub works dot com is our 616 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:43,600 Speaker 1: email address and brillnks all of our social media as 617 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,799 Speaker 1: well as all of our blogs, videos, and podcasts with 618 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:49,439 Speaker 1: this one with links to our sources, so you can 619 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:52,520 Speaker 1: check out all that period pride happening on the internet. 620 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:56,200 Speaker 1: Head on over to stuff Mom Never Told You dot 621 00:36:56,280 --> 00:37:02,400 Speaker 1: com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 622 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:11,880 Speaker 1: Isn't how stuff works dot com.