1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stop mom never told 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: you From housetop works dot Com. Hey, and welcome to 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: the podcast. This is Molly and I'm Kristen. Kristen is 5 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: true or false? We have best listeners in the world. 6 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: True course, it's true because you guys are so well spoken, 7 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: you are very thoughtful, and you write to us. We're 8 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: just loving what you guys have to say. And what's 9 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: kind of neat about our listeners is they have these 10 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: conversations with each other and they don't even realize it 11 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: because they're sending it all to us and we get 12 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: to see both sides of it. So UM. The most 13 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: recent conversation that's just been fascinating for kristimmy UM is 14 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 1: something that we're calling gross skate. Now a little background 15 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: on this. Uh we did a Shark episode about whether, um, 16 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: you would get attacked by shark if you were having 17 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: your period, and the word gross was used in reference 18 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: to menstruation, which prompted many listeners to write in and say, 19 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: you know what, this is not gross. You shouldn't be 20 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: using There were gross in relation to menstruations natural. We 21 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: need to talk about it, so on and so right, 22 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: we need to address it in a more mature and 23 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: honest way because it is a you know, natural function 24 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: of a woman's body exactly, and so um Kristen made 25 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: a correction as such on another episode, which prompted more 26 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: listeners to write and say, what say, um, you know this, 27 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: this is really gross, Like, don't pretend it's not gross, 28 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: Like taking a poo is natural. But I'm not going 29 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: to sit here and say that's not gross. And uh. 30 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: And one email that comes to my molly is from 31 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: a male listener who pointed out that you know, he 32 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: does he thought that, yeah, periods are gross, but he 33 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: also thinks that semens gross and evidently, you know, it's 34 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: uh the release of it as part of his you know, 35 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: daily routine. So he was like, I mean, I'm not 36 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: He was like, I'm not trying to discriminate against periods. 37 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: It's just just a gross bodily fluid. Yeah, and we 38 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: have periods once a month, whereas that sounded a little 39 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: more daily. Yeah, So why is it so taboo to 40 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: talk about a period because you never see it mentioned? 41 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: You never, I mean, it's not part of popular culture discussions, 42 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: and even in comedy Molly, um, a lot of bodily 43 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: fluids like poop and p and even semen show up 44 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: fairly regularly, and especially in like things like jet Avatale films. 45 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: But you you may brought the point that, um, you 46 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: found a blog post recently that said that the movie 47 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: super Bad was like the first real kind of graphic 48 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: menstruation joke that was made. In case you guys haven't 49 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 1: seen it, there's a scene where a girl is wearing 50 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: white pants and she's grinding on a guy, and you know, 51 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: she gets her period, and you can put the rest together. 52 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: And that was really the first time, I mean in 53 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: two thousand eight when it came out, that's the first 54 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 1: time that we're really having you know, kind of it's 55 00:02:54,960 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: really entering comedy. And even in nineteen seventy three, the 56 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: first sitcom to have a period related plot line came 57 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: around with an episode of All in the Family where 58 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 1: Suzanne Summer's character gets her period, and uh, that episode 59 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: got more viewer mail than any other in the history 60 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: of All in the Family because viewers were so disgusted 61 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 1: that they would even mention periods on national television mentioned 62 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: the unmentionable. Yeah, in the seventies and all in the 63 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: family like, that's not like that couldn't be the only 64 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 1: hate mail they were getting about it. So anyway, and 65 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: if it is in popular culture, it's used as this 66 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: insults like you know, a woman is moody, she you 67 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: know exactly. Um. And that's also carried over into real life. 68 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: You think about allegations lobbied at women who are running 69 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: for higher office, like oh, you know, I hope the 70 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: bomb doesn't go off when she's having her period. How 71 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: will she deal with it? No? Yeah, so why so 72 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: we have, Yeah, the this whole like idea of menstruation 73 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: being gross or it's used as some kind of an 74 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: insult against women. There's just this whole taboo around it. 75 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: And we didn't come up with this idea of you know, 76 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: the menstrual taboo. It's actually um an accepted term. Right, 77 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: So we're gonna talk about the menstrual taboo. And Kristen 78 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: I the question when I was researching this, is menstruation 79 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 1: the last taboo? Yeah, I'm gonna argue yes, Yeah, I 80 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: would say from our research, I would agree with that 81 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: as far as something that is found in so many 82 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: different cultures and still lingers today, right. I mean, this 83 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: is something that you know, women go through, and yet 84 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 1: we still can't talk about it. I can't think of 85 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: a mail equivalent of that. Yeah, I mean even you know, 86 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: erectile dysfunction is on during primetime. So let's go back, 87 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: let's go Let's go to anthropology first. So there's this 88 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: book called Blood Magic Um The Anthropology of Menstruation by 89 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: Thomas Buckley and Alma Gottlieb if I'm pronouncing that last 90 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: name correct and uh. And they're talking about there looking 91 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: for menstruation taboos and different cultures, and they find that 92 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: from all the studies from all these different tribes, the 93 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:08,600 Speaker 1: menstruation taboos are nearly universal than in some form or another, 94 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: every society has some kind of menstruation taboo about you know, 95 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: either you know, sending the women away to a special 96 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: hut while they're on um their period, or um thinking 97 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: that assuming that women have some kind of special um 98 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: power that they have during their period, that some kind 99 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: of purification process. Right, And when it comes to actual women, 100 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: like Kristen said, it can either be something kind of 101 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: good for the woman, like she's having this kind of 102 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: mystical experience, she's in sort of a holy place, she's transforming, 103 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: or it can be just that the woman is kind 104 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: of a demon, which is sort of the modern stereotype. 105 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: If you want to say, like, you know, a woman 106 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: can't be president because she's on our period, it's either 107 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,919 Speaker 1: the sign of weakness starts the sign of empowerment. But 108 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: regardless of how they feel about the women, UM, the 109 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: actual blood itself is always associated with evil forces. The 110 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,040 Speaker 1: actual product is considered you know, a waste product, something 111 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: something gross for lack of a better word, and uh 112 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: and then carrying forward to today, a lot of those uh, 113 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: those taboos have created this set of cultural givens if 114 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: you will, about UM periods. There was UM. One source 115 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: that we found said that there are more than a 116 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty English terms and phrases that we used 117 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: to discuss periods, all those period euphemisms like aunt, flow, etcetera. 118 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: And most of them either focus on just the cyclical 119 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: nature of of periods or um sexual and availability, discomfort 120 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: and inconvenience. So overwhelmingly these UM, these cultural cultural ideas 121 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 1: of menstruation UM usually carry negative connotations. Right, you never say, oh, 122 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: joy a period. Well, I'm all you could say, you 123 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 1: could use the phrase I've got my flower. Um, you 124 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: want me to throw out some of some of these 125 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: on eight. Yes, this is gonna be fun for everyone. Okay, 126 00:06:56,279 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 1: we've got old, faithful, cyclical nature. We got safe again. Okay, 127 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: so that pregnancy exactly, this one that you and I 128 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: had never heard before, the old cotton bicycle. Yes, I 129 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: did not realize I was ever riding a cotton bicycle. Yeah. 130 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: Then there's the tides in Eve's curse, which is UM. 131 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: I think that one needs to be banished from our terminology, 132 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: UM indisposed UM riding a white horse, which you might 133 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: want to qualify if you say that you're riding the 134 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: white horse, because people might, you know, send you off 135 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: to rehab instead of by a pack of tampons. UM. 136 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: And then they're the monthlies and the red flag is up. 137 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: And then some of the ones we were talking about 138 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: from our own childhood. I believe that you were told 139 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: that you had a visitor come. Yeah, when my when 140 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: my older sister, I know, if this is tum I 141 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 1: for our audience, But when my oldest sister UM found 142 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 1: out that, uh, you know, monarchy had descended upon me. Um, 143 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: she uh. She came up to me and said, Kristen, 144 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 1: I heard, I heard he had a visitor last night. 145 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: And I was so confused. And then she and I 146 00:07:57,440 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: asked her what the what she was talking about, and 147 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: she said, you know, aunt flow, And I was just befuddled. 148 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: Maybe it was because I was you know, homes a 149 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: little times, just didn't didn't really get it. But then 150 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: she explained it to me, and at first I was horrified, 151 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: But then you know, I felt like I was also 152 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: being initiated you know into uh into the conger women, 153 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: you know, the conger claim my mom and my two 154 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 1: lital sisters, and now i'd i'd finally become a woman too. 155 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: But because we don't really have great terms to stick 156 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 1: on it, it's kind of like this wordless initiation. Even 157 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: when you think about advertisements about getting your period, you know, um, 158 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: it's usually like a blue liquid that they're pouring onto 159 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: paths to show how absorbent they are, or the bouncing 160 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 1: red dot scene, or like the latest ones where Mother 161 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: Nature comes to visit this girl and she's just like 162 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: a woman dressed up as a fairy. Yeah, like if 163 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: you're a young girl trying to figure out what's going 164 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: on with your body? How is that going to help you? 165 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: You have to like, you know, swim through all these 166 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,839 Speaker 1: figure out all these euphemisms, you know, to actually get 167 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: to the point of like, oh, they're talking about talking 168 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 1: about periods, so much like let's go, let's try back 169 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: in time and figure out where this menstrual taboo started. Um, 170 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: because it's got a pretty ex sense of history, it 171 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: really does. And I think that once you learn about 172 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 1: the history, you kind of understand why no one ever 173 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: talked about it, because people just had no clue what 174 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: was going on. But to some extent, that's because women 175 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: didn't really have that many periods back in the old 176 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 1: hunter gatherer days. Yeah, and hunter gatherer days, um, not 177 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: only were women, you know, were women's lifespans much shorter 178 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 1: than they were now, and women were getting their periods 179 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: much later than girls do today, more in their UM 180 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: in their teens than in say, like eleven twelve years old. 181 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: But um, according to an article by Tracy Clark Floory 182 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: called the End of Menstruation and Hunter Gatherer Days, women 183 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: had um only about a hundred and sixty periods in 184 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 1: their lifetime because a lot of the times they were 185 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 1: either pregnant or breastfeeding, right, And that's something we did 186 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: talk about briefly, and um, do you need to have 187 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 1: a period every month? Where we talked about how just 188 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 1: women are having more periods. But then because these hunter 189 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: gather women are spending so much time pregnant, the fact 190 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: that you are having a period immediately becomes kind of worthless. 191 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 1: This is from a book called is Menstruation Obsolete? And 192 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: they were talking about since ancient civilization, if women are 193 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,239 Speaker 1: are having the babies, if that's their primary role in society, 194 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,320 Speaker 1: then um, you know, having a period, it's kind of 195 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 1: almost like a loss. Yeah. And the women who were 196 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: having periods obviously were the ones who were unmarried and 197 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: not bearing children, so they were the prostitutes basically. Very 198 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: early on, there was I kind of this link with 199 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: the loose woman and a period. Yeah, and um, and 200 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: so it's it starts to carry this, uh, this negative 201 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: connotation far back in time. For instance, Uh, the Persians 202 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: allowed women four days in isolation to have their periods, 203 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: and if they weren't finished with it by then, they 204 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: were given a hundred lashes and then sent back into 205 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: seclusion for five more days because They thought that it 206 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: was some kind of you know, purification process they were 207 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:52,560 Speaker 1: getting rid of, you know, evil spirits, and that if 208 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 1: it wasn't done by then, that they needed to have 209 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: it lashed out of them. Hurry up your hurry up 210 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: your purification girls. Now and looking at the history of menstruation, 211 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:04,719 Speaker 1: we have sort of one bright shining light, and that's Hippocrates, 212 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: a man before his time who did see menstruation as 213 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: positive because it was a cleansing process, although he did 214 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 1: think that what was coming out we're bad humors, Yeah, 215 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: because they don't really understand that. Like back then, they 216 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: understood that it was some kind of cyclical thing that 217 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: happened to most women, and they knew that it had 218 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: something to do with pregnancy because it was only until 219 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: after a girl had um her first period that they 220 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: would you know, she would be considered um marriageable. But 221 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: they didn't really understand why this was happening because it 222 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: doesn't seem it wouldn't seem natural for you know, for 223 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,959 Speaker 1: blood be coming out of a girl's china every twenty 224 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: eight days. Um. So then we come up to Pliny 225 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:44,719 Speaker 1: and who wrote the who wrote natural History, which was 226 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: civilization's first encyclopedia, and he can't stand periods. Um get this, Molly. 227 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: He he blames periods for blighted crops, killed bees, wine 228 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 1: turned vinegar, dimmed mirrors, blunted razors, et cetera. Basically, a 229 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: woman on her period is going to ruin your life, 230 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: so you should stay away. And it really wasn't until 231 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 1: the fourteen hundreds that natural history, the information in natural 232 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: history was questioned in full. So here's another um genius 233 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: in action. Then she thought that menstrual blood turned into 234 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: breast milk. I kinda like that, you know, if I 235 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 1: didn't know what was going on, I think that's a 236 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: nice assumption. He thought that the the um, like a 237 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:29,440 Speaker 1: woman's reproductive system in her breast, were somehow connected. So basically, 238 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: after you stop having the periods to have your baby, 239 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: at some point it goes up. Yeah, I don't know 240 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: about that. Yeah, you know, it's a fun, fun fact 241 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,439 Speaker 1: though it was a fun fact, But it also goes 242 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 1: to show for such you know, genius of his time, 243 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 1: he's still you know, the idea of a woman's body 244 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: was still very very unknown and very mystical. Yeah, it 245 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: wasn't until they started dissecting bodies you know, kind of 246 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: around that time that they actually see like, oh, women 247 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:01,439 Speaker 1: have this totally different reproductive anatomy m H and uh. 248 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: And then not until the eighteenth century, with the invention 249 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: of the microscope, do you start to have a better 250 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: understanding of the process of menstruation, of why, you know, 251 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: what's actually going on with the uterine lining and the 252 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 1: shedding and all of that. And nineteen o five, nineteen 253 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: o five, that's just why a hundred and five years ago, basically, okay, 254 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: scientists didn't understand until then that there were changes in 255 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: the uterus that were um responding to hormones. We like 256 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: to joke about hormones. No one knew about the mutil 257 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: five and molly. Not only that, but they weren't even 258 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: calling them hormones at the time. They just referred to 259 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: them as some kind of secretions from the ovaries. And 260 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 1: it wasn't until nineteen twenty nine that we have progesterone, 261 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: one of the most important hormones a gets our periods 262 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:52,360 Speaker 1: kicked off, discovered co Tex events is first maxipad and 263 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:55,560 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty six Tampacs invents the first tampon with an 264 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: applicator in a string. Now I will say, we get 265 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 1: tons of requests for the history of the tampon, and 266 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:03,319 Speaker 1: we will definitely do this at some point, but we're 267 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 1: gonna stick on our cultural track and come back to 268 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,080 Speaker 1: how women have contained their periods at a different time. So, really, 269 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:11,960 Speaker 1: when it comes down to it, only in the past 270 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 1: hundred years or so have we even figured out what's 271 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: going on with periods, you know, but we still have 272 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: this lingering cultural taboo that's lasted for millennia. Yeah, and 273 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: I guess that makes a lot more sense when you 274 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: realize that they had no idea what's going on. Fear 275 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: of the unknown. You're not gonna immediately celebrate something that 276 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 1: just freaks you out right. And going back to that 277 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: idea that you said, it's it's linked to, you know, 278 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 1: the unmarried women who aren't having children, who are still 279 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: having their periods, that it becomes, you know, establishes this 280 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: idea of of you know, a negative process. But we 281 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: should point out that not every culture finds it negative. 282 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: While every culture has kind of a taboo, and some 283 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: of them are positive or negative related to the woman. 284 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: What was interesting to me is Kristen found um the 285 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: origin of the word taboo, which is Polynesian, which means 286 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: both holy and forbidden. So therefore the opposite of it 287 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: would be profane or common. Yeah, we think of a 288 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: taboo is something that's, um, that's bad, and the opposite, 289 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: you know, an antonym of taboo would be you know, 290 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: something positive. But it actually has more of a mystical 291 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: route because going back to those um, those early tribes, Um, 292 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: like we said it, it seemed like the women were 293 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: sent away to huts and in some situations weren't allowed 294 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 1: to see the sun or have contact with other people because, um, 295 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: they thought that when period came, they were um, you know, 296 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: in contact with some kind of you know, just mystical power, 297 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 1: and they wouldn't want to um infiltrate that by having 298 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: contact with people who were just you know, just commoners. Yeah, 299 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: and especially keep the men away from them so that 300 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: they're not influenced by this. Yeah. There's also this idea, yeah, 301 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: that that a a menstruating woman can also take away 302 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: the power some kind of power from men as well, 303 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: which is kind of interesting. But um, you know, sometimes 304 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: I think we put our I put my modern glasses 305 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 1: on at least and say, you know, if they're secluding 306 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: a woman in a hut. That may sound like they're 307 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: doing something that benefits the one, but it's really not. 308 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: I mean, I I don't think you should isolate a 309 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: woman from their tribe, but you did find one instance, 310 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: um with these tribes in Venezuela and Western Canada, where 311 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: it was actually kind of nice from be secluded because 312 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: that's when they had all their affairs and they were autonomous. 313 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 1: I mean, they had no one tilling on what to do. 314 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: They lived in this hut and could kind of just 315 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: be themselves. And it was also kind of like a 316 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: mini vacation because if they're secluded away in this hut, 317 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: then they don't have to do their normal chores. Um. 318 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 1: You know, it's probably backbreaking work. So once a month 319 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 1: they get to uh you know, it's like moms taking 320 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: a break at the spa or something, but much different 321 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: from the spa. Uh So some of these other traditions 322 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: Carrier Indians in British Columbia, you're left alone for three 323 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 1: to four years in the wilderness at the time of 324 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 1: your monarchy, I mean monarchy rights kind of you know, 325 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: we probably just got like ice cream from our mom, right. 326 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: Well I didn't get ice cream mom, I think I 327 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:10,240 Speaker 1: got ice, screams, I just got picked on by my 328 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 1: older sisters. Um. But you know, imagine being sent up 329 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 1: to the wilderness for three to four years. Yeah. And 330 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: then the reason why um, the carrier Indians do that 331 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: is because they don't want the girls footsteps to defile 332 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:24,679 Speaker 1: the tries past. So that kind of is linked with 333 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 1: the more negative connotations of the menstrual taboo. And then 334 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 1: in Cambodia, some um, some groups people will um send 335 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 1: a girl away for a hundred days UM when she 336 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 1: has her monarchy. And then uh in India, in some 337 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: places um monarchy means a four day seclusion without the 338 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,880 Speaker 1: girl touching the ground or seeing the sun, because they 339 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 1: feel like she is in a state suspended between heaven 340 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:55,920 Speaker 1: and earth and she becomes a woman. Now, sometimes these 341 00:17:55,920 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: ceremonies can um turn on unfortunately, like often at all, 342 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: mute mutilation is done at the time of your first period, 343 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: and so even to you know, it's still sort of 344 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:09,439 Speaker 1: that that double edged to doors. Some culture see it 345 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 1: as this very positive thing, you're becoming a woman, you're mature, 346 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: and then some see it as this time to basically 347 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:20,400 Speaker 1: cut off your weakness and isolate you, cut off your gentil, etcetera. 348 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 1: And even today, um uh, menstruation can be a big 349 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: problem for girls, especially in developing countries, because there aren't 350 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 1: sanitation facilities available at schools especially for them to or 351 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 1: hygiene products available for them to be able to deal 352 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: with their period and be able to go to school. 353 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 1: And um. For instance, there is a World Health Organization 354 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: report from A two thousand four says that of the 355 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,359 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty million children currently not enrolled in school worldwide, 356 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: six are girls. Because a lot of times in these 357 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,439 Speaker 1: very rural areas, UM, when girls have their period, they 358 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,120 Speaker 1: have to stay home. And if you're staying home one 359 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 1: week out of every month, that's adding up, you know, 360 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: to a huge educational gap, and they're basically having become 361 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:09,360 Speaker 1: school dropouts because of of their periods. And so there 362 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,479 Speaker 1: are some efforts to provide more more sanitation facilities and 363 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: more um more you know, tampons and pads for girls 364 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:21,119 Speaker 1: be able to to do that. And I will say, um, 365 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,920 Speaker 1: I've learned that tampons and pads are one of the 366 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,160 Speaker 1: best things to donate to homeless shelters because that's something 367 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 1: that sort of overlooked when you don't have a home 368 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,360 Speaker 1: you sort of you know, we take having that bathroom 369 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 1: counter of tampons for granted, Yeah, but only for some women, 370 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 1: especially in um, the western world. Uh. We have the 371 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:43,120 Speaker 1: choice now to have a period or not at all, 372 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: because with certain birth control options that we've talked about 373 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: before on other podcasts, Uh, women either have fewer periods 374 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 1: every year or eliminates your period altogether, which is also 375 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: a point of contention among women, much the same way 376 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: that gross or not gross is because some would argue, 377 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: why are you getting rid of the one thing that 378 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,360 Speaker 1: kind of makes you a woman, which we also touched 379 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: on that podcast. Um. But you know, I think that 380 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 1: having the period is still linked with having children. I 381 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,639 Speaker 1: mean I remember very early on thinking, Okay, I have 382 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:15,959 Speaker 1: to put up with this once a month, and then 383 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: one day, far down the road, I can have kids, 384 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:20,640 Speaker 1: which is a weird thing to tell yourself in middle school. 385 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:23,920 Speaker 1: But you know, that is sort of like the bargain 386 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: that I think women make when they're having their period. 387 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 1: Which is why I wanted to ask questions. We've had 388 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:31,400 Speaker 1: a few listeners right in and say I never want 389 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:34,919 Speaker 1: to have children. Enough with society glorifying children, what's your 390 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:37,959 Speaker 1: relationship with your period, like yeah, if that's not too personal, 391 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: type out and sent to me well. And also, you know, 392 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: I think it is important for for girls, especially younger girls, 393 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:47,400 Speaker 1: to be able to um, to have discussions about frank 394 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: discussions about periods and not have to you know, not 395 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:52,919 Speaker 1: have it associated with this you know, time of you know, 396 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 1: hiding away and you know all the pain and cramping 397 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:00,200 Speaker 1: and moodiness that may or may not go along with it, um, 398 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,680 Speaker 1: because it is something you know that, like you said, 399 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 1: that is a defining part of being a female, right. 400 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: It's almost we're talking earlier about how it's kind of 401 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: a double edged towards you don't want any boy to 402 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 1: know you've had your period. Yeah, but when you go 403 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 1: around with like your friends at middle school, it's like, 404 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:18,879 Speaker 1: you definitely want a padri period, yeam only I definitely. 405 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 1: I remember UM being around that age of like eleven, twelve, 406 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 1: thirteen and being in conversations with girls where we go 407 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:27,719 Speaker 1: around and ask, you know, how do you had your 408 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,159 Speaker 1: period or not? And you didn't want to be the 409 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 1: odd girl out you hadn't had it. I mean, it 410 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: is this definite ride of passage. But then as you 411 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,880 Speaker 1: get older, you know, you don't want it to ever 412 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:42,680 Speaker 1: seem like it's any kind of hindrance, even though sometimes 413 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 1: you do have debilitating cramps and mood swings and UM 414 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 1: it is a pain too, you know, change your champ 415 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,680 Speaker 1: on every couple of hours. UM. But at the same time, UM, 416 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: having a positive UM view on menstruation and having a 417 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 1: personal comfort level with being able to deal with it 418 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 1: and being able to talk about it does seem to 419 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 1: have benefits not only for women but also for men. 420 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:10,199 Speaker 1: For instance, UM, there was a study in the Annals 421 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: of Sexual Behavior that came out in two thousand three 422 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 1: that UM found that a comfort with personal sexuality was 423 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: associated with a comfort with menstruation as a normal, publicly 424 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,200 Speaker 1: acceptable event. And it seems like that kind of goes 425 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:25,879 Speaker 1: into this idea of being able to UM, you know, 426 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,879 Speaker 1: accepting as a woman, accepting how your body works and 427 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:32,680 Speaker 1: dealing with it and kind of owning it. Yeah, it's 428 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:35,679 Speaker 1: still this very fine line, Christen, where we want everyone 429 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:37,919 Speaker 1: to be accepting of it, to understand how it works. 430 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:39,679 Speaker 1: But it's still you know, it's still not something that 431 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: I want to have UM come up in polite conversation, 432 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:45,440 Speaker 1: so that I think that's sort of The big divide 433 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: is how do you have the honest conversation about it 434 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: without it being kind of crude to bring up. Yeah. 435 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: I mean, like my colleg dreammate and I were best friends, 436 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: but as far as we were both concerned, the other 437 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: one never had to go number two or have a 438 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,199 Speaker 1: period because it just wasn't discussed. But I mean, if 439 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 1: if I should have been able to talk about it 440 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: with anyone, it probably should have been her. Yeah. But 441 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: as my mom would always say, there was a time 442 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 1: and a place for everything true. So we have tried 443 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 1: to make this a place to start a conversation about menstruation. Yeah, 444 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: so we want to hear from you. Guys. Do you 445 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: think that menstruation is the last taboo? I mean, Molly 446 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: and I crazy in thinking that, um, it's time for 447 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 1: us to get over it and uh, you know, be 448 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 1: open and frank about our periods if we if we 449 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,679 Speaker 1: need to be or want to be. Um, and guys, 450 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: what do you think? Are you completely horrified that you 451 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:44,360 Speaker 1: now know stories about mine and Molly's menstrual experience and um, 452 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 1: you know where if they're if they're even listening, if 453 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:52,120 Speaker 1: you've gotten through this guy's kudos go UM, so yeah, 454 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:54,399 Speaker 1: right to us. We would like to hear from you 455 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:56,920 Speaker 1: on this topic because it's kind of an open discussion. 456 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 1: Molly and I just kind of wanted to open it up. 457 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: See the history of mentional taboo and why it is 458 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,960 Speaker 1: that that it's still kind of lingers today. So I 459 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 1: would for your responses, yeah to mom stuff at house 460 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:12,440 Speaker 1: suffolks dot com. We'll go ahead and read some responses 461 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: to people who have are you written us sly. I'm 462 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: going to start out this week's listener Mail segment UM 463 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 1: with a correction from our podcast do Strorities Get a 464 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 1: Bad rap Um? In that episode, we said that two 465 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 1: girls UM died while rushing the sorority Delta Sigma Theta. 466 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: I was wrong. That should actually have been the sorority 467 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: Alpha Kappa Alpha. That happened a couple UM a few 468 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:38,200 Speaker 1: years ago. Actually, UM and I also have a couple 469 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 1: other emails in response to that podcast, and the first 470 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: one comes from Bailey and she said that she went 471 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: to an all women's college UM that was on a 472 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: coordinate system within all men's college. So although I took 473 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: classes with men, participated in clubs with men, lived on 474 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 1: the same dorms, as men, my diploma, deans, college colors 475 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:59,440 Speaker 1: and traditions were different from those of my male colleagues. 476 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: Will their fraternities on campus. My colleges constitution forbid sororities. 477 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:07,640 Speaker 1: Approximately every four years some woman challenges this, and each 478 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: time the majority of the student body rejects the challenge. 479 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 1: Many of us felt that since our school is all 480 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 1: women and is in some ways its own sisterhood um 481 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 1: with its own traditions in history, a sorority would be 482 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: a superfluous, would be superfluous, and might even break up. 483 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,520 Speaker 1: Are fairly small and cohesive student body. I would not 484 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:26,879 Speaker 1: have personally joined a sorority if it had existed, but 485 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,160 Speaker 1: my parents were both Greeks, and I was inducted um 486 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:34,400 Speaker 1: into two academic honor societies that evolved out of traditional 487 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,439 Speaker 1: Greek societies. So perhaps one of the consequences of the 488 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: bad reputation of sororities could be campuses that don't have 489 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 1: any Women who don't want to be in sororities may 490 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 1: still feel that they would be affected by the presence 491 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:50,640 Speaker 1: of sororities on campus. I thought that was interesting. Yeah, 492 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 1: good perspective, and I'll throw in her reading list as well. Um. 493 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 1: A few of her books she's reading, uh include The 494 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:02,160 Speaker 1: Trouble with Physics by Lee Smollen, His Majesty's Dragon by 495 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 1: Naomi Novik, and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. 496 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 1: Those are three of many and that's from Bailey, and 497 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 1: the next one we have is from page She said, Hey, girls, 498 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:18,920 Speaker 1: I just want to share my stority experience after listening 499 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:21,399 Speaker 1: to your podcast. I grew up in the Seattle area 500 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 1: and sixties seven kids from my graduating class went to 501 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: University of Washington. I always said that I would never 502 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 1: join a sorority because I you're the types of girls 503 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 1: from my high school that we're joining them at you 504 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:36,159 Speaker 1: w I decided to dub you dubbed. Sorry, that's for 505 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:39,919 Speaker 1: the Washington folks out there. Corrected. Did you dub know 506 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: that Northeastern, LINGO Western or grdinal directions either? Evidently? Um, 507 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: I decided to go to the University of Oregon. You 508 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 1: have one for that, ducks wow. Um. She went to 509 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:56,119 Speaker 1: the University of Oregon and a friend coerced to joining 510 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 1: her for sorority rush. Even though I never thought it 511 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,400 Speaker 1: was something to be interested in. I loved the whole 512 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:03,639 Speaker 1: process and had instant friends within a few weeks of 513 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:06,199 Speaker 1: getting to school at a house on campus where you 514 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: were required to live um sophomore in junior year. This 515 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: was a great compromise because it gave you the year 516 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:13,399 Speaker 1: in the dorms to meet other people on campus in 517 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:15,040 Speaker 1: a year of freedom or at the end of college, 518 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:16,919 Speaker 1: but two fun years in between to live with all 519 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:18,960 Speaker 1: the girls. We were not allowed to have alcohol in 520 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 1: the house or boys above the first floor, and since 521 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,640 Speaker 1: senior years lift out of the house, they there weren't 522 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 1: a ton of people around to buy booze, and the 523 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:28,320 Speaker 1: older girls got really annoyed if you asked them to 524 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: buy alcohol, so it was a rare occurrence. However, the 525 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 1: alcohol came into play when boys got involved. The fraternity's 526 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: unlike sororities, had no house moms, no rules, and while 527 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:40,480 Speaker 1: technically UFO is a dry campus, there was always alcohol 528 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: readily available in the frat houses. It sounds a lot 529 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 1: like the Greek system actually at my alma mater um, 530 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 1: and in fact, I remember several trips to the beer 531 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: docks in Springfield, Oregon, where they could buy past date 532 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:55,359 Speaker 1: beer for pennies to supply their parties. Mind you know 533 00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 1: about this penny beer, the bear dogs, I'm making a 534 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: trip to where was that Springfield or him? So it 535 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 1: was always a fun time. We never really had any 536 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 1: scary incidents or death while I was there, but there 537 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 1: were definitely a few trips to the hospital for stitches, 538 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:11,160 Speaker 1: including myself. And she said the worst hazing shiver encountered 539 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: was when her big sis would give UM them a 540 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: pledge name that was really that was a dirty or 541 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: explicit phrase that rhymed with your name, and then um 542 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:22,679 Speaker 1: they would blindfold you and stand all the pledges in 543 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: a circle in alphabetical order, and you had to say 544 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:26,920 Speaker 1: your full pledge name, and if you forgot it or 545 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 1: messed up, everyone had to take a drink and then 546 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: start over. Some of them were really long and ridiculous 547 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 1: and harder to remember with every drink. It sure was 548 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:37,120 Speaker 1: fun the next year when you were a big sis, however, 549 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: but she didn't drop out of her sorority her junior 550 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 1: year because she went abroad and it was expensive and 551 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:44,760 Speaker 1: I kind of grew apart when she came back from 552 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:48,280 Speaker 1: her sorority for for her senior year. But the scar 553 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: on her chin will always remind her of all the 554 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: crazy fun nights with a bunch of girls she never 555 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 1: thought she'd have anything in common with, So I thought 556 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: that was a nice story. Thank you page for writing in. 557 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: It's slightly scary. Stitches on the chin. Yeah, I just 558 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 1: sitch in though now so now the scars of memory, Molly. Okay, Um, 559 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:10,760 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna close up with ster mail with a 560 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 1: quick shout out to our listener, Emily from Wisconsin. Emily. 561 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 1: Emily is going on a ten hour flight to Poland 562 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: and she's taking a ton of stuff I've never told 563 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: you podcast with her. Spread the word to Poland. Emily. 564 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: She wanted us to do a podcast on Poland, but 565 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:30,959 Speaker 1: unfortunately Poland is not mine and Mollay's area of expertise. Um. 566 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: But there is a lot of fantastic information out there 567 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 1: on the world wide Web, and you know where I 568 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: bet she can also find some information on Poland, Molly, 569 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 1: I have a guess it also works whoa Jakes? Um? Yeah. 570 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:44,719 Speaker 1: You can also check out our blog. It's called how 571 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: to stuff and um yeah. If you want to learn 572 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 1: about Poland, or about menstruation, or or both or both 573 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: and uh, you can head over to how stuff works 574 00:29:55,800 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 1: dot com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 575 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:05,239 Speaker 1: Is it how stuff works dot Com. Want more how 576 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 1: stuff works, check out our blogs on the house stuff 577 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 1: works dot Com home page. Yes, brought to you by 578 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you