Period Bashing

Have you seen these commercials?





The Midol PM commercials have been around for a while now. I have always felt uneasy whenever I see them. But why? I support female comedians because there are so few of them. There's nothing wrong with women talking about periods, is there? Well, that's where my uneasiness comes in. I am all about women talking about their periods in a constructive way, sharing experiences (both positive and negative), worries, hopes, etc. But these commercials are not about sharing experiences in a constructive way.

These commercials make fun of periods. Saying that women "change into something that isn't human" during their periods is not any kind of constructive conversation about periods. This commercial is basically saying that the natural process of menstruation is something to be feared and that transforms women into monsters. I'm not saying that every woman should love their period, I don't always. But periods do not change women into monsters.

The second commerical just falls into the stereotype that women's "bad side" comes out when they have their period. While it can be true that women could be more irritable when they are on their period, there's no need to make jokes about this natural process that is already shamed by society.

Even though I cannot take Midol because of allergy reasons, these commercials make me never want to buy Midol because of their attitude towards menstruation.

Further reading:
Jokes About Menstruation [Appetite for Equal Rights]