Caution: Girl Stuff

[blueerica]

Sex during menstruation... Not really for me. It's the clean-up factor, to begin with. I have had sex during, but.. meh.. I'd rather do "other things" during that time.

[Snowflake]

Sex during, no. I concur, the mess and ick factor. The mess and the ick factor are quite enough on their own.

A few days before, absolutely yes.

[innerSpaceman]

Media-driven images to dread menstruation??!!? Pardon me, but WTF?

First of all, since when has the media been necessary for women to dread the bad moods, nasty pain, and bloody inconvenience of a cycle that affects a third of their existence?

Secondly, please point me to more than one of these purported media images. Perhaps I'm not as attuned to it as a women, but aside from tampon commercials - I've not witnessed any advertising, any movies, tv shows, music or fashion that in any way even addresses the menstrual cycle. Perhaps the taboo of the subject in our society is not the best thing ... but it hardly makes for lots of media-driven images.

[3894]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Secondly, please point me to more than one of these purported media images.

Any Midol or "feminine hygiene spray" commercial is a good place to start.

ETA: I love this parody of a Midol commercial. Actually, it's the exact script of the commercial, only the women are played by young men.

[Stan4dSteph]

Originally Posted by 3894

Any Midol or "feminine hygiene spray" commercial is a good place to start.

Oh how I miss those Massengill commercials...

"Do you ever have that not-so-fresh feeling?"

"Mom, do you douche?"

[MouseWife]

There are a lot of commercials that lament the female 'time'. They've had some that poke fun at it 'Is she pmsing'? while the girl in question is wearing a bikini and in a good mood.

They talk about bloating, fatigue, etc. The latest commercial I say had the women all miserably flailing about, some trying to zip up their pants.

[Alex]

As always there is the question of to what degree media is simply reflecting the way women (as a composite average, huge variation in individuals) feel about their period or whether media is creating (as a composite average, huge variation in individuals) how women feel about their periods.

There's a huge difference between "that's a god sign that you are unclean, inferior, and generally despicable" and "wouldn't you rather not go through monthly discomfort." We control our bodies in so many other unnatural ways (including procreatively) that I don't see why menstruation would be some sacred inviolable area.

I'm not sure why there has to be a correlation between menstrual taboo and low self esteem, but if there is I'm sure it would be readily discoverable since the populations are pretty well self-defining and do a fair job of crossing socioeconomic lines. Do you know if anybody has done research into this?

Pretty much everything that come out of the human body is considered somewhat taboo (except, maybe, breast milk) so it isn't really surprising that there'd be some simliar attachment to mentruation.

[mousepod]

Everything I learned, I learned from Disney.

well, not really.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by mousepod

Everything I learned, I learned from Disney.

well, not really.

I got too bored to watch it all the way through

Originally Posted by 3894

Any Midol or "feminine hygiene spray" commercial is a good place to start.

Midol was my savior for years until I developed reactions to strong painkillers. I now only use Midol for really bad times, which don't happen much anymore. I have nothing against Midol and other wonderful products that reduce pain.

Regarding commercials - commercials are commercials and will always say anything to sell their products. Talking about women being bitchy or bloated doesn't offend me - I've been both, have seen women being both, and know that both are wonderful things to avoid. I'm much more offended by the commercials for surface disinfectants. The idea that they are frighting the already OCD populace into believing that the whole house needs to be sanitized before touching it is pretty evil, especially in light of our already over use of antibiotics.

Originally Posted by Alex

Pretty much everything that come out of the human body is considered somewhat taboo (except, maybe, breast milk) so it isn't really surprising that there'd be some simliar attachment to mentruation.

What he said.

Douching has had lots of bad press lately and IMHO rightfully so. Blech.

White sheets, Mousewife? Now that's freedom.

[Morrigoon]

See, I'm in a different position. My periods are irregular to the point of being wholly unpredictable, they last for a full week (hey, used to be 8 days!), and the pain can be unbearable. Something akin to having a knife drawn across my uterus. I'm seriously NOT kidding.

Thank god for Aleve, or I'd not be able to function in the "real world" Find a job that would tolerate you suddenly and unpredictably needing to go home due to being in screaming pain.

The general ickiness is a minor inconvenience next to that of never knowing when or if the cramps are suddenly going to take you down in a matter of seconds.