Comments on: Mao’s Menstruation

By: Kelsey Jarboe

Kelsey Jarboe — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:13:34 +0000

I think I derive a weird kind of satisfaction from watching men get nudged to talk about periods more openly. I’m a nude model at my own art school and whenever I hear other art students talking “soandso model had a TAMPON STRING visible!” I’ll be like “Where was she supposed to hide it, exactly?” I walked into one session and must have looked as exhausted as I felt because one of the male students asked, “Oh, are you sick, too?” and I said, “Nah, just menstruating” and his face turned bright red. The teacher laughed. The fact that he could comfortably draw me naked every week but couldn’t deal with the fact that my body was still a body was odd to me, indeed…

By: octogalore

octogalore — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:53:20 +0000

Karen — I don’t think the posts here that caution about erecting (no pun int) higher standards for women than men are saying the author’s execution of her topic cannot be critiqued. I think that’s totally valid. But the aspects of the review that talk about the price and the enthusiastic marketing hyperbole being offensive when these are par for the male course are problematic, IMO. Similarly with her suggesting people haven’t talked about something that has been a topic of a few books. It’s still OK to point out there remains a stigma. That procedural analysis does fall under the category of what appears to be a double standard.

On the substantive side, any failure to execute is certainly fair game.

By: The Opoponax

The Opoponax — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:17:39 +0000

I didn’t understand that to mean “never NEVER admit that you are cramping!” so much as “please don’t assume every woman wants to hear the details of your biological functions.”

Maybe I just know a weird bunch of people, but I know approximately 1 person who goes on and on to a TMI level about her period. “Talk about your own bodily functions within reason” is not really something I feel I need to throw out there very often, as the vast majority of adults in my life seem to already be aware of it. And the folks in my life who are overly prone to TMI are mostly guys, anyway.

My “approximately one” person is an aunt of mine who is unusually talkative about periods, but she never gets to a disgusting level about it – just anecdotes about the time she left her keeper at her very conservative brother-in-law’s house, stuff like that. The fact that “approximately one potential oversharer” = person who acknowledges the existence of periods is telling.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:07:27 +0000

Jesurgislac: What, now we’re being ageist about 9-year-olds?

9-year-olds may not be having their period yet, though given the current state of hormonally-enhanced food altering our maturity rates it’s certainly common, but my understanding is that they would not be able to “continue the dialogue” of first-period stories, as encouraged to by the author. Because they haven’t had them yet.

My point being that I hadn’t thought that 9-year-olds were the target audience of this book, since I didn’t see this as a “what’s happening to my body” book for girls. And sure, maybe I’m wrong on that.

But I still hope that your post isn’t seriously accusing me of being ageist because that is ridiculous. I can already feel Godwin’s law beginning to work it’s magic.

By: Jesurgislac

Jesurgislac — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:30:53 +0000

Karen: Is it really meant for 9-year-olds? How can they contribute to the “revolutionary dialogue” that the editor wants to start?

What, now we’re being ageist about 9-year-olds?

Also, 9-year-olds grow up. And don’t get all “oh, missy, don’t tell me you’re having your period, my delicate sensibilities will not bear it!” when their friends say “I have killer cramps this morning and thank GOD I’m wearing black jeans…”

By: Spotted and Herbaceous Backson

Spotted and Herbaceous Backson — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:23:36 +0000

Me again. After some thought–not to mention reading all these posts–I have concluded, that yes, she has a right to sell her dang book–it wasn’t as if I favored censorship–and it will be harder for anyone to commodify our lives and sell them back to us after we have learned to talk and think about them honestly.
I am still not into body functions, and would rather not hear about them–anyone’s–without prior get-out-of-town warning. But I also think it is utterly hypocritical, or something, to act like one sex’s this and that are funny and the other sex’s this and that are gross. What’s good for the gander, etc. If this book will help straighten that out, good.
My own story was unremarkable. I had been briefed ahead of time, a mixture of cold-and clinical and flowery-little-booklet–and told Mom and that was it. I had just gotten into one of the seasonal fascinations-with-something-else I was prone to then, and I sometimes wondered if that was what brought the periods on then, though now I don’t think so.
Now here is a story. Years after periods were over, I had arm cramps, and went to the cramp relief section of the store, where I had not been before. Picking up one box, I checked to see what the secret ingredient was that made it different from aspirin etc. There was none! It was just ordinary over-the-counter-stuff at a higher price! What a scam! Now there should be a book about that!

By: Bagelsan

Bagelsan — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:46:03 +0000

Do you remember your first annoying classmate who wouldn’t shut up about her period?

The classmate I hated was the one who wouldn’t shut up about *my* period. I was on the early side and apparently she had period envy so she cheerfully discussed *mine* with everyone in the 4th grade… 9.9

By: Bagelsan

Bagelsan — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:41:59 +0000

“Having your period is no more shameful than blowing your nose, but talking about the detailed mechanics or sensations of either one is frowned upon for good reasons as well as bad ones.”

If you’re so delicate that you can’t handle hearing someone say, “man, I’ve got killer cramps today,” we’re unlikely to get along generally, so y’know, whatevs…

I didn’t understand that to mean “never NEVER admit that you are cramping!” so much as “please don’t assume every woman wants to hear the details of your biological functions.” Which is fair enough in my opinion, and really applies to any biological function. I don’t want the gory details of your bowel movements, battles with earwax or your pregnancy either, unless I specifically ask. :p

Personally I don’t mind women talking about their own periods (with minimal detail ideally–thanks, but I know what they are and I don’t really need color swatches…) but I *hate* it when friends or family feel free to discuss *my* period without invitation. I want the final say in when my body is being discussed, thank you very much.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:26:47 +0000

Just because the subject and spirit behind the book is good doesn’t mean it’s a good book. Because it’s not. I think that the review was brutally honest for a reason: just because something’s about women and being posted on a feminist website doesn’t mean we should love it. We should hold it to a higher standard because we want to be represented as well as possible.

I’m a comic book nerd, but I don’t automatically love all comic book movies. I want to see comic book movies done right. And as a woman, I want to see a book celebrating periods done right too. The introduction alone made me feel like the editor was condescending and I’m not sure who this book is meant for. Is it meant for adults like me so that we can talk about something that, according to the author, I haven’t talked about enough because I’m not as progressive as she is? Is it really meant for 9-year-olds? How can they contribute to the “revolutionary dialogue” that the editor wants to start?

I think this book was a good idea but poorly executed.

By: Lillet

Lillet — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:37:10 +0000

Wait, no – I phrased that wrong. Do you remember your first annoying classmate who wouldn’t shut up about her period? You know, the one who liked to shout “VAGINA!” just to see people’s reactions?

Why are you snarking on this on a feminist website? Do you like saying the same shit about The Vagina Monologues? Why all the hate on this woman? Don’t buy her book already since you are so eye-rollingly-O-V-E-R talking about PERIODS already.

You criticize her for curating a narrow sample of period stories by implying that everyone should have your attitude about periods.

The vitriol in this post is intensely disproportionate to its ostensible subject. It’s too early in the morning for this level of headdesky haterade.