Hey folks! Here we are again at the cycling of the...cycle. Just a quick couple of links this month to keep you in the menstruation loop, as it were. And a shout-out to all my friends out there dealing with cramps and heavy bleeding on top of travel, family, and holiday anxiety this Thanksgiving week here in the States; I feel you. We can do it. If I had any photoshop skills, I would put a picture of Rosie the Riveter with a tampon in her fist here, but I do not, so please accept this Beyoncé version as a consolation. (And if any of you out there with Photoshop know-how want to help me out...that would be amazing.)
1. The lovely Danielle Henderson wrote a piece for Shonda Rhimes' blog/online arm of her empire, Shondaland, on her newfound love for the Clue app. As I mentioned last month, I have also been building a relationship with Clue, and while I haven't quite invested in it as much as it sounds like Danielle has, it's very encouraging to read about other menstruators having a good experience.
2. Speaking of Clue, one of their writers posted a list of "7 perfect podcasts for your period" and I also read about the Heavy Flow podcast. As a podcast fiend, I am very interested in the idea of a period-focused podcast, although I haven't taken the time to really explore these yet (aside from Call Your Girlfriend, which I am already a long-time fan of). And apparently even This American Life is getting in on the #menstruationcontent these days! Periods: so hot right now.
3. Finally, anyone have opinions on this...interesting short film/advert from a pad manufacturer? It's certainly a different way to approach advertising and it's very much in the new empowerment form that we're used to seeing when it comes to sanitary products but it's also just...like half weird and artsy and half complete cliché? Definitely gave me a flashback to some of the conversations in my Critical Menstruation Studies seminar, where we watched a bunch of viral ads and videos like this one. But not quite as weird as this one, mostly. (h/t to Teen Vogue for bringing this into my life, even if they did oversell it a little)