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1996188 Responseshttp://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/whats-the-big-deal-with-periods/What%27s+the+big+deal+with+periods%3F2010-03-24+03%3A04%3A59Sam+Richards to What’s the big deal with periods?
Being the girl who posted this question I obviously do not have a problem talking about my menstrual cycle. I think it is a perfectly natural thing that no one, male or female should be uncomfortable to speak about.
I was reading some of the comments on the post and some people feel that it was irrelevant to race relations but we have talked about way more irrelevant things in class and no one has even blinked an eye. Also it related because Sam was trying to make the point that people of different races do not know what it is like to be each other. But back to this issue, why is it that most women feel that our period is something we cannot talk about and more importantly why does society tell us that it is something that were not supposed to talk about? It is really stupid that we can’t talk about it especially with males. Just about everyone is going to have to deal with it and it surprises me that guys aren’t open to learning more about it because if they plan to be in a relationship with a woman or have female children, it is going to be a part of their everyday lives. What will you do then? Are you going to run around like a chicken with its head cut off or deal with it? Most likely you will have to deal with it so it’s best that you be comfortable and understand it now.
It is bad enough that some women including myself have to go through cramps, cravings, nausea, back aches, excessive perspiration, irritability , mood swings, bloating and that general all around icky feeling but on top of all those things we have to go out of our way to keep it a secret? That to me seems ludicrous. And I am not saying that when every girl gets her period that she has to go around yelling it out and making it known but as a woman’s menstrual cycle permeates many aspects of her lives it becomes relevant sometimes and when those situations occur I see no reason for a woman to hide her period. In this video I may have yelled it for the world to hear and Sam talking about it in class is an extreme but one that I think was necessary for the people who were uncomfortable to realize that it’s really not a huge deal.
All do have their periods and can bear children because the fact of the matter is that some women can’t and for me personally I would rather take a million cramps, mood swings and everything than to not be able to bear children and it is something that I will take pride in and never try to hide.
Thank you so much for reminding us all that having a period leads to the miracle of birth! I very frequently forget that fact because giving birth is not on my mind in the slightest. I didn't have a period for nearly a year and in that time I was torn between feeling as though I wasn't truly a woman and rejoicing at not having the inconvenience, the pain, and having to pay money. Personally I believe that tampons and pads should be free to women. We can't help that we bleed and if men wants us to continue to have babies with us, then we ought to at least be compensated for what we have to deal with. This actually led me to a discussion with my boyfriend about how although it's impossible to relate pains that he deals with and pains I deal with, there's no "winning" in that argument. Women won't know what it's like to get kicked in the family jewels and men won't know what it's like to push a baby out. It's not about who has it worse. It's about understanding.
This topic in class definitely came as a surprise to me, but I do think that it is a good comparison to our discussion in class. I think Sam is completely right when he says that this is something that we should be able to talk about and not feel awkward when discussing it. Yes, at first, it did seem a little bit off topic, but when you think about the concept as a whole, all of his points relate right back to one another. When we did the poll that asked whether females thought Sam was right on point with what he was talking about, I was surprised that more people did not agree with him than what the survey showed. I would like to know what some peoples reasons are for not agreeing with him, because in my eyes, he hit the nail right on the head. I also found it very interesting when he brought up the point of this being a man's world that we live in. I actually never thought about it in that way either. It would actually probably be quite funny to see our world as a "woman's world" even just for a day, and to see how people would react to certain environments and situations. I was telling my friends about what we talked about in class and how everyone reacted, and they reacted the exact same way. That is how we are taught to act toward this topic, and that is why it is not really an accepted topic of speech. Most people do not want to hear about it, but when a woman says that they "don't feel well," other people are nosy and they ask why, and then the woman is basically forced to explain. We live in a society where certain people or cultures choose what is right and what is wrong when it comes to what activities or viewpoints or topics of conversation are accepted. I would never have expected to be comparing a woman's menstrual cycle to viewpoints in a class on race relations, but this shows that we can relate many things to each other; you just have to dig deeper into topics and uncover the real point. I think our class may start to realize that this "thing" is not disgusting because, like Sam said, we would not be here if it were not for this normal body function. I think our society as a whole needs to realize that it is not weird to discuss certain things because they are a way of life. One thing that needs to be remembered though is that there is a time and a place for every conversation.
When Sam started discussing "bleeding" in class, I thought he took the topic too far. I feel like he was trying to get people to react, which he certainly did. As far as when he said he wanted to see the menstruation before his wife flushed it, I seriously hope he was joking. He called it "art." That's one messed up individual. No offense to Sam, but no normal person would do that. I understand that this topic was worth mentioning in class, but it got old after the first time he brought the topic up. I almost felt like that's all we talked about this week. Also, almost all of the blog topics for this week have to do with "bleeding." Last time I checked, menstruation had nothing to do with race relations. This topic may apply to gender relations and sociology as a whole, but not race relations.
As far as the whole "bleeding" conversation we had in class, I have mixed feelings on the topic. First of all, I would like to say that I don't think women should have to be secretive about this issue. It is a totally normal process for women to go through. When I am married one day, I really would have no problem with my wife telling me about her "bleeding," as long as the situation was appropriate. This topic clearly isn't something to discuss in public or at the dinner table. The reason I say this is because while this process is natural and normal, it is also disgusting. In general, this a topic I believe can be discussed with others, but should be discussed amongst people the woman is close to like a husband or boyfriend.
The big problem I have about this problem is it's appropriateness. I understand that menstruation is something that women go through every month. However, I don't necessarily need to know about it. That is your personal business, and should stay that way. For example, I wouldn't tell a group of people that I had a wet dream last night, because that is not conversation appropriate. I also wouldn't tell someone that I just took a huge dump. Some things are better to be kept to oneself. There is no reason I need to know that you are "bleeding," so what is the point of telling me in the first place?
I guess the main point of my post is to say that there is a time and place for everything, including the topic of menstruation. If you are married or in a long term relationship, this topic may be appropriate for conversation at certain times. At the same time, I don't need to know that some random girl is "bleeding."
I agree with the woman maybe if Sam would have said period or menstrual when discussing this in class. But, whether or not the name of it we all know what he is talking about.
I really don’t think that girls having a period is a big deal, as a matter of fact, I think it is beautiful, it is essential to reproduction, how can that be bad?. And yes men would be much more proud to have a period than women would, think about it, men are proud of everything they have, just because it is a man’s world. I was never disgusted by it, it is a natural process, I am sure it can get very annoying so I am glad men don’t have it, because otherwise men would be even more disguising than they are now, I bet you we wouldn’t even buy tampons, we have special underwear made for our special time of the month.
I agree with this lady…what the hell is the big deal about menstruation? I was really disgusted in class the other day by the girl who said she would kill her man if she discussed her cycle. That just blows my mind that women are really holding themselves down. What the hell is the big deal? We all bleed!…well women that is. I talk about my period freely and haven’t really had any guys been adamantly against me talking about it. I think it’s kind of necessary to explain that you’re on your period because it really does have a huge impact on some women. I’m always surprised when they cringe a little though. Also my husband will get pissed if he’s eating and I talk about it….I really don’t understand why. It’s not like it’s unnatural.
I also hate all the references to it as Eve’s curse or whatever the hell it is, because Eve supposedly ate the apple so now we have period’s. Or the castration theory or whatever that is, how men secretly fear us because our bleeding represents the lack of a penis. It’s all fucking stupid. If men are scared of women because we bleed then they should really have a biology lesson because if it weren’t for it, they wouldn’t be around.
It is kind of a miracle since it allows us to give birth but I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m happy to have it. I think a lot of men don’t understand how hard it is for some women to have a period. Personally, it kind of sidelines me for a day because I get the worst cramps that only a heat pad and some narcotic drugs can fix. Also the emotional roller coaster of PMS is real. My symptoms get so bad to where I’ll be crying for no reason and lashing out at everyone. Though I can’t control the crying I can keep everything else in check because I know when I’m PMSing. Every woman is different though…some don’t get any symptoms while others can’t function.
What really pisses me off is how some cultures don’t allow you to speak about your period. My mom is Algerian and she made it seem like it was a sin to have your period and that you should never talk about it or let the men know that you have it. She said her mom would kind of blackmail her and say ‘don’t do that or I’ll tell your dad about your period!’ or some crazy shit like that. It’s so oppressing to grow up thinking that and when I first got my period I cried because I thought it wasn’t right. Now I know better. Fuck that oppression!! Maybe that’s why I always let it be well known when I’m on my time.
I do not think that it is a gross thing to talk about periods. Maybe in some venues it is uncomfortable to discuss but I believe that that is because it has to do with the private parts of women. I am kind of confused by this post because I do not think the issue was ever that women were unhappy that they get periods because if they did not get them then they would be either pregnant, menopausal, or infertile…all of those things aren't something that a college student would want. Embrace having periods… they are a good thing.
I too would like to know what is the big deal over “periods.” Maybe it is because I am a female and I have to endure the monthly visit from a not so pleasant friend that I don’t see anything wrong with it, but for people especially men to act like it is the most disgusting thing in the world, I really do not understand. When a woman has her period it is an indicator that she is fertile and able to have children, which is a wonderful thing and something that many people hope to have one day. So without it, having children would probably be Impossible, and the fact that all a period is, is the removal of all of the woman’s unused eggs over the course of that month, makes me even more curious as to why it’s considered a bad thing.
Getting rid of the old and preparing the new for fertilization should not be considered a nasty bad thing. I don’t know if the fact that the blood comes a woman’s vagina is what makes them cringe at the thought, but if that is the case, then when woman have sex and they discharge that should be considered nasty as well, because its coming from the same place and some discharge is actually the vagina cleaning itself and getting rid of bacteria. So I would like to know which is worst. Blood is blood and if it’s nasty coming from the vagina then it should be considered nasty coming from anywhere else on the body.
Some guys shouldn’t even be disgusted because there are a few men out there that will have sex with a woman while she is on her period, so if that’s not nastier than just having a period then I don’t know what is. People need to look past the fact that its blood and it may seem nasty, but the over all purpose of it, it something that everyone should be happy about and should be excited for. Even though periods are not the most comfortable thing for females, because of the cramps, the nausea, the back aches and the mood swings and all of the other annoying things when it’s all said and done, they are the beginning of a beautiful cycle of life. Periods are a reminder from God telling reminding woman of the gift that they have and a duty to fulfill on this earth, and even though all woman who have their periods are not able to have children, there is a reason fro everything and there are all new different ways for them to be come a mother sometime in life. Periods are not the devil and should be appreciated
I’m a girl and I’m not very shy about anything, including periods. I don’t really care if guys know that I have my period – I have more guy friends than girl friends, and some of my guy friends I’m better friends with than my girl friends. (If I could put my guy friends in dresses, I would make them bridesmaids at my wedding). There have been times when I’ve stuck tampons in their cars or have left tampons lying around, and recently I ordered a bunch of pastries when we were in a bakery that would last me about a week and when they gave me a funny look and were jokingly giving me a hard time, I replied that I was entitled to eat them because I was pms-ing. There was also a time when I had to go to a cocktail party with my dad and I was wearing a cocktail dress, had my period, didn’t have a purse, and made him stick tampons in his suit jacket pocket. Do guys want to hear that I have my period? Ehh, not really. But some of them don’t always care. Do guys think that periods are gross? Usually, but it’s not like I’m thrilled to have my period either. I am glad that I get my period because it means I’m fertile, but I don’t like the migraine headaches, the debilitating cramps, or the vomiting that comes along with my period.
Before responding to this blog, because I’m so close with some of my guy friends, I called them on the phone and asked them why they thought periods were gross. They made some interesting points. I asked them how bleeding out of my vagina is different from bleeding out of my finger, to which they replied “We like vaginas. Vaginas are special. We have an obsession with vaginas. Unlike vaginas, we have absolutely no attachment to your finger and don’t care about what happens to it or if it’s gushing blood. We don’t want something that we like to be bleeding.” I thought that this was a pretty valid point that I had never really thought about before, and it made a lot of sense. They also added, “People don’t like blood in general, so it’s even creepier when it’s coming out of a vagina. We know it’s supposed to happen, but it’s messy and unknown. If we bled out of our penises, it would be the scariest day of our lives. Getting your period is not unnatural, but it’s weird to start bleeding when you haven’t visibly done anything – like it is normal for your nose to start bleeding if you get punched. Periods seem random”. I thought that this point also seemed valid, until I thought about how it would have been the scariest day of my life if my vagina started bleeding and I didn’t know why. However, I was always told that I would start bleeding when I was around 12 or 13, and if boys were also told this, then it would not be scary for them either, just inconvenient. I feel like guys being grossed out comes from their lack of understanding of periods since it does not physically happen to them. However, I feel like when guys become more mature with age and are in committed long term relationships they get over periods (they’re going to have girlfriends, discuss period sex/why they’re not having sex because she’s on her period, they’re going to get married, their wives are going to get pregnant and maybe have daughters who are going to get their periods in about 13 years).
I actually have a problem with talking about this for a reason that Sam addressed in class which I completely disagree with. I have a serious problem thinking about blood, regardless of where it is coming from or what is causing it. So when Sam said that no one would have a problem if he were standing up there talking about Laurie bleeding from her finger, I respectfully disagree with that statement. I don’t want to hear about bleeding regardless of where it’s coming from. I am glad that women menstruate because none of us would be here if it didn’t take place, but I don’t want to hear about bleeding.
I am a female and I menstruate, and when I menstruate, I just rather be dead because of all the pain that I go through. It feels like a sharp knife that just keeps on stabbing me in the stomach, and even worse than that. When I was younger, I used to be ashamed of it and embarrassed especially to buy sanitary napkins, but as I got older, I realized why should I be so ashamed and embarrassed because there is nothing I could do to stop because that is what prepares me to bear children. I do not understand why it was such an uproar when Professor Samuel Richards talked about female’s menstrual cycle. Students in that class definitely took this discussion out of proportion. As Professor Sam said, it is a natural human bodily function. And he is completely right. Having to use the bathroom to pee, is a natural human bodily function, and it is okay for people to say that they have to go to the bathroom to pee? I also do not understand why some of the females in the class got so emotional about it. No matter how hard you try to keep it secretive, males will still know that you have to menstruate at certain times of the month. There is no need, whatsoever, to get all emotional about it. It really annoyed me to hear how those females complain constantly because they gave me the impression that it is such a huge crime to menstruate. What is so bad about it? Yea some people try to use the history from the bible and blame it on Eve. Many say that because Eve had sinned against God, in return, God had punished Eve with menstrual cycles and pain during pregnancy. So because of this history, many females feels as though menstruating reflects sinful actions. Although the history of Eve may be some what accurate, we should not make a big deal about talking about it because it is actually a good thing that we do. Since people want to relate to the bible, they also forgot to mention that God also stated in the bible how he created man and woman so that they could reproduce. God wants a man and woman to bear unto him children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and etc. And in order for females to bear children, they need to have ovaries go under an egg reproduction process. How else do you think eggs can be fertilized? In order for eggs to be fertilized and for a female to get pregnant with a healthy fetus, females need to start a menstrual cycle at a young age, so when they begin to have sexual intercourse, their stomach and everything else down there will be ready to produce a fetus which will later turn into a baby, and a new life as begun. Females should not be so scared to talk about menstruating because it is actually a good thing because if you are capable of menstruating, that means you would be able to bear children with the man you want to be with. And males, who would like to have children in their near future, should be happy whenever they date (or marry) a female who is capable of menstruating because that means they could have children. There are actually females out there who cannot menstruate, and I bet there are sad deep down inside because they will not be able to bear children. So the fact that Professor Richards talking about it so openly just shows that he is an outspoken individual and that he is appreciative that his wife can menstruate. Lastly, it does not matter if he talks about it openly and truthfully because he is a teacher and he even told his students in the beginning of the semester that he is not afraid to talk about anything, so his students would just have to get used to it.
In response to the girl that is bleeding. First off I don’t really understand how you think calling menstruation bleeding is disrespectful if you want it to be more open. All of my girlfriends have been completely open about having their period. I agree with her that it should be something that is though of as a beautiful sign of life. It is where every person on earth has come from. I try to think naturally about everything so it has never really bothered me. Most people that are squeamish when the thought of a girl having their period comes up don’t even think about what is actually going on it is just their natural reaction. Sam picked a good example of something that is taboo in the United States. It is all a result of society I think that we should all just understand what is natural and not sorry about the problems placed because of people’s thoughts. We are all affected by it whether we like it or not. Sam is an experienced sociologist and even he needs is time away from other countries when he is in a foreign country. He said how when he is deep in a foreign culture he needs to take a break at times and go to the United States embassy or an American bar. I think this is a good example of the strong pressure our society puts on us. We may not feel home even if we are completely comfortable and understanding of the situation that we are in. But the menstrual cycle may not be just in the United States I am not sure. I know many societal things are different overseas but I can see that women’s periods are not talked about in many places. I feel like I would know if women having their periods was completely open or in serious contrast to how it is in the United States. I just think it is somewhat silly that the girl gets angry about it being called bleeding while a guy is actually supporting you. I feel like you are one of the girls in the crowd complaining about Sam while he is just trying to support you. I think so many people are naïve and stupid in our class. Always complaining and not seeing through to what Sam is actually saying and when he actually admits to having an opinion on something they don’t understand that he is openly saying “I have an opinion on this I understand if you disagree, I am not trying to change your opinion”. People are so quick to jump to the opposition when they should be open and waiting for the message that is trying to be delivered to them. Isn’t that why we are in college we are here to learn and to open our minds to the world that we have to come to yet.
The fact that women have periods should not be a topic of conversation. Yes, every month you do release one egg from your ovary supply which is accompanied by bleeding. That being said, there is no reason to make a big deal that this "miracle experience" occurs once a month. Even though the "bleeding" does allow you to result in a pregnancy, (not that any college girl would EVER want a baby, nor would a college girl EVER be responsible enough to raise a baby), it doesn't mean there is a need to bring up the point that you have finally reached the age that you can have a baby. Also, girls love to use the excuse of having a period for being in a bad mood and being an overall unpleasant person to be around. Just suck it up and deal with your unbalanced hormonal situation. Yes, you have to put up with the inconvenience for a week max, and yest guys don't have this problem, but there is no reason to milk the situation into gaining sympathy from men.
Women developed ovaries, men developed testicles. We don't compain about having to carry them around all the time. there is no reason for women to complain about their evolutionary cycle. If you are truely proud about this magical thing you have developed, then why is there so much discussion about what a problem it is. The only reason it is a problem in the first place is because men have to deal with women consistently complaining about having live with it for a week or have uneccessary PMS moods. Be mature and stop complaining.
If men had periods, it would be turned into some glorified drinking game where we all have some sort of competition of who has the longest/ shortest period, and just embrace the fact that we have it, not complain the whole time. It shouldn't be considered an inconvenience. A miracle of life should never be inconvenience. That being said, men occasionally find periods to be an inconvenience also, however we never complain about it. It is something that men and women both have to deal with in a way but since there is nothing either of us can do about it, and its a natural party of a womens life, there is no reason to complain at all.
The concept of "having to deal with a perdiod" only makes women look weaker as a race. There is no need to complain and make a big deal of it. Just embrace the fact that you have to "bleed" for a week (which is strong word, and brings unecessarily vivid descriptions to the issue) and allow it to happen with out letting the world know.
This entire discussion I found to be very funny, somewhat immature, and extremely out of control. Again, I found myself questioning Sams way of making us think. Because at in one hand, hes showing us how dumb it is to be squirmish about a womans menstrual cycle and the like, but on the other hand, was that discussion really necessary in a Race Relations class? To be honest before this entire thing happened in class I was somewhat falling asleep in the back of class, because sometimes I feel as if some of the discussions that take place are more of a common knowledge kind of thing instead of something I needed to be taught. The reactions from the other students in the classroom however caught my attention so I started to pay attention to see what was actually taking place. Sam is very very good at causing, or creating, a reaction out of an audience, and again, that is what he tried to do, and again, he succeeded. I found that during the class the people that were most offended were the female students that were listening to what he was saying. And I also found that the students that were most disgusted were the male students found in the classroom. I am not exactly sure how I felt during the class because I found myself laughing A LOT during the entire thing. Not at what Sam was saying though, but actually at the reactions of the students around the class. I saw girls leaving the classroom, and guys making gagging faces. I dont see why this was such a huge deal. It made no sense to me to make something that is natural and healthy, a disgusting and offensive thing. Which brings me to my point that I dont believe it was the actual menstrual cycle that people were reacting to, but the fact that Sam was calling it bleeding that through people off. Also his statements about his wife, who also happens to be a teacher at Penn State, that we have to respect and adhere to, seem to cause people to feel awkward and uncomfortable. Sometimes I feel like he brings the comments that students make about his wife upon himself by dropping lines about her bleeding being beautiful, or how they have sex twice a day. Either way, I would be okay with NOT hearing about bleeding, sex, and any other activity between him and his wife during a Race Relations class. If this class was a sex education class, then I would be more understanding towards his comments, and jokes, but what he was saying has NOTHING at all to do with the subject the class was created for.
Being the girl who posted this question I obviously do not have a problem talking about my menstrual cycle. I think it is a perfectly natural thing that no one, male or female should be uncomfortable to speak about.
I was reading some of the comments on the post and some people feel that it was irrelevant to race relations but we have talked about way more irrelevant things in class and no one has even blinked an eye. Also it related because Sam was trying to make the point that people of different races do not know what it is like to be each other. But back to this issue, why is it that most women feel that our period is something we cannot talk about and more importantly why does society tell us that it is something that were not supposed to talk about? It is really stupid that we can’t talk about it especially with males. Just about everyone is going to have to deal with it and it surprises me that guys aren’t open to learning more about it because if they plan to be in a relationship with a woman or have female children, it is going to be a part of their everyday lives. What will you do then? Are you going to run around like a chicken with its head cut off or deal with it? Most likely you will have to deal with it so it’s best that you be comfortable and understand it now.
It is bad enough that some women including myself have to go through cramps, cravings, nausea, back aches, excessive perspiration, irritability , mood swings, bloating and that general all around icky feeling but on top of all those things we have to go out of our way to keep it a secret? That to me seems ludicrous. And I am not saying that when every girl gets her period that she has to go around yelling it out and making it known but as a woman’s menstrual cycle permeates many aspects of her lives it becomes relevant sometimes and when those situations occur I see no reason for a woman to hide her period. In this video I may have yelled it for the world to hear and Sam talking about it in class is an extreme but one that I think was necessary for the people who were uncomfortable to realize that it’s really not a huge deal.
All do have their periods and can bear children because the fact of the matter is that some women can’t and for me personally I would rather take a million cramps, mood swings and everything than to not be able to bear children and it is something that I will take pride in and never try to hide.
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Thank you so much for reminding us all that having a period leads to the miracle of birth! I very frequently forget that fact because giving birth is not on my mind in the slightest. I didn't have a period for nearly a year and in that time I was torn between feeling as though I wasn't truly a woman and rejoicing at not having the inconvenience, the pain, and having to pay money. Personally I believe that tampons and pads should be free to women. We can't help that we bleed and if men wants us to continue to have babies with us, then we ought to at least be compensated for what we have to deal with. This actually led me to a discussion with my boyfriend about how although it's impossible to relate pains that he deals with and pains I deal with, there's no "winning" in that argument. Women won't know what it's like to get kicked in the family jewels and men won't know what it's like to push a baby out. It's not about who has it worse. It's about understanding.
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This topic in class definitely came as a surprise to me, but I do think that it is a good comparison to our discussion in class. I think Sam is completely right when he says that this is something that we should be able to talk about and not feel awkward when discussing it. Yes, at first, it did seem a little bit off topic, but when you think about the concept as a whole, all of his points relate right back to one another. When we did the poll that asked whether females thought Sam was right on point with what he was talking about, I was surprised that more people did not agree with him than what the survey showed. I would like to know what some peoples reasons are for not agreeing with him, because in my eyes, he hit the nail right on the head. I also found it very interesting when he brought up the point of this being a man's world that we live in. I actually never thought about it in that way either. It would actually probably be quite funny to see our world as a "woman's world" even just for a day, and to see how people would react to certain environments and situations. I was telling my friends about what we talked about in class and how everyone reacted, and they reacted the exact same way. That is how we are taught to act toward this topic, and that is why it is not really an accepted topic of speech. Most people do not want to hear about it, but when a woman says that they "don't feel well," other people are nosy and they ask why, and then the woman is basically forced to explain. We live in a society where certain people or cultures choose what is right and what is wrong when it comes to what activities or viewpoints or topics of conversation are accepted. I would never have expected to be comparing a woman's menstrual cycle to viewpoints in a class on race relations, but this shows that we can relate many things to each other; you just have to dig deeper into topics and uncover the real point. I think our class may start to realize that this "thing" is not disgusting because, like Sam said, we would not be here if it were not for this normal body function. I think our society as a whole needs to realize that it is not weird to discuss certain things because they are a way of life. One thing that needs to be remembered though is that there is a time and a place for every conversation.
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When Sam started discussing "bleeding" in class, I thought he took the topic too far. I feel like he was trying to get people to react, which he certainly did. As far as when he said he wanted to see the menstruation before his wife flushed it, I seriously hope he was joking. He called it "art." That's one messed up individual. No offense to Sam, but no normal person would do that. I understand that this topic was worth mentioning in class, but it got old after the first time he brought the topic up. I almost felt like that's all we talked about this week. Also, almost all of the blog topics for this week have to do with "bleeding." Last time I checked, menstruation had nothing to do with race relations. This topic may apply to gender relations and sociology as a whole, but not race relations.
As far as the whole "bleeding" conversation we had in class, I have mixed feelings on the topic. First of all, I would like to say that I don't think women should have to be secretive about this issue. It is a totally normal process for women to go through. When I am married one day, I really would have no problem with my wife telling me about her "bleeding," as long as the situation was appropriate. This topic clearly isn't something to discuss in public or at the dinner table. The reason I say this is because while this process is natural and normal, it is also disgusting. In general, this a topic I believe can be discussed with others, but should be discussed amongst people the woman is close to like a husband or boyfriend.
The big problem I have about this problem is it's appropriateness. I understand that menstruation is something that women go through every month. However, I don't necessarily need to know about it. That is your personal business, and should stay that way. For example, I wouldn't tell a group of people that I had a wet dream last night, because that is not conversation appropriate. I also wouldn't tell someone that I just took a huge dump. Some things are better to be kept to oneself. There is no reason I need to know that you are "bleeding," so what is the point of telling me in the first place?
I guess the main point of my post is to say that there is a time and place for everything, including the topic of menstruation. If you are married or in a long term relationship, this topic may be appropriate for conversation at certain times. At the same time, I don't need to know that some random girl is "bleeding."
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I agree with the woman maybe if Sam would have said period or menstrual when discussing this in class. But, whether or not the name of it we all know what he is talking about.
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I really don’t think that girls having a period is a big deal, as a matter of fact, I think it is beautiful, it is essential to reproduction, how can that be bad?. And yes men would be much more proud to have a period than women would, think about it, men are proud of everything they have, just because it is a man’s world. I was never disgusted by it, it is a natural process, I am sure it can get very annoying so I am glad men don’t have it, because otherwise men would be even more disguising than they are now, I bet you we wouldn’t even buy tampons, we have special underwear made for our special time of the month.
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I agree with this lady…what the hell is the big deal about menstruation? I was really disgusted in class the other day by the girl who said she would kill her man if she discussed her cycle. That just blows my mind that women are really holding themselves down. What the hell is the big deal? We all bleed!…well women that is. I talk about my period freely and haven’t really had any guys been adamantly against me talking about it. I think it’s kind of necessary to explain that you’re on your period because it really does have a huge impact on some women. I’m always surprised when they cringe a little though. Also my husband will get pissed if he’s eating and I talk about it….I really don’t understand why. It’s not like it’s unnatural.
I also hate all the references to it as Eve’s curse or whatever the hell it is, because Eve supposedly ate the apple so now we have period’s. Or the castration theory or whatever that is, how men secretly fear us because our bleeding represents the lack of a penis. It’s all fucking stupid. If men are scared of women because we bleed then they should really have a biology lesson because if it weren’t for it, they wouldn’t be around.
It is kind of a miracle since it allows us to give birth but I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m happy to have it. I think a lot of men don’t understand how hard it is for some women to have a period. Personally, it kind of sidelines me for a day because I get the worst cramps that only a heat pad and some narcotic drugs can fix. Also the emotional roller coaster of PMS is real. My symptoms get so bad to where I’ll be crying for no reason and lashing out at everyone. Though I can’t control the crying I can keep everything else in check because I know when I’m PMSing. Every woman is different though…some don’t get any symptoms while others can’t function.
What really pisses me off is how some cultures don’t allow you to speak about your period. My mom is Algerian and she made it seem like it was a sin to have your period and that you should never talk about it or let the men know that you have it. She said her mom would kind of blackmail her and say ‘don’t do that or I’ll tell your dad about your period!’ or some crazy shit like that. It’s so oppressing to grow up thinking that and when I first got my period I cried because I thought it wasn’t right. Now I know better. Fuck that oppression!! Maybe that’s why I always let it be well known when I’m on my time.
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I do not think that it is a gross thing to talk about periods. Maybe in some venues it is uncomfortable to discuss but I believe that that is because it has to do with the private parts of women. I am kind of confused by this post because I do not think the issue was ever that women were unhappy that they get periods because if they did not get them then they would be either pregnant, menopausal, or infertile…all of those things aren't something that a college student would want. Embrace having periods… they are a good thing.
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I too would like to know what is the big deal over “periods.” Maybe it is because I am a female and I have to endure the monthly visit from a not so pleasant friend that I don’t see anything wrong with it, but for people especially men to act like it is the most disgusting thing in the world, I really do not understand. When a woman has her period it is an indicator that she is fertile and able to have children, which is a wonderful thing and something that many people hope to have one day. So without it, having children would probably be Impossible, and the fact that all a period is, is the removal of all of the woman’s unused eggs over the course of that month, makes me even more curious as to why it’s considered a bad thing.
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Getting rid of the old and preparing the new for fertilization should not be considered a nasty bad thing. I don’t know if the fact that the blood comes a woman’s vagina is what makes them cringe at the thought, but if that is the case, then when woman have sex and they discharge that should be considered nasty as well, because its coming from the same place and some discharge is actually the vagina cleaning itself and getting rid of bacteria. So I would like to know which is worst. Blood is blood and if it’s nasty coming from the vagina then it should be considered nasty coming from anywhere else on the body.
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Some guys shouldn’t even be disgusted because there are a few men out there that will have sex with a woman while she is on her period, so if that’s not nastier than just having a period then I don’t know what is. People need to look past the fact that its blood and it may seem nasty, but the over all purpose of it, it something that everyone should be happy about and should be excited for. Even though periods are not the most comfortable thing for females, because of the cramps, the nausea, the back aches and the mood swings and all of the other annoying things when it’s all said and done, they are the beginning of a beautiful cycle of life. Periods are a reminder from God telling reminding woman of the gift that they have and a duty to fulfill on this earth, and even though all woman who have their periods are not able to have children, there is a reason fro everything and there are all new different ways for them to be come a mother sometime in life. Periods are not the devil and should be appreciated
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I’m a girl and I’m not very shy about anything, including periods. I don’t really care if guys know that I have my period – I have more guy friends than girl friends, and some of my guy friends I’m better friends with than my girl friends. (If I could put my guy friends in dresses, I would make them bridesmaids at my wedding). There have been times when I’ve stuck tampons in their cars or have left tampons lying around, and recently I ordered a bunch of pastries when we were in a bakery that would last me about a week and when they gave me a funny look and were jokingly giving me a hard time, I replied that I was entitled to eat them because I was pms-ing. There was also a time when I had to go to a cocktail party with my dad and I was wearing a cocktail dress, had my period, didn’t have a purse, and made him stick tampons in his suit jacket pocket. Do guys want to hear that I have my period? Ehh, not really. But some of them don’t always care. Do guys think that periods are gross? Usually, but it’s not like I’m thrilled to have my period either. I am glad that I get my period because it means I’m fertile, but I don’t like the migraine headaches, the debilitating cramps, or the vomiting that comes along with my period.
Before responding to this blog, because I’m so close with some of my guy friends, I called them on the phone and asked them why they thought periods were gross. They made some interesting points. I asked them how bleeding out of my vagina is different from bleeding out of my finger, to which they replied “We like vaginas. Vaginas are special. We have an obsession with vaginas. Unlike vaginas, we have absolutely no attachment to your finger and don’t care about what happens to it or if it’s gushing blood. We don’t want something that we like to be bleeding.” I thought that this was a pretty valid point that I had never really thought about before, and it made a lot of sense. They also added, “People don’t like blood in general, so it’s even creepier when it’s coming out of a vagina. We know it’s supposed to happen, but it’s messy and unknown. If we bled out of our penises, it would be the scariest day of our lives. Getting your period is not unnatural, but it’s weird to start bleeding when you haven’t visibly done anything – like it is normal for your nose to start bleeding if you get punched. Periods seem random”. I thought that this point also seemed valid, until I thought about how it would have been the scariest day of my life if my vagina started bleeding and I didn’t know why. However, I was always told that I would start bleeding when I was around 12 or 13, and if boys were also told this, then it would not be scary for them either, just inconvenient. I feel like guys being grossed out comes from their lack of understanding of periods since it does not physically happen to them. However, I feel like when guys become more mature with age and are in committed long term relationships they get over periods (they’re going to have girlfriends, discuss period sex/why they’re not having sex because she’s on her period, they’re going to get married, their wives are going to get pregnant and maybe have daughters who are going to get their periods in about 13 years).
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I actually have a problem with talking about this for a reason that Sam addressed in class which I completely disagree with. I have a serious problem thinking about blood, regardless of where it is coming from or what is causing it. So when Sam said that no one would have a problem if he were standing up there talking about Laurie bleeding from her finger, I respectfully disagree with that statement. I don’t want to hear about bleeding regardless of where it’s coming from. I am glad that women menstruate because none of us would be here if it didn’t take place, but I don’t want to hear about bleeding.
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I am a female and I menstruate, and when I menstruate, I just rather be dead because of all the pain that I go through. It feels like a sharp knife that just keeps on stabbing me in the stomach, and even worse than that. When I was younger, I used to be ashamed of it and embarrassed especially to buy sanitary napkins, but as I got older, I realized why should I be so ashamed and embarrassed because there is nothing I could do to stop because that is what prepares me to bear children. I do not understand why it was such an uproar when Professor Samuel Richards talked about female’s menstrual cycle. Students in that class definitely took this discussion out of proportion. As Professor Sam said, it is a natural human bodily function. And he is completely right. Having to use the bathroom to pee, is a natural human bodily function, and it is okay for people to say that they have to go to the bathroom to pee? I also do not understand why some of the females in the class got so emotional about it. No matter how hard you try to keep it secretive, males will still know that you have to menstruate at certain times of the month. There is no need, whatsoever, to get all emotional about it. It really annoyed me to hear how those females complain constantly because they gave me the impression that it is such a huge crime to menstruate. What is so bad about it? Yea some people try to use the history from the bible and blame it on Eve. Many say that because Eve had sinned against God, in return, God had punished Eve with menstrual cycles and pain during pregnancy. So because of this history, many females feels as though menstruating reflects sinful actions. Although the history of Eve may be some what accurate, we should not make a big deal about talking about it because it is actually a good thing that we do. Since people want to relate to the bible, they also forgot to mention that God also stated in the bible how he created man and woman so that they could reproduce. God wants a man and woman to bear unto him children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and etc. And in order for females to bear children, they need to have ovaries go under an egg reproduction process. How else do you think eggs can be fertilized? In order for eggs to be fertilized and for a female to get pregnant with a healthy fetus, females need to start a menstrual cycle at a young age, so when they begin to have sexual intercourse, their stomach and everything else down there will be ready to produce a fetus which will later turn into a baby, and a new life as begun. Females should not be so scared to talk about menstruating because it is actually a good thing because if you are capable of menstruating, that means you would be able to bear children with the man you want to be with. And males, who would like to have children in their near future, should be happy whenever they date (or marry) a female who is capable of menstruating because that means they could have children. There are actually females out there who cannot menstruate, and I bet there are sad deep down inside because they will not be able to bear children. So the fact that Professor Richards talking about it so openly just shows that he is an outspoken individual and that he is appreciative that his wife can menstruate. Lastly, it does not matter if he talks about it openly and truthfully because he is a teacher and he even told his students in the beginning of the semester that he is not afraid to talk about anything, so his students would just have to get used to it.
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In response to the girl that is bleeding. First off I don’t really understand how you think calling menstruation bleeding is disrespectful if you want it to be more open. All of my girlfriends have been completely open about having their period. I agree with her that it should be something that is though of as a beautiful sign of life. It is where every person on earth has come from. I try to think naturally about everything so it has never really bothered me. Most people that are squeamish when the thought of a girl having their period comes up don’t even think about what is actually going on it is just their natural reaction. Sam picked a good example of something that is taboo in the United States. It is all a result of society I think that we should all just understand what is natural and not sorry about the problems placed because of people’s thoughts. We are all affected by it whether we like it or not. Sam is an experienced sociologist and even he needs is time away from other countries when he is in a foreign country. He said how when he is deep in a foreign culture he needs to take a break at times and go to the United States embassy or an American bar. I think this is a good example of the strong pressure our society puts on us. We may not feel home even if we are completely comfortable and understanding of the situation that we are in. But the menstrual cycle may not be just in the United States I am not sure. I know many societal things are different overseas but I can see that women’s periods are not talked about in many places. I feel like I would know if women having their periods was completely open or in serious contrast to how it is in the United States. I just think it is somewhat silly that the girl gets angry about it being called bleeding while a guy is actually supporting you. I feel like you are one of the girls in the crowd complaining about Sam while he is just trying to support you. I think so many people are naïve and stupid in our class. Always complaining and not seeing through to what Sam is actually saying and when he actually admits to having an opinion on something they don’t understand that he is openly saying “I have an opinion on this I understand if you disagree, I am not trying to change your opinion”. People are so quick to jump to the opposition when they should be open and waiting for the message that is trying to be delivered to them. Isn’t that why we are in college we are here to learn and to open our minds to the world that we have to come to yet.
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The fact that women have periods should not be a topic of conversation. Yes, every month you do release one egg from your ovary supply which is accompanied by bleeding. That being said, there is no reason to make a big deal that this "miracle experience" occurs once a month. Even though the "bleeding" does allow you to result in a pregnancy, (not that any college girl would EVER want a baby, nor would a college girl EVER be responsible enough to raise a baby), it doesn't mean there is a need to bring up the point that you have finally reached the age that you can have a baby. Also, girls love to use the excuse of having a period for being in a bad mood and being an overall unpleasant person to be around. Just suck it up and deal with your unbalanced hormonal situation. Yes, you have to put up with the inconvenience for a week max, and yest guys don't have this problem, but there is no reason to milk the situation into gaining sympathy from men.
Women developed ovaries, men developed testicles. We don't compain about having to carry them around all the time. there is no reason for women to complain about their evolutionary cycle. If you are truely proud about this magical thing you have developed, then why is there so much discussion about what a problem it is. The only reason it is a problem in the first place is because men have to deal with women consistently complaining about having live with it for a week or have uneccessary PMS moods. Be mature and stop complaining.
If men had periods, it would be turned into some glorified drinking game where we all have some sort of competition of who has the longest/ shortest period, and just embrace the fact that we have it, not complain the whole time. It shouldn't be considered an inconvenience. A miracle of life should never be inconvenience. That being said, men occasionally find periods to be an inconvenience also, however we never complain about it. It is something that men and women both have to deal with in a way but since there is nothing either of us can do about it, and its a natural party of a womens life, there is no reason to complain at all.
The concept of "having to deal with a perdiod" only makes women look weaker as a race. There is no need to complain and make a big deal of it. Just embrace the fact that you have to "bleed" for a week (which is strong word, and brings unecessarily vivid descriptions to the issue) and allow it to happen with out letting the world know.
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This entire discussion I found to be very funny, somewhat immature, and extremely out of control. Again, I found myself questioning Sams way of making us think. Because at in one hand, hes showing us how dumb it is to be squirmish about a womans menstrual cycle and the like, but on the other hand, was that discussion really necessary in a Race Relations class? To be honest before this entire thing happened in class I was somewhat falling asleep in the back of class, because sometimes I feel as if some of the discussions that take place are more of a common knowledge kind of thing instead of something I needed to be taught. The reactions from the other students in the classroom however caught my attention so I started to pay attention to see what was actually taking place. Sam is very very good at causing, or creating, a reaction out of an audience, and again, that is what he tried to do, and again, he succeeded. I found that during the class the people that were most offended were the female students that were listening to what he was saying. And I also found that the students that were most disgusted were the male students found in the classroom. I am not exactly sure how I felt during the class because I found myself laughing A LOT during the entire thing. Not at what Sam was saying though, but actually at the reactions of the students around the class. I saw girls leaving the classroom, and guys making gagging faces. I dont see why this was such a huge deal. It made no sense to me to make something that is natural and healthy, a disgusting and offensive thing. Which brings me to my point that I dont believe it was the actual menstrual cycle that people were reacting to, but the fact that Sam was calling it bleeding that through people off. Also his statements about his wife, who also happens to be a teacher at Penn State, that we have to respect and adhere to, seem to cause people to feel awkward and uncomfortable. Sometimes I feel like he brings the comments that students make about his wife upon himself by dropping lines about her bleeding being beautiful, or how they have sex twice a day. Either way, I would be okay with NOT hearing about bleeding, sex, and any other activity between him and his wife during a Race Relations class. If this class was a sex education class, then I would be more understanding towards his comments, and jokes, but what he was saying has NOTHING at all to do with the subject the class was created for.
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