Tampon Run. Ipad Game by Feminists.

[INickedAName]

My first thread in this section, I'm nervous about fucking it up as I'm not so good at getting what's in my head to make sense.

I came across this game today, on an ios gaming forum I visit a lot. I've downloaded the game but not tried it yet. There is a bit of info on the two young girls who made the game and how they came up with the idea here

I'm still forming my opinion and have to play the game, but I think the girls' attitude is positive and I think the idea and theory itself is good, but, the site on which I found the game is mainly male, and the first few comments on the games thread are in a joking way "bloody good time" and even a mention of anal sex?!, I think there will be more of the same over the next few days. I'm not sure how to word how I feel, but I hope the girls don't get disheartened if the game doesn't achieve what they intended.

Told you I was rubbish at making sense. I will be back to post better, but just wondered what you all thought of it. Do you think the game will change any attitudes/feelings towards periods? Is making it lighthearted a bad thing?

[INickedAName]

Some game screenshots for people who don't have iPhone/ipad.

[DadWasHere]

Its positive but I don’t think its a feminist issue per se as I see no repression or lack of empowerment on a social scale. Every male remembers the first pack of condoms he embarrassingly bought and an unused tampon or condom at school causes equal amounts of manic shrieking, according to teachers. Both of them imply sexual maturity and if the kids are old enough to know what they are used for that’s equal parts exciting and terrifying.

[zozzij]

I see no repression or lack of empowerment on a social scale

You don't see it, therefore it doesn't exist.

[zozzij]

I work in a restaurant and I had a 20 year old male barman tell me yesterday with a look of disgust on his face that the cod "smelt like period." I ignored it because I've heard the fish/vagina comment so many times now.

I have never, in over 20 years working in catering, have any member of staff - male or female - make a disparaging remark about the smell of male bodies or male genitalia. Ever.

The idea that females have actual bodies that undergo biological processes is profoundly and powerfully disgusting to a lot of people. I think the chances of this game making any difference to that are pretty much zero (women are, after all, idiots who never say anything worth listening to) but I still really admire them for doing it.

[cailindana]

How many periods have you had DWH?

[YonicScrewdriver]

Buying tampons should be more closely akin to buying tissues or deodorant or plasters than to buying condoms, DWH. They are all items to deal with unstoppable bodily fluids.


Buying condoms means that you have an intention to have sex, which hopefully happens at an age considerably later than the onset of puberty.

[YonicScrewdriver]

Also, did you read the background? Tampons were confiscated from adult women entering a democratic building in case they threw them. I wonder if tissues or plasters were confiscated. Probably not, as that wouldn't have been "embarrassing" for the politicians. And why not? Because Only Women Bleed

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

Tissues aren't very good projectiles. Too floaty.

People still treat periods with absolute horror and disgust, and they can very much be a tool for shaming women. It can stop women from feeling able to fully participate in activities (out of fear of people knowing and mocking/shaming), so just because you can't see how attitudes to menstruation can disempower women, doesn't mean it isn't happening.

[YonicScrewdriver]

I was thinking of the handy packs, hoppy.

[RufusTheReindeer]

ifyouare

You need to have a good nose blow into the tissue before you throw it...makes a better missile

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

I like it, outside the box.

Oooh, actually a whole box of kleenex would work too.

[RufusTheReindeer]

if youare

Needs to be "man size" box more heft (and it serves them right for calling then man size ....although my DH has a much bigger nose than me )

[YonicScrewdriver]

I don't know if they also took away condoms. But if they did, something of a difference between "this means you can't have unprotected sex and observe democracy" and "this means you can't be a menstruating woman and observe democracy", hmm?

[FuckOffGroundhog]

OP, I've seen that before.. I think it was on a "A MIghty Girl". I think it's a great idea


Its positive but I don’t think its a feminist issue per se as I see no repression or lack of empowerment on a social scale. Every male remembers the first pack of condoms he embarrassingly bought and an unused tampon or condom at school causes equal amounts of manic shrieking,


It is a feminist issue. And if you ask any woman (we buy condoms too and have sex too) it does not get the same response. Especially in high school. It is certainly not considered "exciting" for the other kids when a girl gets her period.. NOT the same as showing up and saying you got laid.

Even as adults some men still make disparaging remarks about women's periods. I have yet to find this about condoms.

On MN a forum mostly populated by adult mothers a mention of a mooncup gets cries of "disgusting".

Also you may be unaware but many cultures consider a menstruating woman unclean.

Leviticus 15:19-30

And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even. And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean. And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean. Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the LORD for the issue of her uncleanness.

[FuckOffGroundhog]

I don't know how any one can argue something isn't an issue on a "social scale" when it being considered dirty is literally fundamental to western religion.

IN other cultures the women get sent away as well for the duration. Is there anywhere where it isn't a taboo?

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

Not convinced getting your period is all that taboo? Try walking through your office carrying a tampon in plain sight. Stop and chat with a male colleague on your way to the restroom, while you're at it. Then imagine the middle school version of that exchange. From the linked article sums it up for me.

[PuffinsAreFictitious]

I don’t think its a feminist issue per se as I see no repression or lack of empowerment on a social scale


Where to start?

In almost all African nations, girls stop going to school when they start their periods. Partly because menstruating women are seen as unclean, but also because they have little access to disposable sanitary wear, which is often financially out of a family's reach, so they stuff their underwear with whatever rags are to hand and often have to resort to leaves and twigs, with resultant risk of vaginal, uterine or urethral infections. If the girl has already been a victim of FGM, it just makes the situation 100% worse, especially if she has been the victim of the most severe forms of it and has had her labia sewn together, which makes the insertion of a tampon physically impossible. There are feminist groups involved in sending washable pads to girls in this situation, and in helping women to start cottage industries where they make the pads and sell them to their neighbours.

There is a similar story in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, especially in rural areas where access to a communal toileting facility is extremely hazardous at night and menstruating women face the threat of rape or worse should they need to change their sanitary protection at night. Girls often leave school when they start their periods, for the same reasons as their African sisters.

In certain Muslim cultures, and Orthodox Jewish ones, women are still viewed as unclean, and are to all intents and purposes segregated from their societies for that week. Older people in the UK have deeply held taboos around menstruation.

If you see no repression or lack of empowerment on a social scale, it's because you haven't even thought about it, lucky you and your male privilege.

[LillyEvans]

Yes, me and friends have spoken about the various ways we have made the journey at work from desk to toilet, whilst keeping our tampons hidden. Bringing your whole handbag is too obvious. One of my friends has a special little bag just for this.

Though, that's nothing compared to the level of shame attached to periods in parts of India. I read a good article about it, I will have a search and share the link.

[YonicScrewdriver]

[INickedAName]

I'm so glad there are a few more replies, I had a quick check back before bed and the only response was from DWH. I tried replying to it but couldn't find the right the words, but fuckoffgroundhog had said everything I wanted to.

I'm going back a bit now but when I was a teenager (13,14) there was a girl in my class who had a tampon fall out of her bag, the boys sat next to her shrieked away like she was dirty along with eewwww type noises. She was asked throughout the rest of her school life she was her period by these boys. I think a condom failing out of a boys pocket wouldn't get the same reaction. In fact I'd say a condom falling out of a teenage girls bag would get a different reaction to one falling out of a teenage boys bag.

I'm the only one amongst my friends who don't hide sanitary products in the bathroom cupboard, they are on the shelf alongside my deodorant, I've had quiet words from well meaning friends thinking I've left them out by accident. Then thers the packaging, there's many tampons now packaged to look like anything but tampons. Like it's something to be ashamed of. I've read many many threads on here where many many women say it is or has been an issue and if two young girls feel the need to challenge attitudes then it looks like it's still an issue.

I spoke out on the site where I found the game, and have had some lovely replies, one man said to expect some comparison to something males feel make them embarassed as they've noticed a pattern of when a woman tries to speak on things that affect women, there's always someone who comes along saying men have it just as bad or worse. I dont think the game is going to change any attitudes but if it has people talking then it's good thing. I think they are brilliant for giving it a shot.

[PuffinsAreFictitious]

Thanks for posting INickedAName. It's always great to see what women are doing to chip away at Patriarchy. I'm really pleased for you that you've had some positive replies on your gaming forum as well.

Your anecdote about the girl in your school also chimes with me, and, I'm pretty sure, with almost every other woman. I hope those attitudes are changing now, but I doubt they've gone completely.

[LillyEvans]

BBC news link.

[JennyOnTheBlocks]

there was a great article recently in the Guardian about periods and the social stigma/shame placed on women for having them

here

[cailindana]

God yes. I used to hide my pad (can't use tampons) up my sleeve at school. Now I tend to wear things with pockets so I just put them in there. I'm a grown woman and I can't just pick up a pad and go to the toilet.

I have to say I did love my lovely male friend a bit more when he casually talked about he has to go to a special organic shop to get unbleached towels for his wife as the ordinary ones irritate her skin. It's literally the first and only time I've ever heard a man just chat about anything to do with periods and on top of that he was taking responsibility for sourcing the pads for his wife - so unusual.

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

The number of my friends who admit that they don't put sanitary products on the shopping list as their husband wont buy them when he's doing the shop on his own. Grown men who are too embarrassed to buy a box of tampons for their wife.