For a natural bodily function experienced by more than half the human population, “the monthly curse” has long received bad press. Even in an era of heightened feminism, menstruation attracts surprisingly little positive film, television and social media attention.
But things are changing. And this is what UNE PhD candidate Bridgette Glover, who spoke recently at the international conference Menstruation in the Media, is investigating.
A wave of menstrual activism
“Past representations have contributed significantly to menstrual stigma; this idea that it’s a terrifying or shameful experience or that menstruators experiencing Pre-menstrual Syndrome (PMS) are completely unreasonable and ruled by their hormones,” says Bridgette. “But since 2015 we’ve seen more diverse screen media depictions of menstruation, coinciding with a growing awareness of menstruation as a complex global issue.”
In recent times a wave of menstrual activism has begun crashing on our shores. This has challenged menstrual taboos and mobilised those who menstruate (including transgender and non-binary individuals) to defend their fundamental human rights as part of the broader feminist and women’s health movement.
We’re starting to see a lot more about period poverty and equitable access to menstrual products, and efforts to acknowledge the menstrual cycle as a source of strength and knowledge rather than a source of shame.
“We’re starting to see a lot more about period poverty and equitable access to menstrual products, and efforts to acknowledge the menstrual cycle as a source of strength and knowledge rather than a source of shame,” Bridgette says. “I’m keen to understand how portrayals in film, television and online are contributing to a cultural reframing of menstruation that is more inclusive and empathetic.”
In the past, menarche (a person’s first period) was generally depicted as either traumatic, terrifying or embarrassing, and rarely shown visually. But 2015 marked a watershed. Known colloquially as the Year of the Period, it saw menstruation attract significant media attention, with athletes talking openly about their menstrual cycle and performance, and shares on Instagram and Twitter that defied stereotypes and censorship. However, this did not translate immediately into film and television scripts.
“The popular culture we consume shapes the way we view the menstrual experience,” says Bridgette, a graduate of UNE’s Media and Communications program. “Considering this is something so ordinary, that occurs on a monthly basis for half the population for upwards of 40 years, it’s not shown on screen nearly as often as it could or should be.”
Delving into the archives, Bridgette has found depictions of menstruation in popular culture dating back to the 1967 film classic To Sir, With Love right through to then US Republican candidate Donald Trump’s criticism of Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly in 2015, who he described as having “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her everywhere” during a televised political debate. The more recent satirical animation Big Mouth, made famous by its Menstruation Song, takes a more progressive approach.
We are starting to see more empathy, humour and diversity in the menstrual narratives, unlike the negative portrayals we have consumed in the past.
“We are starting to see more empathy, humour and diversity in the menstrual narratives,” Bridgette says. “Unlike the negative portrayals we have consumed in the past, this is positively influencing our understanding of menstruation, how we are perceived as menstruators and how we perceive ourselves as menstruators. It’s impacting how we see ourselves.”
In 2019 the United Nations highlighted the physical and mental impacts of menstrual stigma globally, where menstruators can be seen as “dirty, untouchable or a disgrace”. Amid calls for action, it revealed that period shaming routinely sees some of the world’s most disadvantaged people denied basic menstrual products and facilities like clean water, housing and food, as well as personal dignity. This, in turn, hampers school attendance and performance, and limits their future job prospects.
Not simply a women's issue
“Many women are still hiding their menstrual experience and being othered by it,” Bridgette says. “And screen media is very powerful in contributing to and perpetuating menstrual stigma, causing significant trauma. It’s no longer just a women’s issue but a human rights issue.
“The other thing we see commonly is a tendency to think about menstruation in terms of how it affects men; this idea that ‘She’s got her period, so she will be painful this week', or 'It’s Shark Week and there won’t be any sex happening’. However, in screen texts produced since 2015 we are starting to see more attention and care being brought to the menstruator’s experience.”
As the world continues to grapple with the availability and cost of (essential) sanitary products, we clearly have a long way to go in addressing discrimination surrounding menstruation.
Bridgette says she hopes her critical analysis of “problematic” screen representations will highlight screen media’s potential to challenge menstrual stigma and contribute to a wider understanding of menstruation as a human rights issue.
Her supervisor Fincina Hopgood says Bridgette demonstrates the enduring value of humanities degrees and the critical importance of screen media research to understanding contemporary global challenges and social change.
