Woman runs Marathin to fight oppression, for period shaming?

[Stop Pretending]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...ef=mostpopular

So this story is a bit..odd to me. She ran a marathon on her period while not wearing a tampon, because doing so is an oppression against women? I thought tampons had to do more about not getting blood all over your clothes, or furniture, or whatever else it can get on.

[Elegiac]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...ef=mostpopular

So this story is a bit..odd to me. She ran a marathon on her period while not wearing a tampon, because doing so is an oppression against women? I thought tampons had to do more about not getting blood all over your clothes, or furniture, or whatever else it can get on.

Mmm.....it's a complicated subject.

If you'll pardon a bit of feminist theory, the issue is that women are societally pressured to be furtive about menstruation - to say nothing of the host of negative stigma attached to it.

That doesn't mean there isn't practical value in sanitary products, however.

[Deleted]

I think she is to fat to get her period.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Well I am glad it wasn't depends.

[drwelfare]

I heard about this on NPR this morning. I do not understand why its newsworthy.

[purebalance]

Judging by where her name comes from, I think there's a little more logical oppression she should face.

Also menstruation smells. My nose is ridiculous, but I could actually tell when a female at PT in the army had her period and didn't at least clean up prior to coming. I never said anything to shame them, but my coworkers that I trusted knew I could tell, but I never said X girl was the one.

You shouldn't be ashamed of menstruation, but you should also take action about it. That's like having diarrhea and just letting it loose in public.

[Elegiac]

You shouldn't be ashamed of menstruation, but you should also take action about it. That's like having diarrhea and just letting it loose in public.

It's actually not remotely comparable since menstruation is, you know, a monthly thing and the norm for women before menopause.

Again, while being sanitary is encouraged there is a level of stigma surrounding it which really shouldn't exist.

[Stop Pretending]

Mmm.....it's a complicated subject.

If you'll pardon a bit of feminist theory, the issue is that women are societally pressured to be furtive about menstruation - to say nothing of the host of negative stigma attached to it.

That doesn't mean there isn't practical value in sanitary products, however.

I cannot buy into that theory, not saying it doesn't exist, or maybe it does have merit. But I feel it's like me walking around in shit going " What? It's just nature stop oppressing me !".

[Belize]

Those pants weren't red when she started running.

[Elegiac]

I cannot buy into that theory, not saying it doesn't exist, or maybe it does have merit. But I feel it's like me walking around in shit going " What? It's just nature stop oppressing me !".

That's why it's complicated. You'll find similar controversies surrounding cosmetics and pornography.

This is why I took women's studies back in college; I don't buy into a lot of it, but at the very least it offers perspective on why particular issues are controversial.

[Wells]

I cannot buy into that theory, not saying it doesn't exist, or maybe it does have merit. But I feel it's like me walking around in shit going " What? It's just nature stop oppressing me !".

That's kind of the point. A completely normal bodily function for women is something that society has deemed embarrassing.

[noladrew]

I think she is to fat to get her period.

what? did you even look at the article? she ran a MARATHON... lol. shes in good shape, just not mentally good shape

[Crissi]

Im sorry, but blood is gross, and i think assuming I feel shame over it is silly. Every woman is different.

Also, theres damn good sanitation reasons for tampons and pads. Not everyone wnats to sit where someone without a tampon / pad sat. So gross...

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what? did you even look at the article? she ran a MARATHON... lol. shes in good shape, just not mentally good shape

It is, however, possible to work out so much you lose being able to have your period!

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That's kind of the point. A completely normal bodily function for women is something that society has deemed embarrassing.

Im so confused on how society says its embarassing. At least when I was getting it at 10, it was taught as something natural, but something that needed to be controlled to not make a mess. Evn now, while it is used ins exist accusations like Trumps, I dont see how it is used as a tool for embarassing women. Maybe Im just sheltered though.

[Stop Pretending]

That's kind of the point. A completely normal bodily function for women is something that society has deemed embarrassing.

But their is an actual health risk with blood just dripping wherever the woman walks. We don't allow atheletes in most major sports to compete if the person is bleeding and can't stop it.

[Vanyali]

I cannot buy into that theory, not saying it doesn't exist, or maybe it does have merit. But I feel it's like me walking around in shit going " What? It's just nature stop oppressing me !".

To a degree there's this weird.. I don't want to say culture, because it's not, but.. behavior? around periods.

Girl gets at all angry? Must be on your period.
Girl annoyed? God, don't mind her, she's on her period.
Girl doesn't feel good? Stop whining about your period already, god!

Blows my mind that people think it's even vaguely acceptable to take one facet of a person, then decide that behaves all their behaviors and can be discarded. As well, the idea that you need to hide being on your period out of fear of embarrassment is another weird thing. I don't know why it's embarrassing to guys to realize a woman is going to the bathroom to change a pad. But it is, and that means that the woman is generally also embarrassed to admit it, which leads to more hiding of it, which leads to more awkwardness on both sides..

Or the idea that someone on their period is dirty, which is also around a little. Or the "guys freaking out because they're seen with pads" trope, that's always a hilarious one.

That said, getting a period and deciding.. hey, I'll use this as a political point is.. an odd way to express anything. It's not necessarily unsanitary (the material will be there either way, and it's not like a pad / tampon has special properties to prevent you from touching it), but it does mean having to throw away both underwear and pants (depending on the underwear, ofc) for a weird point that can be fixed in much better ways. All this does is reinforce "ewwww, crazy women being dirty with periods, ewww feminists" points.

[Themius]

Im sorry, but blood is gross, and i think assuming I feel shame over it is silly. Every woman is different.

Also, theres damn good sanitation reasons for tampons and pads. Not everyone wnats to sit where someone without a tampon / pad sat. So gross...

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It is, however, possible to work out so much you lose being able to have your period!

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Im so confused on how society says its embarassing. At least when I was getting it at 10, it was taught as something natural, but something that needed to be controlled to not make a mess. Evn now, while it is used ins exist accusations like Trumps, I dont see how it is used as a tool for embarassing women. Maybe Im just sheltered though.

She's not assuming you feel shame... did you not read the article? Before the read the article I was like "wtf this doesn't make sense why?" but after reading it's quite clear.

[Wells]

Im so confused on how society says its embarassing. At least when I was getting it at 10, it was taught as something natural, but something that needed to be controlled to not make a mess. Evn now, while it is used ins exist accusations like Trumps, I dont see how it is used as a tool for embarassing women. Maybe Im just sheltered though.

I mean that's great for you, but you really don't understand how the entire thing can be a source of embarrassment for women? Hell, its routinely the theme of advertising for feminine hygiene.

[Vanyali]

But their is an actual health risk with blood just dripping wherever the woman walks. We don't allow atheletes in most major sports to compete if the person is bleeding and can't stop it.

It's not blood. It's more mucus than blood, for the first part. It also generally doesn't drip in the way you're thinking, and underwear / pants mean nothing drips anywhere.

[Elegiac]

But their is an actual health risk with blood just dripping wherever the woman walks. We don't allow atheletes in most major sports to compete if the person is bleeding and can't stop it.

There is a middle ground between accepting the need for being sanitary and shaming women for menstruation.

[Wells]

But their is an actual health risk with blood just dripping wherever the woman walks. We don't allow atheletes in most major sports to compete if the person is bleeding and can't stop it.

I don't think anyone is advocating just routinely bleeding everywhere as a matter of course.