Yas!
A few weeks back, Bodyform released the first ad for period pads that included actual period blood.
It was great and realistic and there was not a pair of white jeans or a spacehopper in sight.
Periods are normal – half of the population is going to experience them at some point in their lives – so it makes sense that they should be treated as such in the media, in adverts, and in real life too.
That’s why when art depicting women engaging in regular activities while on their period appeared on subways in Stockholm, people were delighted.
Or, at least some of them were.
I think these Stockholm metro murals by Liv Strömquist are amazing! ❤️#HalfThePopulationMenstruate #GetOverIt pic.twitter.com/nUHpocnzTA
— Language of Endo (@endolanguage) November 2, 2017
The drawings were created by Stockholm artist Liv Strömquist and they show women dancing and just chilling out while on their periods.
The caption beneath one of the photos reads: “It’s alright (I’m only bleeding).”
That you are girl, that you are.
Some people, however, were not too impressed by Liv’s art… or the fact that they had to look at it on their way to work.
One Twitter user, @Wilburyness, wrote that while Liv’s art “makes a good point,” they didn’t want to “see any bodily fluids on the metro.”
Another user, @hugtheworld35, argued that the drawings were “part of life,” but that they are “not empowering women.”
Let’s be clear though – these drawings are objectively not graphic.
They’re cartoons, for starters.
The blood is literally a red splodge.
If anything, the art is merely representative of the fact that a lot of women bleed once a month while also getting on with their everyday lives.
And, in my opinion, these images are definitely nicer to look at than some of the ads and pictures you’ll be subjected to on public transport.
