‘There’s no such thing as a happy period’

A company that makes feminine hygiene products is coming clean that a woman’s time of the month may not be all flowers and rainbows as depicted in many tampon and pad ads.

“There’s no such thing as a happy period,” says a new video from Bodyform, a British feminine hygiene product company.

Bodyform’s video message says that market research showed people didn’t respond well to detailed, true descriptions of the experience of a period. But the scenes often pictured in ads, like shots of women rollerblading or enjoying all sorts of fun adventures during that time of the month, isn’t the whole story, the company says.

Ron & Don Show contributor Rachel Belle is more than familiar with the realities of the female period. Even so, she still enjoys the picture painted in feminine product ads.

“I love those commercials for pads and tampons where it’s like a girl in white jeans on a white couch with a white fluffy cat on her.”

But the true realities, and why companies took efforts to avoid them in their ads, are now being addressed by Bodyform, in response to a man named Richard that posted a comment on the company’s Facebook page that went viral.

“Hi, as a man I must ask why you have lied to us for all these years. As a child I watched your advertisements with interest as to how at this wonderful time of the month that the female gets to enjoy so many things, I felt a little jealous. I mean bike riding, rollercoasters, dancing, parachuting. Why couldn’t I get to enjoy this time of joy and ‘blue water’ and wings!!,” Richard writes.

“Then I got a girlfriend, was so happy and couldn’t wait for this joyous adventurous time of the month to happen…..you lied !! There was no joy, no extreme sports, no blue water spilling over wings, and no rocking soundtrack oh no no no. Instead I had to fight against every male urge I had to resist screaming wooaaahhhhh.”

In the video message from Bodyform, a woman drinking blue water, identifying herself as the CEO of Bodyform, says thanks to Richard every man will now be exposed to a reality they hoped men wouldn’t have to face.

“You did that Richard. You. Well done,” says the woman in the video.

Don’s reaction to the video message led Rachel to ask if he, as a man, is fearful of the topic. Maybe he fits the profile of one of these men that would’ve reacted badly in Bodyform’s market research.

“You’re not one of those guys that’s afraid of Aunt Flow are you?”

“No,” Don shouted.

A pleased Rachel dubbed the segment “ladies talk.”

“We’re just three gals in here talking about our lady time,” said Rachel.

Don quickly reminded Rachel he is not a lady. “So I’m not talking.”

“Hey, Tony’s here,” Don quickly noted. “I’m trying to have some guy talk.”

“It’s guy talk time,” said Ron.

“Football, football, baseball, baseball,” Rachel replied, easing herself back into the fold with the male members of the show staff. “Hockey, hockey, golf, golf, golf” she continued.