How Women Get Periods in Movies: The NOT Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Hollywood is all about female nudity and gratuitous sex, but when it comes to natural bodily processes like menstruation, it becomes either a scene straight out of a horror movie, a bad joke or often, just no mention at all.

How many movies have you seen that accurately depict getting your period? Probably none. Getting your period in a movie has two extremes: either your PMS is so bad you literally start killing people, or you become the laughing stock of the scene you’re in, and the butt of many a crude joke.

Let’s take a look at some of Hollywood’s “best” period scenes:

The Evil

Have you seen the 1976 horror film, Carrie? In the opening scenes of the movie, Carrie gets her first period in the locker room shower only to be mocked by her classmates. Her experience unleashed her telekinetic powers that she uses to destroy her crazy mom and classmates. We’ve all been there…

On the night of her first period, Ginger is mauled by a werewolf and later becomes one herself in the 2000 Canadian horror flick, Ginger Snaps. If you think her first period was bloody, then you should see the rest of the movie! Because wolves will attack you if you’re on your period.

The Funny

In the 2005 comedy, Dirty Love, Rebecca Somers (Jenny McCartney) rushed to the supermarket to buy a Costco size package of sanitary pads. Before she could make it to the cash register, she bleeds so much that an elderly woman slips and falls. Menstruation is so messy, but also hilariously slapstick.

In the 2007 hit, Superbad, Seth dirty dances with a girl who leaves her period blood on his thigh, which leads his friends to make fun of him and later start a fight between him and the girl’s boyfriend who also has a period strain on his jeans. Ewwwww period blood.

While Movie 43 was a failure, one of its short films mocked a young girl getting her first period while on her first middle school date. Her boyfriend and his brother panicked not knowing what to do. They even went so far to call 911 because she was “bleeding out of her vagina.” Again, ewwwww period blood.

The Stereotype

The movie, No Strings Attached, portrayed typical period stereotypes. Emma (Natalie Portman) and her two roommates have synced periods, which led Adam (Ashton Kutcher) to make her a “period mix” CD and bring her cupcakes. Nothing says period like chocolate and “Red, Red Wine,” right? Being a girl is so darn cute.

In the classic 1986 rom-com, Sixteen Candles, Samantha’s (Molly Ringwald) sister, Ginny, gets her period early, which just happens to be her big wedding day. To relieve the cramps she pops four muscle relaxers and could barely walk down the aisle. Because periods make ladies crazy.

Photo courtesy of Life Between Frames