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Watch As Guys Get Everything Wrong About Tampons
Watching men confronted with the female anatomy is always simultaneously hilarious and depressing. In a recent video created by the Facts YouTube channel, four men try to explain tampons — and perhaps unsurprisingly, they are all totally bewildered. Not going to lie: It's pretty funny. But it's also more than a little disheartening, largely because it speaks to how poorly we teach both sexual education and simple, basic biology.
Watching the guys attempt to explain the form and function of everything from tampons to maxi pads is definitely laughable from a "Ha! Men are so clueless!" perspective. At best, a few of them are able to figure out how the stick side of a pad works; at worst, half of them try to put a tampon into the bladder on an anatomical model. You win some, you lose some.
While entertaining, it's also disappointing to realize just how unaware such a large swath of the population is when it comes to something that impacts another large swath once a month for much of their adult lives. Sure, a guy may never need the practical knowledge of how to insert a tampon (though I wouldn't be disappointed if he knew), but just an awareness and willingness to learn about these things could really help the stigma against menstruation.
Nor are men the only ones suffering from poor sex education. As BuzzFeed's "Women Explain the Penis" video demonstrated in 2014, many women are just as clueless about how a lot of male equipment works. Heck, men and women are sometimes even at a loss when it comes to their own anatomy, showing exactly how problematic it is not to teach these subjects. No matter how "awkward" some might consider them to be, they could be the difference between knowing that you're healthy and not knowing that you're not until it's too late.
But hey, maybe there's hope: As profoundly clueless as these dudes are, they're also willing to discuss and be open about periods. Breaking down this unnecessary taboo against mensutration might stop behavior like sending a woman death threats for posting a period-related photo on Instagram. Let the mutual support and understanding flow!
So, in the name of clearing up a few misconceptions, here are 10 ridiculous assumptions the guys in the video shared. Everybody's got to start somewhere, right?
1. No, A Pad Does Not Go On Your Body
"Oh! It sticks in your underwear! I thought it was on you!" said one guy. Let me be the first to say: Ouch.
2. A Pad Is Not Used For Making Tea
"This could easily be mistaken for an herbal tea bag." When you're on your period, you probably have the tea bags handy, but trust me — there is no chance of a mix-up.
3. Yes, Practice Is Involved
While struggling with inserting a pad into a pair of underwear, one guy mused, "I'm sure this comes with practice." Well, yeah, but ladies tend to learn pretty fast, considering the other option results in your whole fifth grade class pointing and laughing.
4. Defining A Flow
"What dictates a flow?" questioned one of the guys. This isn't even a question of using "feminine hygiene products." It's how a period actually works, which is something you should know, gents.
5. No Half-Nelsons Required
This guy really let out his inner John Cena when asked to put a pantyliner into a pair of underwear. Those are for light days, man. Save your smackdowns for the maxi pads.
6. A Tampon Is Not A Tiny Bullet
Although it can be, if you're playing Tampon Run.
7. The Face Of A Man Confronted With The Female Anatomy
Yes, that is an anatomical model of a vagina. No, you don't have to be frightened by it.
8. "This Seems Unnecessary"
I promise you, if this wasn't fully necessary, every maxi pad producer on the planet would have gone out of business years ago.
9. Teenage Menstruating Ninja Turtles
This guy used the maxi pad to create a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mask (and he was thrilled about it, might I add). I can't exactly knock this one, though, since they do it all the time in Orange Is the New Black.
10. "These Are Expensive!"
Finally, one of the guys spouted some real wisdom. "That's the worst thing: you have to pay so much money for this sh*t!" Though my wallet has been well aware of this fact for the last ten years, it was still nice to hear someone acknowledge the fact. Now can we do something about getting tampons, pads, and all related paraphernalia off the "luxury item" list?
Watch the entire video below:
