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This is the most stirring ode to menstruation you’ll ever see

Somebody get this on Broadway, stat.

 

Miles Klee

Internet Culture

Posted on Oct 22, 2013   Updated on Jun 1, 2021, 3:39 am CDT

I’ll admit that a YouTube show tune about uterine biology is kind of a difficult sell, especially in a world marked by online oversharing, but let’s be real: “Period Piece” is the feel-good anthem of the fall, and tampon brands ought to be tripping over one another to secure the rights.

The story is an age-old one. A young woman wakes up in a haze of melancholy, anger, and abdominal pain, quickly realizing it’s that time of the month. But she’ll have to endure her period while simultaneously dealing with the mental and social stresses of a normal day at high school. What better way to negotiate the awkwardness of puberty than by belting out the details of your bodily routine as a song worthy of any Disney classic? 

Our hero finally renounces the secrecy, embarrassment, and euphemisms that come with the female anatomy, declaring “It’s my period” in triumphant, melodic runs—accented by blockbuster choreography, swirling red ribbons, and one unexpected cutaway to a cool-looking bass player. Eventually, even the guys, not grossed out in the slightest, join in for a celebration of the wonder that is the human body.

The video’s creator, Lena D, wrote on YouTube: “The goal of this song is to reduce shame and embarrassment that women feel regarding their time of month.” 

As one commenter notes, the result is “bloody beautiful.” We’d be inclined to agree.

Photo via Lena D/YouTube

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*First Published: Oct 22, 2013, 5:05 pm CDT