Intern Eliza

Flow CoverOh, great -- another women's magazine that's afraid of periods! In this month's issue, Redbook reviewed Flow by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim, a book about the cultural history of menstruation. It sounds like a pretty interesting read -- and certainly shows great appreciation for the process so often referred to as 'the curse' by woman-hating tampon advertisers.

But now Redbook, a magazine supposedly for women, seems to have joined the He-Man Woman Haters Club, too. Their review of Flow calls the book 'One to Snub' and encourages the mag's readers to spend their cash on a period's worth of Ben and Jerry's. Ha ha ha, Redbook, I see what you did there. You made a joke about sad women on their periods needing ice cream to get through such a difficult time! You're so very clever. Somebody ought to give you a Peabody for that kind of hard-hitting journalism.

BUST's (positive) review of the book will be in the December/January issue. Check it out at the end of next month! And in the mean time, stay away from those other lady-hating lady mags.

Bledbook

UPDATE: The folks over at Adventures in Menstruating have whipped up a mock magazine cover making fun of the haters over at Redbook. Well played, ladies!

photos courtesy Macmillan and Adventures in Menstruating

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written by Bette, October 28, 2009
I love how at Bust we compare the smell of our periods. we love that shit.
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written by Snowwhite, October 28, 2009
well, I , for one, am cancelling MY subscription...
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written by KT, October 29, 2009
Now, I'm not a huge fan of my period, but I certainly don't consider it a curse.
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written by Laurie, October 29, 2009
Redbook is lame, but I was really surprised at their negative review. I've seen the galleys of this book and it's really informative, entertaining and yes, fun! While I dont think its something that needs to be discussed at the dinner table, it's good to talk about this stuff, see how others deal etc., it is important for women not to be so uptight about their bodies.
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written by Tuesday Mccormick, October 29, 2009
I'm so glad someone wrote the history book on this subject. Our cultural attitude towards a woman's finite nest of eggs and their monthly demise (if not intercepted by the squiggle) has always struck me as unhealthily hostile. There are other perspectives out there in print besides popular culture myths and memes. I especially hope single dads with daughters educate themselves on this important topic. Fecundity doesn't last forever. Every period is worthy of note.
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written by Elizabeth Kissling, October 30, 2009
We haven't read FLOW yet at re:Cycling, but we look forward to seeing it, and to seeing BUST's take on it in the upcoming issue. We were disappointed in Redbook's review, too, since their readers are clearly in need of menstrual education - just a few pages after this review, there's an article about all those things you're afraid to ask your doctor about: you know, all that stuff DOWN THERE.

We're also big fans of Chella Quint's work, and pleased to see her on the pages (screens?) of BUST.

If you can't get enough period talk, please visit us re:Cycling, the blog of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. We've got lots to say about all aspects of the menstrual cycle, throughout the life cycle!
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written by Elizabeth Kissling, October 30, 2009
Yikes! Sorry for the unclosed HTML tag!
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written by Patrice, October 30, 2009
Awesome - love it! Redbook - what a pathetic response - nothing like 'empowering' your readers!
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written by Heather, October 30, 2009
I, for one, have seen FLOW and I know it to be well researched, entertaining, and downright informative. As the mother of a young girl, I hope to be able to enlighten her. Actually, Redbook (or "BledBook" -- well done!!!) just highlights exactly why a book like this needs to be out there. The stigma and embarrassment that has followed every woman as she's hidden her "sanitary napkin" purchase in with as much other stuff as possible at the drugstore MUST be dispelled and a book like FLOW will help to do just that. And I'll be "snubbing" Redbook from now on!
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written by Morgan, October 31, 2009
Sadly this is not the first time RedBook has dissed periods. I was totally un-surprised to hear about their latest woman-hating antics. The gals at Lunapads HQ experienced a very similar snub earlier this year. Check it: http://blog.lunapads.com/2009/...your-book/
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written by Sarah Thomasin, October 31, 2009
There's nothing worse than a non-review. You get the impression that Redbook's writers neither read Flow, nor actually road-tested Lunapads. How does one REview without actually having viewed in the first place?

I wish I'd known about the Lunapad review when Chella and I put the Bledbook spoof together: we'd have given them a shout-out on there!

Your friendly Bledbook Covergirl
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written by Toongrrl, November 04, 2009
I love that cover you did!!! I got an idea "Redbook: Keeping Women in the kitchen and bitching on them since 1901"
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written by Jennifer June, November 06, 2009
Because women tend not to be self deprecating enough? Well thank you Redbook for validating some of our all time favorite negative core beliefs and insecurities. Imagine if even half of the mainstream magazines for women were actually for women...
Superficially speaking, you kind of have to question a magazine that insults the intelligence of it's readers enough to suggest turning the television of as one of their number one ways to spice a couple's sex life.
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written by razoriffic, November 11, 2009
Holy crap! I reviewed Flow for Bust. Redbook is really flying their women-hating flag high. I hope its readers take notice and put the magazine down for good.

And I love how 250 pages = a tome. Read much Redbook editors?
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written by Tash, November 13, 2009
Bwahah, love the mock magazine cover. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling irrational, I have to go cry in the bathroom, eat a tub of icecream and scream at my boyfriend. Waahhhh

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