We're not sure whether to be happy that guys are (kind of) moving past the wince and run away screaming, arms flailing in the air phase of talking about periods, or if in fact this new stage is way, way worse.
A new app called Frederick - because obvi the most manly of Viking-esque names must be enlisted in talking about women's bits and the blood that gushes from them - promises to be an 'honest menstrual cycle navigator for men.'
Periods fucking suck. From the cramps to the blood and the bits of cotton you need to stick up yourself to the wanting to gorge yourself on chocolate slash maybe getting a liiittle bit irritable, periods fucking suck. So maybe it's not the worst thing that guys are starting to want to get their heads around them a bit, although there's probably a less reductive and condescending way of going about doing that.
Supposedly used to help guys track their girlfriend's periods, the app gives users notifications depending on where their girlfriend is at in her cycle. If she’s ‘likely to be in a bad mood’, for example, it will tell you 'Tomorrow looks a little unsettling. She’s having fantasies. Of you flying a kite. Tethered with wire. In an electrical storm.'
It also reportedly gives users 'tips' how to avoid 'getting grief' from their girlfriends, such as not asking if it's 'blowjob week' and to 'avoid making her sneeze'. We'll let those just sink in for a sec.
But in a time where the stereotypes of women on their periods still consist largely of bleeding, depraved lunatics ready and willing to kill everything and anyone, and people (we're looking at you, Trump) still use periods as an insult, maybe we don't need anything to further perpetuate these ideas.
Because ultimately, women have still been kicking some serious life ass, breaking world records and expectations, whether on their periods or not. And we don't need anyone looking at a reductive calendar of our lives and making any judgements on that.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.