Amy Schumer’s ‘Growing’ Proves Why Female Comedians Should Talk About Periods

It was believed to be lazy if woman got onstage and talked about periods. Gasp! Bringing attention to that monthly shame we’re not supposed to mention. Double gasp! That material could be isolating to men in the audience. GOOD. Because what Amy Schumer, and the roars in that Chicago audience during her latest Netflix special Growing, proves, is that female comedians shouldn’t feel they have to shy away, but rather lean in to that personal panty pandemonium and go for that ripe comedic material.

Growing is great. Period. It’s some of Schumer’s best material in recent years, and she not only looks great, but looks like she feels great, minus the hyperemesis of course, and is as relaxed and comfortable on stage as ever, even, and maybe especially as she shows off her growing baby bump.

And pregnancy has given Schumer a lot to talk about — not simply the process of making that baby or growing it or getting sick from growing it, but she’s addressing many topics that ultimately celebrate modern womanhood. Her material doesn’t have to be labeled “feminist” even though it inherently is, but her jokes are hilarious observations about what it means to be a woman at many stages.

Schumer has never been one to avoid body stuff, and specifically bodily functions, but her reflections on periods is truly great. After noting “how ashamed we’ve all been made to feel about getting our period,” which is all too true, she goes on to joke about hypnotizing a male coworker with a used tampon, equating dick pics with tampon pics (“tampics”!) and addresses the absolute ridiculous nature of how we as women, in a locker room full of other women, will still request a feminine product in a hushed tone. There’s a Diva Cup explainer attached to a Kill Bill reference that will have you in stitches, and the realness of her pads and pubes bit is too good to not laugh with. It’s not only relatable as hell, it’s smart and simply good comedy.

Clearly, Schumer is aware of this as she put it in her Netflix special, but it was also a bold move. Periods as a topic can be cringey, and that she’s working toward taking the stigma out of that with her jokes is a step in the right direction. As is the way she struts around that stage with her bump out, and the way she explains the illness her pregnancy has brought along, and that she compares herself to Meghan Markle. Discussing the difficulty of her pregnancy is not only funny to women that have been through it, but helpful to those who one day hope to or currently are. On top of her less than typical proposal and jokes about being a bridesmaid and the joys of lingerie and the way she addresses #MeToo and her real worries about getting arrested while protesting in DC, it’s impossible to identify as a woman and not get a chuckle, or at least a nod of approval, from this hour of comedy.

It should also be stated that this special has but one Trump joke, and that was at the expense of herself, which is what makes this a stand-up special women and men will watch for years to come. It’s great to see her getting on that stage with such great new material, no matter how contractually obligated she may be to do so, because this round really feels like it’s coming from a genuine, fulfilled place. Because she’s Amy Schumer, these topics may not be viewed as bold or important or even surprising, but addressing periods from a place that is as shameless as it is silly really does matter. And please, men will, until their very last breaths, be talking about their dicks. Let the ladies discuss discharge.

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The new pregnancy reveal. 🤰

A post shared by Decider.com (@deciderdotcom) on Mar 19, 2019 at 9:11am PDT

Where to stream Amy Schumer: Growing