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Singing tampons follow dancing genitals on Swedish kids' TV Singing tampons follow dancing genitals on Swedish kids' TV
(34 minutes later)
A Swedish children’s TV show that aired a video earlier this year featuring animated dancing genitals has launched a new clip of singing tampons to teach youngsters about menstruation.A Swedish children’s TV show that aired a video earlier this year featuring animated dancing genitals has launched a new clip of singing tampons to teach youngsters about menstruation.
The Period Song will air on Friday on the Barnkanalen children’s channel, part of the public service broadcaster SVT. The broadcaster said it hopes the video will help to destigmatise the subject and explain menstruation to children. The Period Song will air on Friday on the Barnkanalen children’s channel, part of the public service broadcaster SVT. The broadcaster said it hoped the video would help to destigmatise the subject and explain menstruation to children.
One of the channel’s young hosts, Alex Hermansson, sings with teenagers and pulls on the tampons’ strings to make them dance like marionettes before submerging them in a glass of red-coloured water.One of the channel’s young hosts, Alex Hermansson, sings with teenagers and pulls on the tampons’ strings to make them dance like marionettes before submerging them in a glass of red-coloured water.
Translated into English, the first verse reads: Translated into English, the first verse says:
It’s a thing that happens to girls sometimesThey don’t want to talk about itMaybe they’re a bit ashamedThey don’t want us to know anything at allBut we know, that it, it’s something totally normalWe just need to be a little extra nice to themShow a little patienceIt’s just a little bloodIt’s a thing that happens to girls sometimesThey don’t want to talk about itMaybe they’re a bit ashamedThey don’t want us to know anything at allBut we know, that it, it’s something totally normalWe just need to be a little extra nice to themShow a little patienceIt’s just a little blood
It continues:It continues:
Period, period, hip hip hooray for period!The body’s working as it shouldAnd that is really, really good – hooray!Period, period, hip hip hooray for period!The body’s working as it shouldAnd that is really, really good – hooray!
Hermansson told the daily newspaper Expressen that menstruation “is a sign that as of now the body can create a life”.Hermansson told the daily newspaper Expressen that menstruation “is a sign that as of now the body can create a life”.
Related: Swedish children’s TV dancing genitals cartoon sparks parental outcryRelated: Swedish children’s TV dancing genitals cartoon sparks parental outcry
Another clip produced and aired by SVT in January featured animated male and female genitals, called Snoppen och Snippan in Swedish and translated into English as Willie and Twinkle. It has been viewed on YouTube more than 6.4m times.Another clip produced and aired by SVT in January featured animated male and female genitals, called Snoppen och Snippan in Swedish and translated into English as Willie and Twinkle. It has been viewed on YouTube more than 6.4m times.
That clip was intended as an educational tool, and was made after the word “snippan” was created by a group of women who were dismayed by the lack of an acceptable slang term for vagina.That clip was intended as an educational tool, and was made after the word “snippan” was created by a group of women who were dismayed by the lack of an acceptable slang term for vagina.
The clip divided opinion due to the realistic representation of the sexual organs.The clip divided opinion due to the realistic representation of the sexual organs.