Thanks to the BuzzFeed quiz, we now all know which city we should live in (Paris), what kind of sandwich we are (grilled cheese), and which Twin Peaks character we are (Agent Dale Cooper). BuzzFeed quizzes exploit our urge to belong, to categorize ourselves into an identifiable group that we are instantly a part of. (Oh, you’re a Miranda? Me too!) Which is why the latest BuzzFeed quiz, “How Metal Is Your Period?” is such a masterpiece of the form.
The questions range from the mundane (Q: “Have you ever tried to put in a tampon only to discover you forgot to take the old one out?” A: Uh, yes, who hasn’t?) to the silly (Q: “Have you ever used your period blood to cast magical spells in your enemies?” A: No, but good idea) to the horribly, tragically real (Q: “Have you ever bled through your underwear, pants, and onto a chair?” A: Yes, ninth-grade English class. I was the last to leave. The longest three minutes of my life). The beauty of this quiz is that it normalizes the bloody corporeal mess that women everywhere experience but rarely talk about. There were things on this list that I thought only I had gone through, and, man, it is good to know that enough other women have experienced the same to have the incident make it onto the quiz. I am apparently not the only woman who has DIY’d a pad or tampon out of household materials. “How Metal Is Your Period?” is like the best bodily fluid joke of all time—gross, but also these things are human, and it’s OK to laugh about them.
Women, take this quiz and rejoice: You are not alone. Also, make the men in your life take the quiz, too. No, they won’t actually be able to check any boxes (hopefully), but it will sure be more informative than “Which Haim Sister Are You?”
