The Last of Us creator compares showing menstrual cups to guns after viewers applaud show for breaking taboo
The Last of Us creator has made an interesting point comparing showing period products to guns in the TV series.
The post-apocalyptic show, which has been adapted from the popular video game of the same name, has been applauded for breaking down taboos surrounding menstruation.
In episode six, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) was given a menstrual cup and an instruction manual – something often missed out on TV.
And although it was a small scene, it didn’t go amiss, with many viewers praising the inclusion.
One wrote: ‘I am so obsessed with #TheLastOfUs finally showing us how people deal with menstruation in the apocalypse.’
Talking about the detail, showrunner Craig Mazin explained that Ellie learning how to use the cup – as she seems surprised before folding it how the directions suggest – didn’t need more going into.
He said: ‘It goes by very quickly. The intention was that if you don’t know what it is, you can ask someone or you can Google. It’s more for the people who do know what it is.’
Craig added to Vulture: ‘We do this all the time in shows with things like guns. People don’t know how to load guns, and we don’t explain it to them. Why should we have to explain this?’
An alternative to other products such as sanitary pads and tampons, a menstrual cup is inserted into the vagina when someone is on the period and is made from materials such as silicone or latex. The cup collects the blood and then is removed, emptied and rinsed before being inserted again.
In a previous instalment of the programme, Ellie was shown finding a box of tampons while Joel (Pedro Pascal) dug up his old stash of equipment.
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