We’ve seen some cringeworthy moments on TV in our time, but Monday night’s Project was polarising to say the least.
US comedian Bert Kreischer joined the panel shirtless to promote his Australian tour, but some of his comments left a bad taste in viewers’ mouths after he talked about his daughter’s period party.
Speaking to Peter Helliar, Waleed Aly, Lisa Wilkinson and Steve Price, the American comedian told an annecdote of how his youngest daughter decided to throw a ‘period party’ when she started menstruating.
“She said ‘I need you to go to the store and get a red velvet cake’ and I’m like…” Bert re-told before mocking vomiting.
Despite the nervous laughter, he went on to call it “the best party” when he revealed his daughter had invited two male friends who didn’t know they were celebrating her period.
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“I dressed all in red, made pasta with marinara sauce, drinking pinot noir, laughing at these two boys Max and Carter who had their faces covered in red cake.”
But despite the awkward laughs, some viewers were pleased a man was normalising menstruation on national television.
But not everyone felt comfortable as this story was being told, including one of the panelists.
“Everyone on this desk is nervously laughing,” Steve Price told Bert. “We’re not quite sure whether we should find this funny or not.”
And he was not alone.
“A very poor show just took a dive, what a bunch of losers #TheProjectTV,” one person tweeted.
“About as funny as bowel cancer this bloke #TheProjectTV,” wrote another.
Comedian Bert Kreischer left mixed reviews.
(Image: Network Ten)Periods continue to be a taboo subject around the world and even in Australia.
According to Jean Hailes, the average woman in Australia will have 450-500 periods in her lifetime. And if that’s four to five days of bleeding, that’s around five to six YEARS of your life spent menstruating! But even in adulthood, we rarely talk about what’s going on down there.
Who knows, now that tampon and sanitary pad adverts are showing blood and a period emoji is coming, period parties could be a thing in the very near future!
