Kristen Bell Saying She ‘Self-Regulates’ on Her Period Sparks Spirited Reactions

Kristen Bell is taking heat on social media for some recent comments about her period and premenstrual syndrome. During a recent appearance on her husband Dax Shepard’s podcast, Armchair Expert, Bell said that she and other women “self-regulate” their behavior each month to maintain their relationships. This word choice has caused some irritation and confusion on social media.

“We are expected to self-regulate, and if I acted like I ‘wanted to’ every time I’m on my period, we would 100 percent not be married,” Bell said to Shepard. The actress said that menstruating is “debilitating” in a way that men don’t understand, adding: “I self-regulate, and women do on their period. Some women lose control, 100 percent.” Many critics are calling this a case of internalized misogyny.

(Photo: Getty / Cindy Ord)

“The reason I don’t go bananas on my period is that I have been brought up with socialization that has told me, ‘you will feel bananas a couple of days before your period,'” Bell said. “‘Don’t scream at everyone, even though that is what you want to do, you can’t do that. What is happening to you is in your brain chemistry and your hormones. And you have to know that knowledge is power.'”

Many critics didn’t like how Bell simplified this topic, generalizing it for everyone who menstruates. They also felt like she was feeding into old myths and stereotypes — at least in how her quotes were taken out of context beyond the long-form podcast. Here is a look at what people are saying about Bell.

Men

Many supporters took Bell’s comments to mean that men didn’t understand all that menstruation entails. They imagined how much more men would accommodate the process if they could experience it firsthand.

Kids’ Hygiene

Some people related Bell’s new comment to her other recent controversy about how often she bathes her children.

Confused

Some users were confused to see Bell’s comments framed as controversial on social media. However, in many cases, these people had listened to the full podcast, so they heard the quotes in context first.

Other Ailments

Some critics feared that this kind of language was a slippery slope for ableism in the case of other medical conditions. Commenters feared that Bell’s comments could be applied to diabetes or other conditions that have an emotional aspect.

Woke

Some thought that criticism of Bell’s comments had gone way overboard and become hyperbolic. Whether they appreciated her description or not, they did not like how it was portrayed in the media after the fact.

Honesty

Finally, some commenters were beginning to question whether Bell and Shepard are really a good match together, given their “honest” comments about how hard it is to maintain a healthy marriage recently. In addition, they felt that the Amrchair Expert podcast was veering towards over-sharing in many cases.

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Tom Kucher

For as long as Tom can remember, he has understood the reality around him through the tinted glasses of works of fiction, be it books, films, TV shows, or anime. An English graduate, he wrote articles on a wide array of topics for several years, from entertainment and pop culture to history and literature. Before that, he was an educator and a roleplay game writer and developer. It is his deeply-rooted love for performing arts and visual media that led him to become a part of the DC team in 2020.