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Here is the most controversial menstrual blood themed t-shirt of all time, by Petra Collins...Vice Canada's Patrick McGuire sits down to chat with Petra Collins and talk vagina, menstruating, masturbation, and art.
My friend Petra Collins—who has done all sorts of wonderful photography work for VICE, along with the all-female art collective she founded and curates, The Ardorous—caused an incredibly entertaining storm of controversy this week. Petra designed a t-shirt for American Apparel where a simplistic line drawing depicts a masturbating, menstruating woman with pubic hair. All sorts of people who can’t handle female sexuality have called the shirt “vile,” “disgusting,” “gross,” and “icky” while adding “ew wtf” for good measure. Petra’s $32 t-shirt has been written up by The Daily Mail, The Huffington Post, TIME, and a whole bunch of other blogs and media outlets who are trying to “figure out” the controversy.
In order to have a rational and intelligent conversation about a drawing on a t-shirt that is making a bunch of crazy people upset, I gave Petra a call on Skype last night and we talked it out.
VICE: What do you think of the media storm you’ve started?
Petra Collins: It’s really awesome. I’m not surprised. It’s exactly what I wanted because it totally proves my point…
And what is your point?
That we’re so shocked and appalled at something that’s such a natural state—and it’s funny that out of all the images everywhere, all of the sexually violent images, or disgustingly derogatory images, this is something that’s so, so shocking apparently. The graphic on my shirt is a line drawing, too. It’s not even a full-on image.
Read the full Patrick McGuire interview with Petra Collins here.