People Are Freaking Out Because Amy Schumer Referred to Her Vagina

amy schumer tampon
Some people are seeing red over Amy Schumer’s red-carpet tampon joke, but others appreciate Amy pushing the envelope. (Photo: Getty Images)

Some people did not particularly appreciate Amy Schumer’s brand of comedy on the Emmys red carpet last night. The comedian, 35, was asked by red-carped correspondent Giuliana Rancic during a live telecast, “Before I let you go, who are you wearing this evening?” Schumer responded, “Vivienne Westwood, Tom Ford shoes, and an OB tampon!” while doing a sassy, twerk-y dance.

For anyone familiar with Schumer’s humor — and honestly, who isn’t at this point? — the quip was typical. This is a woman who routinely pushes the envelope and dedicated an entire sketch on her Comedy Central show, Inside Amy Schumer, to a childhood song about bodily functions (“Milk Milk Lemonade,” anyone?). Being gross for a laugh is kind of her M.O. But that didn’t stop people from being offended by her unladylike ways. Some Twitter users — specifically guys — were not amused. Many were outright offended that the raunchy feminist comic would lump in talk of menstruation with high fashion for the consumption of millions of TV viewers.

“Amy Schumer said on live television she’s wearing a tampon. This is what passes as ‘comedy’ and ‘feminism’ nowadays,” wrote Twitter user @ApplebaumDaniel, who identifies in his bio as a “Classic Liberal, Athiest. Biologist.” The tweet sparked a clipped debate with user @ChrisAlpin, who challenged him to expand on his criticism. “The point I’m making is that [Schumer’s] highjacked what feminism was supposed to be in favor of the garbage that it is today,” @ApplebaumDaniel wrote. “The ‘garbage’ that is women doing what they want to do and making money the way they want to do it?” @ChrisAlpin retorted in defense of Schumer.

Another Twitter user, who identifies as “LGBT+,” tweeted, “Time for people to remove these degenerates from their daily lives,” along with a link to the clip. Another, with a particularly classless username, chimed in, “No class. #Emmys2016. #tampon.” Another tweeted, “Amy Schumer mentioning wearing a tampon on the red carpet isn’t funny or edgy, it’s pedestrian, just like she is.”

When Mashable live-tweeted the moment, plenty of men piled on for some Schumer/period-talk hate. “You mean she is a tampon,” @smartbassist user so eloquently commented. Winning the most-anti-Semitic tweet of the evening, @TimSteve357 wrote, “What passes for humor amongst our degenerate Jewish ‘entertainers.‘” Lovely.

Women got in on the tampon joke-bashing, too. “Why was Amy Schumer talking about her tampon?? This is why nobody likes you,” one wrote on Twitter, and a female friend responded, “because she has no other material that’s how bad she is.” A tweeter who goes by the name Cindy Bowman was outright outraged that a comedian might make a public joke about something that almost every woman (we’re guessing herself included) has experienced. “#AmySchumer is a classless pig. #Period.” she tweeted, “No really….#PeriodTalk #OBTampon chat on the red carpet. #Emmys…I didn’t watch but read stuff,” she admitted.

Mercifully, though, plenty of women on social media weren’t offended by a little menstruation chit-chat, and many women cheered Schumer on for keeping it real and offering up a new take on the tired “What are you wearing?” question. So did a few men. “Haha @AmySchumer just won the red carpet. #Emmys,” a guy called Big Bob tweeted with three laughing emojis. “@AmySchumer breaking period taboo by giving a shout out to her tampon when asked what she’s wearing. #AskHerMore,” wrote a user who goes by the name Miss Representation. “I just fell in low key love with @amyschumer for mentioning she was wearing Vivienne Westwood and an OB tampon,” joked @cynthialoyst.

Schumer’s edgy reveal even prompted a debate about the tampons themselves; OB is famous for being a sans-applicator product, which turns off some, but is no big deal to others.

Tampon talk wasn’t even Schumer’s only risqué red-carpet comment. “Lemme, like, not expose my c***,” the comedian breezily said as she held onto her skirt while walking onto a platform to talk to Rancic during the pre-ceremony telecast. Viewers may have missed the quick quip but the E! channel, which was broadcasting live, did not, and bleeped out Schumer’s four-letter word.

Was Schumer too much for bringing new meaning to the term ‘red carpet?’ Or was it just Amy being Amy? Watch the full interview below, and decide for yourself whether she crossed the line or raised the bar when it comes to red-carpet comebacks.

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