History Main / FakePeriodExcuse

* In ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'', Peter Parker crashes into Gwen's room while heavily wounded. To keep her father [[InspectorJavert Officer Stacy]] from finding him, she calls off all requests to come down for dinner, then starts to apologize for her outburst by blaming it on period cramps. Immediately her dad doesn't want to hear any more.

* ''Series/AgentCarter'': In the first episode, Peggy overhears her fellow agents planning a secret infiltration of a nightclub hiding stolen weapons. Not invited along due to being a woman, she asks to go home early due to "female matters", and promptly gets the time off to plan her own investigation.

* In ''Manga/OnimaiImNowYourSister'', when the drug that [[GenderBender turned Mahiro into a girl]] starts to wear off in the middle of a swimming lesson, she tells the teacher she "started unexpectedly" to get excused from it so she can get away and take another dose.

* ''Series/{{Hunter}}''. Rick Hunter has been ordered to work with a partner to inhibit his CowboyCop tendencies and works out a deal with Dee Dee to pretend they're partners while they're actually [[IWorkAlone working alone]]. When DaChief demands to know where his partner is, Hunter comes up with this excuse, saying the department wouldn't want to get involved in a sexual discrimination lawsuit over it. DaChief is not impressed.

* In an ad for a period-products delivery service called "Hello Flo," a young girl is hoping her first period would come, because she's the only one in her social circle who hasn't gotten it yet. She then gets the idea to fake it: she puts some red nail polish on a pad, and leaves it where her mother is sure to find it. [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents Her mother does, and proceeds to throw her a "First Moon Party," to which everyone (even Grandpa!) is invited]]. The girl is so embarrassed, she confesses that she faked it, and the mother replies that she knows. The girl then asks if her mother is going to ground her for lying, and the mother replies, "Why do you think I threw you that First Moon party?" (Implying that she felt the embarrassment was punishment enough.)

* In ''Film/MontyPythonsTheMeaningOfLife'', a diner, faced with the appalling prospect of having Mr. Creosote at the next table, uses the excuse of suddenly realizing she's having a ''really'' heavy period and consequently not wishing to bleed all over the carpet, as her excuse to get the hell out of the place quickly. Her husband doesn't seem to be onboard with this excuse, as he only claims they have a train to catch.[[/folder]]

* ''Literature/TheBible'': OlderThanFeudalism. In the Biblical Literature/BookOfGenesis, Rachel steals her father's idols just before she and her husband's caravan leave. When her father catches up to Jacob and accuses him of stealing, Jacob lets him search his entire property, saying (not knowing who did it) that anyone who stole the idols will be put to death. Rachel keeps her father from finding them by sitting on top of the saddle where she hid them, while claiming she's on her period and thereby making anything she touches unclean. As a result, he never finds them.

--> '''Peter:''' She explained her blood was in for weeks, apparently, which is strange but...may be an Austrian thing. So let us forgive her.
* ''Series/{{Hunter}}''. Rick Hunter has been ordered to work with a partner to inhibit his CowboyCop tendencies, and works out a deal with Dee Dee to pretend they're partners while they're actually [[IWorkAlone working alone]]. When DaChief demands to know where his partner is, Hunter comes up with this excuse, saying the department wouldn't want to get involved in a sexual discrimination lawsuit over it. DaChief is not impressed.

* Amanita does this to buy time in ''Series/Sense8'' when the FBI storm her mother's house looking for Nomi. Amanita ducks into the bathroom, grabs a fresh tampon and covers it with red cough syrup. The FBI agent who forces open the bathroom door is promptly squicked out by her throwing the "bloody" tampon at him.

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* In ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'', Queenie smuggles [[spoiler: Newt, Tina, and Jacob]] out of the MACUSA headquarters by claiming she's feeling unwell and taking the rest of the day off. When her supervisor asks what she's carrying in Newt's suitcase, her response is "lady things." She even invites him to take a closer look, but he declines and sends her on her way.

* ''Literature/TheBible'': OlderThanFeudalism. In the Biblical book of Genesis, Rachel steals her father's idols just before she and her husband's caravan leave. When her father catches up to Jacob and accuses him of stealing, Jacob lets him search his entire property, saying (not knowing who did it) that anyone who stole the idols will be put to death. Rachel keeps her father from finding them by sitting on top of the saddle where she hid them, while claiming she's on her period and thereby making anything she touches unclean. As a result, he never finds them.

* A variant in ''Literature/AreYouThereGodItsMeMargaret''. Nancy pretends to get her first period to try to impress her friends. This backfires when it actually does happen later and Margaret witnesses Nancy panic.

* ''Series/TheNanny'': "The Gym Teacher" had Maggie faking her period as an excuse to get out of gym class.

->'''Fran Fine:''' What gives? You've had your period four times this month.
->'''Maggie Sheffield:''' So?
->'''Fran:''' So, women don't get their period every week. If they did, all the men in the world would be institutionalized.

Having to deal with bleeding and cramps every month can suck. But for all the other days, it can be a handy excuse if one has to sneak out of work or keep folks from searching your stuff.