History Main / TamponRun

PlayedForLaughs, this trope exemplifies just how much of a big deal men stereotypically make out of menstruation. For whatever reason, this naturally occurring event and the purchasing of products to aid the process is this most terrifying thing in the world for any individual with a Y chromosome. He may be seen talking to himself, shouting to nobody in particular upon finding out that "they come in sizes?!?!?!", and trying to hide it. Men might try to play it off by asking if they come in [[BiggusDickus larger sizes]]. Bonus points if he sees another guy in the same boat or if the sales clerk calls for a price check effectively announcing to the whole store that Bob is buying tampons.

->''"I'm coming down the stairs and I find a large box. I recognized this box because ''I'' had been forced to purchase it. And at the time, I bought the largest one I could ''possibly'' find, so that I wouldn't have to go through that again any time soon. In fact, if they had a ''silo'' full of those suckers, I would have dragged ''that'' home behind the truck. Big pink silo: ''Always.''"''

Compare to WackyCravings where it is also often exaggerated by the husbands or [[MostWritersAreMale if the writers are guys]] and to AllPeriodsArePMS where the poor unfortunate guy is being sent on the errand because every 28 days his loving mate turns into an ''[[ManipulativeBastard evil conniving bitch]]''. Contrast NoPeriodsPeriod. TrojanGauntlet will often involve many of the same embarassing circumstances, and might be the closest possible thing to this trope's SpearCounterpart.

* Creator/BillEngvall did a routine about getting pads for his daughter, since his wife couldn't get them that day. Of course {{Hilarity Ensue|s}}d, because Bill's eight-year-old son found them first, and tried to be helpful by hollering the entire length of the aisle that'd found them.

* In ''Film/TheProposal'' with Creator/SandraBullock and Creator/RyanReynolds, Bullock says a line something like "If you don't go along with this, everything you've been through, all those late-night tampax runs, will have been for nothing."
* This happens in the French movie ''L'Enquête Corse'', in which one of the insurgents needs a tampon to make a fuse. So he goes in the pharmacy, blushes and stutters his way to asking the counter girl for a box of tampons, then she asks if he needs regular or super-absorbing. Of course he's made even more nervous and finally lets out that it's for a slow-burning fuse, at which point she tells him which one to use. (This being the ThemeParkVersion of Corsica, [[BananaRepublic where dropping non-fatal bombs for independence]] is a daily occurrence and can identify, by sound alone, where a bomb went off, how much and what kind of explosive was used.)

* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S_QjLMZbl8 this unforgettable scene]] from ''Film/TenInchHero'', Priestly (played by Creator/JensenAckles) has to do so in a kilt, mohawk, and eyeshadow. When confronted by other guys, he's a little embarassed at first, but then recovers quite nicely and proceeds to turn the situation on them.

* In the period-themed anthology ''Don't Cramp My Style'', the one story contributed by a male author was "The Heroic Quest of Douglas [=McGawain=]", by David Lubar, in which--you guessed it--the title character buys tampons for his girlfriend. The female cashier is impressed, saying "it takes a real man to buy tampons for a lady".

* ''Literature/MyVampireOlderSisterAndZombieLittleSister'' has a variation: Satori is asked to deliver tampons to his older sister Erika, who forgot to take them with her to school. He's embarrassed, but does it for the opportunity to see Erika even more embarrassed.

* On ''Series/{{ER}}'', Mark Greene's daughter Rachel starts her period unexpectedly while at Elizabeth Corday's apartment for Thanksgiving dinner. Elizabeth is reluctant to give her tampons given how young she is (ten and change), and tells Mark's father that one of them will have to stay with Rachel while the other goes down to the corner drug store to buy sanitary napkins. He quickly volunteers, but slips on the ice coming back, suffering a minor head wound and having to go to County (where Mark is working). He grumbles about the confusing variety while being stitched up.
-->'''David:''' How many different kind of sanitary napkins do they ''make''? Thin, maxi, winged, non-winged, scented, unscented, I had to buy every kind they had. Didn't just have "regular".

* In the video for "You're All I Need" by Method Man, a girl sends her boyfriend out to buy her tampons, before her mother starts [[ParentalMarriageVeto screaming at her for getting involved with the guy in the first place.]] At the end of the video, her boyfriend brings them home, only for her to complain that he got the wrong ones.

* In Jenni Smith's "The Jade Box," GenderBender victim Stuart (now Amy) has her first period, and must visit the drugstore for pads (she draws the line at tampons). The saleslady calls for a price check.

-->--Creator/JeffDunham

* A [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6SoqMPhDXQ Dr. Pepper]] commercial, set to ''I Will Do Anything For Love'', had this among a montage of embarrassing things the guy would do for his girlfriend. For the curious: The "But I won't do that" part [[spoiler:was sharing the soda with her]].

* Inverted in the pro wrestling fanfic, "Tampax Pearl", when Stacy Keibler has to buy tampons and hilarity ensues when they have to do a price check. Further inverted as John Cena is the one who comes up and tells them the correct price.

* Very awkward for FTM transgender people in RealLife, especially if passing is required before testosterone therapy and/or surgery, or if hormones and surgery are unavailable options.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Stan's sister makes them go get her some tampons while they try to watch "RussellCrowe Fighting 'Round the World" in order to see the trailer for the new Terrence & Philip movie. When they return home after failing to accomplish the mission, [[OverdrawnAtTheBloodBank a torrent of blood gushes forth from the door]].

* From Website/NotAlwaysRight: [[http://notalwaysright.com/why-cashiers-should-rule-the-world/4230 Why Cashiers Should Rule the World]]. Bonus points for how the cashier handles the poor guy's heckler.

* On ''Series/{{ER}}'', Mark Greene's daughter Rachel starts her period unexpectedly while at Elizabeth Corday's apartment for Thanksgiving dinner. Elizabeth is reluctant to give her tampons given how young she is (ten and change), and tells Mark's father that one of them will have to stay with Rachel while the other goes down to the corner drug store. He quickly volunteers, but slips on the ice coming back, suffering a minor head wound and having to go to County (where Mark is working). He grumbles about the confusing variety while being stitched up.

-->'''David:''' How many different kind of sanitary napkins do they ''make''? Thin, maxi, winged, non-winged, scented, unscented, I had to buy every kind they had.

* On ''Series/{{ER}}'', after Rachel Greene starts her period. Father's girlfriend Elizabeth is reluctant to give her tampons, given how young she is, and sends her grandfather out to get pads. Apparently having never done this before, he's buys every type that he can find.

* Creator/BillEngvall did a routine about getting pads for his daughter, since his wife couldn't get them that day. Of course {{Hilarity Ensue|s}}d, because a) his son found them first, and b) tried to be helpful by hollering ''the entire length of the aisle to his dad'' that'd found them.

* [[http://basicinstructions.net/basic-instructions/2011/5/22/how-to-be-a-good-husband-during-ladytimes.html This]] ''BasicInstructions'' strip makes the difficulty of the experience clear.

* In ''MissCongeniality 2'', to lose the three FBI agents escorting her back to Quantico, Gracie faked a sudden period and ran off to the toilet with Sam. The three remaining agents were tasked with getting the tampons.

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* Thugboy had to do this for Comicbook/{{Empowered}}.

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* On ''{{Series/ER}}'', after Rachel Greene starts her period. Father's girlfriend Elizabeth is reluctant to give her tampons, given how young she is, and sends her grandfather out to get pads. Apparently having never done this before, he's buys every type that he can find.

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[[AC:Newspaper Comics]]
* In ''OnTheFastrack'', Wendy sent Art the first time their daughter needed them. This being a family comic, she didn't speak directly -- and Art tried hard not to know what she meant.

[[AC:Stand-Up Comedy]]
* Creator/BillEngvall did a routine about getting pads for his daughter, since his wife couldn't get them that day. Of course {{Hilarity Ensue|s}}d, because a) his son found them first, and b) tried to be helpful by hollering ''the entire length of the aisle to his dad'' that'd found them.
* Creator/JeffDunham provides the page quote.

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* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', Hank is forced to do this for Connie, the next-door-neighbor girl because she gets her first period when her parents and his wife are away and she's staying at their house. Being Hank, he creates an organized detailed binder with everything a man needs to know about shopping for products in the "feminine aisle". When Connie's parents get home, he gives it to Kahn Sr. to help him deal with his daughter's new monthly cycle.

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* As many men can tell you, this is quite common in RealLife.
** Interestingly, it actually applies to girls as well, because a) there's usually a year or so in the beginning where other people knowing that you have a bodily function that literally half the rest of the planet also has is ''really'' embarrassing which makes buying your own pads/tampons ''torture'' until you get over yourself and realize that no one cares, and b) the many different products/brands/sizes etc. are confusing even if you're a girl, until you've become familiar enough with the whole thing that you just find one or a few products you feel comfortable with and stick with them forever.

* In ''TheProposal'' with SandraBullock and RyanReynolds, Bullock says a line something like "If you don't go along with this, everything you've been through, all those late-night tampax runs, will have been for nothing."

* In the WebOriginal setting ''{{Paradise}}'', humans are randomly, permanently Changed into {{Funny Animal}}s (with some experiencing a [[GenderBender gender-change]] at the same time), though this Change is InvisibleToNormals who will continue to see the person as his or her old human self (and gender). Many newly male-to-female gender-Changed find themselves effectively doing {{Tampon Run}}s for ''themselves'' (before the [[TheUnmasquedWorld masquerade breaks down]], at least): while still apparently male, they must shop for feminine accessories and hygiene products.

* ''KingOfTheHill'', Hank is forced to do this for Connie, the next-door-neighbor girl because she gets her first period when her parents and his wife are away and she's staying at their house. Being Hank, he creates an organized detailed binder with everything a man needs to know about shopping for products in the "feminine aisle". When Connie's parents get home, he gives it to Kahn Sr. to help him deal with his daughter's new monthly cycle.

* [[ICarly Carly]] alludes to sending Spencer on one in "iDate a Bad Boy."

* A [[http://blacklillian.deviantart.com/art/Even-Villains-Need-Groceries-2-37605173 fancomic]] by BlackLillian on DeviantArt [[VillainsOutShopping depicts members of Organization XIII at the supermarket]] and demonstrates this trope quite nicely with a little spin to include condoms as well.

-->--JeffDunham

* JeffDunham provides the page quote.

Compare to WackyCravings where it is also often exaggerated by the husbands or [[MostWritersAreMale if the writers are guys]] and to AllPeriodsArePMS where the poor unfortunate guy is being sent on the errand because every 28 days his loving mate turns into an ''[[ManipulativeBastard evil conniving bitch]]''. Contrast NoPeriodsPeriod.

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* Thugboy had to do this for Comicbook/{{Empowered}}.

* {{Blossom}} did it to herself when she had to go buy tampons for the first time. She chickened out when she saw that a CuteBoy from school was the clerk.

* [[http://basicinstructions.net/basic-instructions/2011/5/22/how-to-be-a-good-husband-during-ladytimes.html This]] ''Basic Instructions'' strip makes the difficulty of the experience clear.

* Monroe from the same-named strip in Magazine/{{MAD}}, in an early strip.
* There's a joke where a new salesman for a store that [[WeSellEverything sells everything]] manages to sell a fishing rod, a boat, and a car that was big enough to carry it to one person over the course of a single day. When his boss asks him how he managed to pull this off, the salesman replies: "He came in to buy some tampons for his wife. I told him 'Your weekend's shot, you may as well go fishing.'"