In one of her new shorts, made in partnership with Planned Parenthood and Refinery29, Rachel Bloom hosts the game show “Is This Normal?” Competing for cash and special prizes including white cotton granny panties, three women answer questions about “vagina stuff” — period flows, odor, discharge — and whether it’s normal. “Spoiler alert,” Bloom’s character announces, “it usually is!”
“I don’t ever have a flow or any kind of gross discharge” is one of Bloom’s “Is This Normal?” clues. “Trick question: That is a sex doll,” a contestant (correctly) answers.
Titled “Her Shorts: Sex Ed Sketches,” Bloom’s short films offer different lessons about sex and the way our culture treats it. Along with “Is This Normal?”, the “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” star and co-creator schools teens on sexually transmitted diseases in “STD Bus” and answers the Devil and his legal advocate’s questions about sexual assault and consent in “Rape Culture.” Bloom co-wrote each short.
“Pop culture can spark conversations around sexual and reproductive health, so we’re thrilled to work with Refinery29 again on the ‘Her Shorts’ series – and so grateful to the extraordinarily talented Rachel Bloom for using her creativity to develop comic sketches that help people get the information they need to stay healthy and safe,” said Caren Spruch, director of arts and entertainment engagement at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “Sex education is essential to young people’s health, relationships, and life goals,” she continued. “Entertaining online videos are a fantastic way to reach people everywhere with accurate information, and that’s why we’re always proud to collaborate with the entertainment community on TV, film, and video content.”
“I’m really proud of the ‘Her Shorts: Sex Ed Sketches’ and honored that Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Refinery29 asked me to collaborate with them,” added Bloom. “I’m a longtime Planned Parenthood supporter, and it was a cool challenge to write something that normalizes sexual health, while also being funny and educational. It was really important to me that the information was accurate, and I learned a lot,” she explained. “I hope the films entertain and inspire people to talk about sex education.”
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” just kicked off its fourth and final season. The feminist musical comedy airs Fridays on The CW. The network recently launched the “Open to All” campaign, which highlights the importance of inclusivity and is part of The CW’s overall commitment to gender equality and diversity on both sides of the camera.
Check out the “Is This Normal?” sketch below. Head over to Refinery29 to check out the rest of “Her Shorts.”
