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People are tearing into Carrie’s ‘traumatic’ period scene, but Stephen King has an explanation

To say it’s 'written by a man' isn’t entirely true

Daisy Phillipson
12th October 2026, 12:52
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One of the most iconic moments in every Carrie adaptation is undoubtedly the locker room scene when she gets her first period. Although viewers say it’s undeniably “written by a man”, Stephen King made an admission more than 20 years ago that may change how you see it. 

Stephen King first published Carrie in 1974, and two years later, a film adaptation starring Sissy Spacek hit cinemas, securing its place as a horror classic. Since then, there have been multiple movies based on the IP. 

There’s the unnecessary sequel in 1999, The Rage: Carrie 2, an equally unnecessary made-for-TV remake in 2002, and the perfectly serviceable (but kind of pointless) 2013 reboot starring Chloë Grace Moretz in the titular role. 

But Mike Flanagan’s Prime Video series is unique in that it expands on elements of the book and updates them for modern times, giving itself a reason for its existence. 

One thing all of these adaptations have in common (other than the sequel) is that they include the horrifying moment Carrie gets her first period. This happens after gym class, and due to her deeply religious mother, she’s unaware of what’s happening to her body.

Carrie panics, believing she’s dying. But instead of helping, her classmates mock her and pelt her with tampons and sanitary pads while chanting, “Plug it up!”

Why people are dragging Carrie’s period scene

Although the scene might have shocked audiences in the ‘70s, it’s now being scrutinised by a new generation of viewers following the release of Flanagan’s adaptation, with many describing it as being clearly “written by a man”.

Viewers are questioning both the response to the period and the actual bleeding itself. As one X user wrote, “I didn’t get that ‘scene made by a man’ thing until I saw this hahahaha. Menstrual blood doesn’t look like that, women don’t act like that.”

Another said, “This is so odd to me… Why did these girls act like they don’t have periods and they look so disgusted by it? Shouldn’t this be the moment women look out for each other? Is this what we get because a man wrote the script for the show?”

“People who have never experienced menstruation firsthand shouldn’t be writing or directing period scenes,” added a third. “Even women who despise each other put their differences aside in such situations.”

A fourth chimed in, “No girl in this generation is throwing tampons at a girl on the floor, especially a girl who just got her period for the first time.”

Not everyone agrees with this take, however. As one person pointed out, “So part of the trauma of this scene is that Carrie had absolutely NO idea what was going on (her mother never told her about periods) and that she’s having her first really late in life.”

Another said, “I’m convinced everyone in the comments is incapable of understanding Carrie was written in the 70’s when there was a strong stigma and taboo culture around menstruation. The ban on even ADVERTISING products in media was only just lifted in 1972.”

But there’s another detail about this scene that may make you reconsider how you see it – it wouldn’t have been published if it weren’t for King’s wife Tabitha King.

Stephen King’s wife actually saved the infamous scene

Stephen King
Credit: Kevin Payravi/Creative Commons

In 2003, while accepting the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, Stephen King revealed a surprising detail about how Carrie came to be.

After marrying in 1971 and having two children by 1972, King explained that at the time they lived in a trailer. He was working as a teacher and in a laundromat to make ends meet, while his wife “Tabby” worked for Dunkin’ Donuts.

Writing was a part of his life, a profession the people around him saw as a “fairly useless occupation.” But, he said, “I never heard that from my wife.”

“She’d read my stuff and felt certain I’d some day support us by writing full time, instead of standing in front of a blackboard and spouting on about Jack London and Ogden Nash. She never made a big deal of this,” King explained. 

Here’s the part we’re all here for: King “gave up on Carrie” and threw it in the bin. “It was Tabby who rescued the first few pages of single spaced manuscript from the wastebasket, told me it was good, said I ought to go on,” he continued. 

Sissy Spacek as Carrie
Credit: United Artists

“When I told her I didn’t know how to go on, she helped me out with the girls’ locker room stuff. There were no inspiring speeches. Tabby does sarcasm, Tabby doesn’t do inspiration, never has. It was just ‘this is pretty good, you ought to keep it going.’ That was all I needed and she knew it.”

So, even though technically the idea was started by a man, it was assisted by a woman at a time when periods were a taboo topic. 

Plus, King acknowledges that it’s still a very male-centred perception. Speaking to the Portland Press Herald about Flanagan’s new series, he described his original dreamlike portrayal of the scene as the “male gaze”.

“Teenagers still bully each other, but with social media it’s supercharged,” he said. “He (Flanagan) really caught that idea with his shot of all these kids taking cellphone photos of this girl who’s in terror. It’s a wonderful moment.”

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Featured image credit: Prime Video