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‘Bad Blood’ Political Parody Skewers British Tampon Tax

Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez are great as Slay-Z and Arsyn, respectively, in Taylor Swift’s original “Bad Blood” video, but wait until you see characters like “Madame Ovary” and “Heavy Flow” turn the chart-topping hit into a period anthem. British comedians Cariad Lloyd and Jenny Bede have made a parody version calling for an end to Britain’s 5 percent luxury tax on tampons, pads, menstrual cups, and other sanitary products.

Since 1973, the U.K. has classified tampons as “nonessential” items — and, like the majority of states in the U.S., taxes them accordingly. “Now we’ve got problems, and ibuprofen can’t solve them,” the comics sing, imploring George Osborne, the chancellor of the Exchequer, to end the tax, “because if it don’t go soon, blood will flow.” Watch the full video above.

‘Bad Blood’ Gets Political