The Vagina Monologues

The Vagina Monologue pieces were different than anything I have ever read. They were surprising and at times deeply uncomfortable. However, I appreciate the idea of the project in getting women (and men!) to talk about subjects that are often considered taboo or weird. While sex is sometimes discussed as a general concept, topics surrounding that concept are often considered forbidden and deeply disturbing topics and are rarely, if ever, discussed. I think in many ways it is empowering for women to talk about some of these issues. For example, the section on “My Angry Vagina” discussed things we never seem to question- such as being uncomfortable about tampons or OB-GYN visits.

I also think some of the pieces were helpful in the way that they show the inter-relatedness of the female experience. There were some pieces that discussed topics I think many women could relate to, such as issues of hair, being uncomfortable about seeing your own vagina or even thinking about it, and talking to others about issues of sex. While they were uncomfortable pieces to read, I think it is sometimes a valuable experience to get out of one’s comfort zone and think about or discuss issues that are important, even if we do not necessarily want to.

The piece on the Bosnian refugees during the war in Yugoslavia was particularly horrifying. Partly was their stories, and the other part was that such horrible acts could have been committed with barely a mention about it in histories that describe the war. Rape, like many other topics surrounding women, are sometimes talked about as some far-away concept but very rarely as personal, horrible stories. It was uncomfortable but probably necessary to read about these horrific experiences told by the women who survived them.