The Vagina Monologues

I never saw The Vagina Monologues when SAFER presented them on campus last year, but my roommates had told me about a particular scene involving screaming "c---" over and over again. Being extremely opposed to using that particular word, my roommates were taken aback and definitely were feeling the shock aspect clearly intended in this show. When I read it, there were stories I liked and stories I really did not feel needed to be stated the way that they were. While I definitely support the campaign to end violence against women, I did not quite understand why that word had to be "reclaimed" in order to do that. Of all the different “scenes” in the show, this is the one in particular that stood out to me that may turn people off of the whole idea of The Vagina Monologues. While I am extremely liberal when it comes to ideas about free speech, it may be more effective to edit just some of the scenes so that you can reach a wider audience and therefore influence more people. I was surprised at my interest in the older woman’s story as well. She had so much difficulty talking about her experiences because they were so private and she felt that it was inappropriate to discuss them. While her story was awkward and uncomfortable, it was interesting at the end when she said that she had never told that story before.

However, I think that a shock factor is effective when discussing rape and sexual assault instances. There is a lot of misconception and misinformation that people believe about rape, and even though graphic stories can be uncomfortable, I think that they are the best way to communicate the information to the general public. In this sense, I like the mission statement of the “V-Day Project,” but I disagree with the way they carry out this idea. Being a woman is not just about having a vagina, and I feel like when a day is devoted to raising awareness about violence against women, there should be more to discuss that just her physical aspects. There could be less focus on women’s body parts and more focus on the woman as a whole, including her personality and intelligence rather than focusing on just her womanly parts. I think the who device of using the shock factor to make people listen can be effective but is overused in the case of The Vagina Monologues. 

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.

Not My Idea of Empowerment

    I did not particularly enjoy reading The Vagina Monologues, as it included statements and ideas I found to be offensive and uncomfortable. I certainly did not laugh at any of the monologues, as I know countless audiences did, and I honestly could not wait to be done reading the dialogue. Many of these feelings probably do stem from my background as a conservative Christian and as someone who does not like to confront people or get into heated debates about personal topics, such as religion and politics. Despite my shy nature, however, I do understand and commend some of the motives behind The Vagina Monologues and V-Day. The efforts made to bring awareness to violence against women have been tremendous and the resulting social stimulation and change most likely could not have come about without such a shocking and outspoken play.
    My experience with The Vagina Monologues is very similar to that of The Book of Mormon, which I read for a theater class in the spring. Both of these pieces present ideas and dialogue that are funny to some people and offensive to others. No matter what a person’s reaction to these plays is, however, Eve Ensler, Trey Parker, and Matt Stone have raised awareness and sparked a greater interest in important social issues that people were often afraid to talk about before these productions. I also found The Book of Mormon to be offensive at times, but I was able to understand the greater message that society needs to learn the truth about important issues, such as AIDS.
    In The Vagina Monologues, I felt that only some of the stories actually revealed the violence that occurs against women and furthered Ensler's overall message. Most of the monologues, on the other hand, only discussed women seeking sexual pleasure, which I think strays too far away from the ultimate goal of V-Day. After reading some critiques of the play, I understand that Ensler was trying to evoke a message of empowerment for women, but I found nothing empowering about the monologues. I would have rather read about women who are accomplishing great tasks, despite adversity, than having read the actual dialogue of the play. To me, true empowerment comes when one is doing the most good for other people and focusing his/her time on the needs of others, instead of seeking to help oneself.

Intro: Erin Canino

Hello! I am a third year senior majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-law. I am planning on attending law school and becoming an attorney. I grew up in Lake Tahoe, California, though I went to school in Nevada (Lake Tahoe lies on the state line). Because of this, I grew up learning how to ski and ice skate, water ski and wake surf, and chase the occasional bear out of my car with a loud frying pan and a broom. In high school I played soccer on the Varsity team and participated in many different clubs and organizations. I got to travel to the national We the People competition in Washington D.C. my senior year after my team won the state competition, which is how I really got interested in the legal field. After graduating high school and surviving eighteen years of shoveling endless feet of snow, I was ready to head down to the beach. I came to Cal Poly because I loved the area, and I have been having a great time ever since.  I am involved in many different clubs on campus and love that Cal Poly has so much to offer students. Some of my favorite positions that I serve are the Chief Panhellenic Officer of Kappa Alpha Theta, the President of the Undergraduate Law Society (hit me up in you’re interested in law school!), and one of the College of Liberal Arts representatives on the ASI Board of Directors. This year is exciting, as I will be completing my senior project and graduating in the spring. I also have the privilege of having my little brother, Sam, attend Cal Poly with me this year. I also have an older sister, Casey, who graduated last year from Cal State Fullerton with a BFA in musical theater. She is currently performing in Sacramento in a production called, “Next to Normal.” My parents are currently both teachers. My dad is an English teacher at the local high school, and my mom teaches Journalism at the community college in my area after she finished as Editor for two different newspapers in the area.

This is my first Honors Seminar and I am looking forward to getting started on our project! 

The Controversial Monologues About Women

The Vagina Monologues can be hilariously entertaining and disgustingly offensive.  It can be a source of fundraising for women’s anti-violence groups and a source of endless heated disputes.  Without question it is a complex topic with many angles and viewpoints. 

Personally I found “I Was Twelve, My Mother Slapped Me”, “My Angry Vagina”, and “The Flood” extremely funny.  A few women performed “I Was Twelve…” which described different reactions to the first menstrual period as experienced by girls and young women of varying ages.  Wrongs against the vagina were rattled off in “My Angry Vagina”.  The wrongs included things such as metal speculums, tampons, and douches.  These two pieces were entertaining to me because I could relate to certain aspects of each.  However, I enjoyed “The Flood” for a different reason.  This piece was about an older woman that stated she closed off access to “down there” after a humiliating incident she experienced as a young girl on a date with a boy.  I couldn’t relate to this woman’s experience at all, but the lack of connection coupled with the delivery of this story made it enjoyable.  Although, in retrospect, it’s frustrating that she would allow one incident to control such an important aspect of her life.

Now flipping to the other side of the coin; “The Little Coochie Snorcher That Could” was offensive and a disservice to the homosexual community.  If an underlying reason of this piece was to draw attention to homosexual issues, then it was done in extremely poor taste.  This event was a one night stand, but even if this encounter developed into a long term commitment the action is still not justified.   The monologue recounts multiple sexually traumatic incidents a young girl experienced during childhood.  The woman relays her first sexual experience, at the age of sixteen, with an older woman.  Although the monologue speaks of this event in a positive and consensual light it doesn’t escape the fact that it was statutory rape and involved the intoxication of a minor.  Statutory rape occurs between same sex individuals and heterosexuals, but the point is these actions are not typical or representative of either community at large.  This teen has a history of sexual attacks by males, but suddenly it’s presumed acceptable when she’s violated by a successful woman with an air of “don’t fret over the age technicality”.  The older woman goes on to instruct the teen in masturbation as an alternative to reliance on a man for sexual pleasure.  The implication of this “lesson” is that heterosexuality and masturbation are the norm for sexual pleasure while homosexuality is abnormal and taboo.  It’s reprehensible!

The complexity of The Vagina Monologues is easily noted by anyone that has ever watched it.  In one light, the audience can find a connection to the women represented on stage which makes it difficult to light the torches and bring out the pitchforks, especially, when proceeds of this show aid a very worthy cause.  In another light, it can be one more offensive weapon forged in the fires ignorance and bias.  The contention continues.   

          

Kristen Schryver

Brett Strickland

Hello,

My name is Brett Strickland. I grew up on the central coast and I absolutely love it here!  To be totally honest one of the main reasons I choose Cal Poly is because it is located here in beautiful San Luis Obispo. I am married to my amazing wife Jazmyn. The photo above is from our honey moon in Hawaii. I transferred from Cuesta College, I am an ES major and plan on minoring in "Law and Society" and continuing on to law school after I finish my bachelors degree at Poly. I currently work full time for an engineering firm called GP Strategies where I get to do/see a lot of cool stuff. I am responsible for inspecting pressure systems on the rocket launch sites out at Vandenberg Airforce Base, again really cool, in a nerdy way I guess! I look forward to getting to know you all as well as working on this project with you! See you all on Tuesday.