Vaginamania comes to OSU [Warning: not for the easily disgusted]

The OSU Observer ^ | 3/18/02 | Mark Nuckols

[Antoninus]

Vagina Monologues: an annual exercise in bad taste

By Mark Nuckols

The Vagina Monologues, an off-Broadway play by feminist author Eve Ensler, has been a rather odd sensation on college campuses for the past four years. In addition to its various performances on the commercial stage, it has been presented on hundreds of college campuses, and Ohio State this year is no exception.

Last year at OSU, the Thurber Theatre did itself a discredit by running the event for several evenings during Women’s Month. They also did the Monologues an undeserved favor by lending it credibility. I say this because the work, though loaded with political punch, has little redeeming artistic value. That is, unless you consider mockery of bourgeois refinement and discretion to be "art." Such mockery of social norms is, I must repeat, much more politics than art.

This year, more appropriately, the play was performed by a student group whose obsession with female genitalia knows no bounds. The Association of Womyn Students’ web site at www.angelfire.com/oh3/aws/main.html contains a link to their upcoming activities or "vagenda," and they have a cheerleading squad called the "Thunder Cuntz."

Sitting in the Conference Theatre of the Ohio Union Feb. 9, waiting for the performance to begin, I observed what might be called a "quiet hubbub" of excited whispers among the audience. The most audible sound, coming from the loudspeakers, was the song "She Bop," Cyndi Lauper’s paean to masturbation and a fitting adumbration to the evening’s entertainment.

As the spectacle began, the viewers seemed rather calm, but, since this play is designed for audience participation, the intensity quickly picked up. Audience members were taught to repeat – shout, that is – the number of nerve endings in the clitoris and similar trivia. This reaction, repeated three times during the performance, was restrained in comparison with others. It seems that the more vulgar the mode of expression, the louder the crowd got. In the scene "Reclaiming Cunt" the spectators/participants were urged to shout that word for the female genitalia at the top of their lungs, which most did with relish.

But the rowdiest reaction was evoked by "The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy." The character in this monologue is a former corporate lawyer who has found a new occupation: getting paid to dominate and pleasure other women. The scene wraps up with her imitating various types of moans that her customers emit during her sessions. Libby Rosenbaum apparently took deep delight in acting out this scene. (Not only was she more dramatic, she had rehearsed the bit to perfection, unlike most of this year’s performers, who mostly read from index cards). As the moans got louder and longer, the audience began hooting and wailing with laughter.

Libby Rosenbaum moans and groans to the audience's delight

Vulgarity for a good cause?

The odd thing about The Vagina Monologues is the fact that all this in-your-face moaning, groaning and yelling four-letter words for genitalia is somehow supposed to stop rape. (In all fairness, money was raised for rape victims, and there are some touching monologues by women who have either been raped or dealt with other sexual difficulties.) The thinking behind this is perhaps best summed up by the line in the Monologues, "to make [our vaginas] visible so they cannot be ravaged in the dark without great consequence." Or, as a volunteer at the event named Alexandra told me after the performance, rape often goes unreported, because women are embarrassed to talk about their sexuality.

While that point makes sense, there is no attempt in The Vagina Monologues to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable ways of discussing sexual matters. Author Ensler and her followers seem to have no concept of the difference between the sacred and the profane. Furthermore, some of the monologues practically equate women with their sexual organs, almost like saying "You are your vagina." Isn’t part of the problem, after all, that some men tend to regard women as little more than walking vaginas?

Finally, there is the matter of the "good rape" from the original Monologues. There is a scene called "The Little Coochi Snorcher that Could," coochi snorcher being a child euphemism for vagina. The character in this monologue recalls how, at the age of thirteen, she was boozed up and seduced by an adult female. Given the prevalence of lesbians among feminist extremists, we should not be surprised that this is to be regarded as a "liberating" experience for the girl, although it legally amounts to statutory rape. The character even says, "if it was a rape, it was a good rape, a rape that turned my sorry-ass coochi snorcher into a kind of heaven."

Although "The Little Coochi Snorcher that Could" was performed during this year’s Monologues, that line was conveniently omitted. Groups putting on the play as part of the nationwide Campus Campaign are exempted from royalties, under the stipulation that they adhere to certain alterations in the work. The vday.org website includes very strict wording about the new script: "You must use the version of the script of "The Vagina Monologues" that you can download from the V-Day web site using the password that will be provided to you. No other version of the play is acceptable for your production. Do not use the book of the play or versions of the script from previous College Campaigns. The new script must be followed. You may not edit any introductions or monologues." One reason for such strict standards, as noted in a recent column by independent feminist Wendy McElroy, must be to eliminate the "good rape" and avoid the criticism and embarrassment it has caused in the past.

A friend of mine who grew up in the former Soviet Union once remarked that there were many events put on by the totalitarian regime in the name of good causes. Although stopping rape certainly sounds unassailable as a "good cause," I think it’s time we stopped taking "It’s for a good cause" as a justification for obscenity and lewdness.

Years ago, I had a humorous book of graffiti collected from the Big Ten. I still recall vividly one of the slogans, which read "Fighting for peace is like f***ing for virginity." The Vagina Monologues certainly falls into that category.

[Antoninus]

Our decaying institutions of higher learning offer this as an exercise in 'consciousness raising'. For those not familiar, what it is really is a traveling lesbian revival, looking to win converts to the 'faith'.

[Illbay]

I've often suspected that the feminist obsession with rape has a lot to do with the typical "homely" feminist not getting any.

So they obsess about their fantasies.

[irish guard]

The thing that disgusts me most is that women generally think this is kinda cute. There is a skit/segment in the monologues where a woman describes how wonderful her first experience with oral sex was, when she was 14 years old. Turns out the oral sex was with a woman up the street who was an adult...late 20s early 30s. That type of pedophelia is funny, while all the vile stuff going on in the Catholic Church is not?

Sorry, but sex with minors is nothing to make light of....

[irish guard]

Oops, sorry, ther version i heard about said the girl was 14...still doesn't matter, sex with a minor is sex with a minor...

On a lighter note....what a joke all this is! Women take all this so seriously....What if men came up with something similar....say

The Dick Dialogues......

We men are pretty much focused on our "thingy" anyway and no one would pay any attention to it. But, use the "C" word and have it be about liberated female feelings and my oh my how things are different. Flames anyone???

[Semper Paratus]

Coming next, audience particiption in "ENEMANIA".

[jf55510]

This is coming to may campus in a couple of weeks and it is disgusting. I am trying to figure out if they are using student funds for it and if they are I am going to raise holy hell. This coming to my school is such an embaressment.

[PLK]

It's amazing that this sensible piece was allowed to be published in a campus newspaper. Most U.S. college campuses are totally intolerant to anything that does not meet their P.C./liberal/socialist speech restrictions. Go O.S.U.!

[randog]

As it is with most arts, the lack of talent and originality leaves the "artist" with nothing more to work with than vulgarity and shock.

[helmsman]

In all honesty, Antoninus, when I first heard of the "Vagina Monologues," I thought it was probably a puppet show having to do with talking vaginas. I have since been better informed. Now, my question is, will the sequel feature other orifices? Please don't share this...

[Redcloak]

OSU. That's a public school, isn't it?

Your tax dollars at work.

[UCANSEE2]

As it is with most arts, the lack of talent and originality leaves the "artist" with nothing more to work with than vulgarity and shock.

Which is where we get a lot of "B" movies !

[Entropy Squared]

The point of a women participating in the V. Monologues is to show her devotion to feminism. By appearing in the program women make the political statement that they will sacrifice anything to feminism, even their class and dignity. Which they do.

[UCANSEE2]

How to tell your culture is going downhill?

When the "B" movies become the "A" movies.

[Slyfox]

What is the difference between the Vagina Monolgues and Clinton's talking penis?

And, why must we have either one of them forced down our throats?

[randog]

And rap music.

[Antoninus]

This is the OSU conservative newspaper. What do you want to bet that large numbers of copies mysteriously 'disappeared'?

[Antoninus]

I am going to raise holy hell.

Want to cause a royal ruckus? Contact the alumni organization or post it on alumni message boards... This works especially well if it's a Catholic/Christian college.

[Salvation]

Oregon State University

[Charles Martel]

On a lighter note....what a joke all this is! Women take all this so seriously....What if men came up with something similar....say

The Dick Dialogues......

We men are pretty much focused on our "thingy" anyway and no one would pay any attention to it. But, use the "C" word and have it be about liberated female feelings and my oh my how things are different. Flames anyone???

No flames here. These women take themselves entirely too seriously. They now resort to shock value to get their big, serious message across. In contrast, men look at life much more lightly. Take this song for example:

A Letter To My Penis - Rodney Carrington
(simple guitar tune wi' twangy country/western vocals)

Dear penis
I don't think I like you anymore
you used to watch me shave
now all you do is stare at the floor
oh dear penis
I don't like you anymore

it used to be you and me
a paper towel and a dirty magazine
that's all we needed to get by
now it seems things have changed
and I think that you're the one to blame
dear penis
I don't like you anymore

(the penis sings)

Dear Rodney
I don't think I like you anymore
cause when you get to drinking
you put me places I've never been before
dear Rodney
I don't like you anymore

(Rodney sings:)

why can't we just get a grip
on our man to hand relationship
come to terms with truly how we feel
if we put our heads together
we'd just stay home forever
dear penis
I think I like you after all

(the penis sings:) oh and Rodney
while you're shaving
shave my b@!!s

If the Moderator want to zap this one, fine by me. Nothing here more offensive than the original article, IMHO. Just an off-color JOKE (as opposed to a twisted crusade for some sort of "social awareness").

[fightu4it]

It's talken to ya, daddy!