Variations on a Feminist Theme
Vagina Monologues Unveiled; Goucherdales Remain Clad
Rachel Horst
Issue date: 3/9/05 Section: Opinion
Just say the title, "The Vagina Monologues" and you're already on your way to confronting one of the most misunderstood and vehemently disregarded concepts in human discourse. Simply the thought of a play based on the notorious nether regions of the female body can bring out the latent Victorian in even the most accepting of the liberal mainstream.
Regardless of the initial reaction to this provocative work, the real question at hand is whether or not it accomplishes anything past the shock value of the title, if it rises above the category of guilty pleasure and breaks new ground for the female gender like its looming connotation suggests. After all, such a loaded phrase deserves the charge of duty of legitimizing the female perspective.
On Feb. 26-27, Goucher's own Feminist Majority Leadership, took up the challenge of employing the Monologues for this very purpose.
Posters and flyers were everywhere, inviting students to "Find Your Furby" and even inquiring as to the scent of the female students' namesakes in order to attract a willing and interested audience. They succeeded. I attended Saturday night's showing and was forced to crane my neck above the rows of filled seats, even though I had arrived nearly thirty minutes early.
I have to admit: I didn't know what to think of it then, and, in all honesty, I'm not quite sure what I think of it now. Is it necessary to delve into this taboo topic with such abandon, even at the risk of sounding crude and missing the point? What, exactly, is the point? Will it liberate the topic, or simply push it into outrageousness? Should it matter?
These were the questions that ran through my mind in the days before the performance, but of course I made absolutely sure that I made the time to go see it.
All this in the face of another event that I couldn't help but juxtapose, ironically or not, falling on the same weekend, but for perhaps obvious reasons failing to come to fruition: Goucherdales.
Regardless of the initial reaction to this provocative work, the real question at hand is whether or not it accomplishes anything past the shock value of the title, if it rises above the category of guilty pleasure and breaks new ground for the female gender like its looming connotation suggests. After all, such a loaded phrase deserves the charge of duty of legitimizing the female perspective.
On Feb. 26-27, Goucher's own Feminist Majority Leadership, took up the challenge of employing the Monologues for this very purpose.
Posters and flyers were everywhere, inviting students to "Find Your Furby" and even inquiring as to the scent of the female students' namesakes in order to attract a willing and interested audience. They succeeded. I attended Saturday night's showing and was forced to crane my neck above the rows of filled seats, even though I had arrived nearly thirty minutes early.
I have to admit: I didn't know what to think of it then, and, in all honesty, I'm not quite sure what I think of it now. Is it necessary to delve into this taboo topic with such abandon, even at the risk of sounding crude and missing the point? What, exactly, is the point? Will it liberate the topic, or simply push it into outrageousness? Should it matter?
These were the questions that ran through my mind in the days before the performance, but of course I made absolutely sure that I made the time to go see it.
All this in the face of another event that I couldn't help but juxtapose, ironically or not, falling on the same weekend, but for perhaps obvious reasons failing to come to fruition: Goucherdales.
Be the first to comment on this story