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FEBRUARY 24, 2006 - Page 4 FEATURES Monologues Empower and Raise Awareness signs spread throughout, set that The Vagina Monologues COURTNEY JORDAN the tone for what would in my was not just about vaginas or STAFF WRITER mind be a wild ride. Alumni even just talking about them. On February 10th and Hall filled pretty quickly with It celebrated women-their Tl th, McDaniel College'S men and women, young and struggles, their triumphs, the Women's Issues Group pre- old, white and black, Hispanic load they bear. It's about sented its 3rd annual produc- and Asian. As the show began, blowing the roof off the house tion of Eve Ensler's The the (you guessed it!) all- women have been trapped in Vagina Monologues. Last female cast, danced onto the since the beginning of time, Friday night, I sat quietly in stage to Gloria Gaynor's about debunking the myth the back of Alumni Hall, anx- anthem "I Will Survive." that the vagina should be a iously awaiting the perform- The ladies took no time to hush-hush subject. Most of all, ance. get right down to business, The Vagina Monologues is Amidst controversy about and after that they went full about giving a voice to the vic- the show allegedly being speed ahead into the taboo tims of abuse and promoting pornographic and an impend- world of female sexuality and awareness of this rampant ing snowstorm, r came to see sensuality. The show covered problem in our country, and what the hype was all about. topics such as menstruation around the world. As I skimmed through the and birth. On a more serious If the point of the produc- various monologues to be per- note, issues concerning genital tion was to move me, empow- formed, I braced myself. Were mutilation in Africa and- th'e er me, encourage me to get off they really going to spend an Japanese women forced to my butt and do something entire play talking about vagi- deliver sexual services to sol- about violence against nas? diers before and during World women, and make me proud The stage draped in plnk War r were also addressed. to be a woman-then job well and red, with VAG and V I realized very early on donel! Katie Hickey (foreground) and Nia JeI"Vay perform a Vagina Monologues: Reexamine the Values Amidst the controver- cheesy as that sounds, bring- credit cards, it really is a valid country and around the duction or fundraiser to col- sy of The Vagina Monologues, ing back memories of colum- thought. The Vagina world. Until we can accept lect that much money for char- I am saddened that people nists who write about respect- Monologues was originally that there is a problem that ity in one weekend. I could have forgotten the true mean- ing the baby Jesus at created as a way to expose needs to be fixed, Ibelieve it is then offer to halt the produc- The Vagina tion of ing behind the show. As Chrisbnastime instead of our people to the atrocities com- important to continue the mitted against show in every town and on Monologues, but that's just women. Yes, it every campus in the United silly. You can do your thing is controversial States. During the produc- and we can do ours, so com- and shocking, tion, Alumni Hall proudly, or bined, we'll have twice as but that's the maybe shamefully, showcased much to give next year. whole point. 'l-shirts all around the first I believe my father People remem- floor. Each shirt is part of the best expressed my point after ber it for its Clothesline Project, and each seeing me in the production shock value, shirt represents a wornarr or for the second year in .a TO"'. and then conse- man who was-abused, assault- 'TU be honest. I don't love quently remem- ed, raped, or killed as the watching it, but I appreciate it ber its message. result of sexual and domestic for all the help it gives to peo- 1 The violence and hate crimes. ple. I'm proud of you." So Vag ina These shirts are all from maybe, we should just aJi take Monologues Carroll County. a step back and reexamine the strives to edu- Our production on value of The Vagina cate people this campus raised over $3000 Monologues. If a fifty year old about domestic for charity this year alone. I conservative dad can, why and sexual would like to challenge a sup- can't you? abuse in this posed "non-objectifying" pro- -Christine Frieman CARINAIATi "Man, She's Hot" Is Not the Right Message often devastating stories that Most of the monologues pro- attempt to de-objectify seems authentic and the STACY FITZWATER STAFF WRITER are the foundation of 'The mote sexual experimentation women as sexual objects for money that is raised goes to "Man, she's hot!" Vagina Monologues' will - with yourself, with men, and men to abuse. My opinion on very worthy causes (for exam- Sounds like the whis- inspire people who see pro- even with older women. For the effectiveness of these ple, the Rape Crisis Center in perings in a movie theater or ductions of the play to join V- example, the infamous efforts is best summed up by Carroll County). Still, I think the mumbles from a table in Day in its efforts to stop all "Coochi-snorcher" mono- the reaction of a McDaniel we must consider how much shall (who male student Clar, right? Not this time. violence against women and logue ends with a sexual scene remain anonymous): "In all good the performance really Sadly, this observation was girls" (www.vday.org).As between a twenty-four-year does for our society. How made by male members of the both an audience member and old woman and a sixteen- honesty, when I hear guys many audience members walk audience during this year's former cast member (2004), I year-old girl. How does such shouting "vagina warriors! away with a deeper respect for performance of The Vagina can attest to the inspiration a scenario aid in the fight woooo!" that doesn't exactly women.. and how many like Monologues.. and' it was that the performance brings against violence against make me think of words with walk away with new deroga- tory slang to use, new licenses and ' reverence' 'respect' made more than once. When with it. Some of the mono- women!? Replace the twenty- the male attendees of a logues touch on female genital four-year-old woman with a regard to females." for further sexual experimen- female-empowerment func- mutilation in war-tom coun- man and you unarguably As I witnessed in the tation (and thus, exploita- tion respond in such a way, I tries, child molestation, rape, have rape! audience, this student is not tion)? Why, if the goal is to de- can't help but question the and domestic violence and Some of the mono- alone. While women on stage objectify women, do the per- effectiveness of the event. abuse. So when, amidst these logues encourage embracing paraded their "Short Skirt," formers need to be "hot" and Now, I could scoff at the situa- heart-breaking stories, did an our society's derogatory terms sampled various types of sex- sexy to make the point? Why tion and chalk it up to "typical audience member find it used for female genitalia. ual "moaning," and made not prove the point being are spe- of nicknames males," or I could go so far as appropriate to mutter, "Man, How does this aid V-Day's ample use genitalia, audience for made - that women because of female cial and important to say that it must just be she's hot"? mission to end violence? The members hardly responded their person-hood, and not McDaniel guys. That would While V-Day's mis- argument is that women must be easy ... too easy. Besides, sion is dearly not controver- be better educated about their with what I would call "awe because of their sexiness. If we know full well that that sial, there is also a hidden bodies; that, if our sexuality and respect" (as is requested we can accomplish that, then, by the performance). isn't the case. agenda within the perform- weren't so mysterious, we I hesitate to criticize maybe, instead of hearing audience members remark, "v-Day is a global ance. In fact, the majority of could better defend ourselves hear, the efforts movement to end violence the monologues performed against abuse - physical, ver- V-Day and Monologues, of The "Man, she's she's.. hot," we'll rea!. .. a Vagina mostly "Man, against women and girls. V- are not even about violence bal, and mental. Overall, the because the main purpose woman." Day hopes that the true and against women and girls. production's mission is an