Friday, March 5, 2010

extra credit: the vagina monologues




I participated in this year's production in “The Vagina Monologues” for several reasons. I had seen the play last year and I thought it looked like a lot of fun to be a part of. It seemed like a valuable experience. I also think that the work itself is very important and subversive for women today.

I think that “The Vagina Monologues” is relevant to women's & gender studies because it is a play about women's unique experiences. The play is all about gender differences and opening up to topics we don't normally discuss, like pubic hair and sex slavery and how awful gynecological exams are. I think that anyone who is interested in women's & gender studies should see or read the monologues because it's a much more entertaining and accessible way to learn about actual women's issues than taking a class is.

Taking part in “The Vagina Monologues” didn't necessarily raise my awareness of topics we were learning about in class, because I feel like I already had a good background of knowledge before taking the class and being in the play. But one monologue in particular is a good connection to the class: the monologue entitled “Hair.” This monologue is about a woman whose husband demands that she shave her vagina, even though she doesn't like to because it makes her feel like a little girl. But she does it anyway, to please him. “Hair” reminds me of the video that we watched about plastic surgery where one woman was requesting a labiaplasty, or surgery on her vagina to make it prettier. I think it's sad that a woman would feel the need to change the appearance of her vagina. It's such an unseen, intimate part of our bodies; the only thing that would make it seem like it needs to be changed is pressure from an outside source.

On the flip side, one monologue reflects a positive body image. It's called “Because He Liked to Look at It,” and it's about a man who loves looking at vaginas; when he looks at a woman's vagina, it's like he reads her palm, he knows things about her. The woman speaking the monologue says that his adoration is what made her love her vagina.

My reaction of being in “The Vagina Monologues” is exactly what I thought it would be. I had a great time with my own part (I was part of the angry gang in the monologue called “My Angry Vagina”) as well as watching everyone else do theirs. It was really wonderful to be surrounded by women who all wanted to celebrate our womanhood and start a celebration with the audience too! I can't wait to do it again next year.

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