Vagina Monologues Outdated/Exclusionary?

[Armie3]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 6:46am

I wouldn't have thought so, but I don't want to have a knee-jerk reaction to this, so...is this fair?Please don't confuse this with trolling. I am as progressive as you can get.

YPSILANTI, MI - Eastern Michigan University's Women's Resource Center will no longer host productions of "The Vagina Monologues," noting that the play's version of feminism excludes some women.  

The WRC announced its decision in an email, which came after the center evaluated responses from a survey. Survey respondents opposing the production consistently indicated they were concerned that the play centers on cisgender women, that the play's version of feminism excludes some women, including trans women, and that overall, "The Vagina Monologue" lacks diversity and inclusion.

 

The survey was launched as a result of conversations with current students, as well as feedback from a WRC workshop titled "Not all women have vaginas," during the 2017-18 academic year.

According to the WRC, both brought up conflicting ideas and concerns about the effectiveness and relevance of "The Vagina Monologues," an episodic play written by activist Eve Ensler in 1994, offering a series of first-person narratives in which women speak about their vaginas.

"This created a need to ask the question: Do we still need 'The Vagina Monologues?' And, are 'The Vagina Monologues' still relevant to next generation feminists?" the email from the WRC says.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2018/11/emu_group_ends_the_vagina_mono.html

 

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 1:13pm

I just don't think that every play needs to bend over backwards for diversity and inclusion, as long as the theatre world as a whole is diverse and inclusive. Like, how DARE The Color Purple not address the issues affecting Latinx-Americans today. 

Plenty of women have vaginas. For those of us who are women with vaginas, that play can be a really nice bonding experience. I 100% support trans rights, and would never support an actively transphobic play, but I don't think that means that we should no longer be allowed to talk about body-related things that apply to cisgender women... who are the vast majority of women.

Like, I'm Jewish and adopted. I am well aware that both of those demos are a pretty tiny minority, so it would be pretty ridiculous of me to be offended by a play about celebrating Christmas, or about the genetics we inherit from our parents. And if I was somehow offended... it's a good thing that seeing theatre is optional.

This is one step closer to that South Park episode where they end up doing interpretive dance in grey unitards to Phillip Glass because everyone was offended by everything in the Christmas pageant. Sigh. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 3:46pm

OFFS

[binau]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 3:50pm

Lol.

[Niles Silvers]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 4:00pm

This absurdity is becoming more and more prevalent in some quarters.  Unable to cope or deal with the actual oppressors who are actively planning their destruction, sjw's are erecting circular firing squads to eradicate any variance to their agenda and purity of purpose.  btw I do think you are trolling though.    

[Kitsune]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 4:47pm

I was in a production of The Vagina Monologues when I was a freshman in college, and it was a wonderful, very empowering experience.

That being said, I do agree that art should be continually re-examined. Personally I would say that certain aspects of TVM haven't aged well, but to each their own.

It sounds like the group mentioned in this article decided that the show no longer met their needs, and I don't see anything wrong with that. Nor do I see any suggestion that the play no longer be discussed, studied, etc. 

I hope this school finds something that does work for their students. 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 11/19/18 at 9:56pm

“The survey was launched as a result of conversations with current students, as well as feedback from a WRC workshop titled "Not all women have vaginas.”


Okay...well all biological women have vaginas. Celebrating women who are cisgender does not mean any negative connotations towards or dismissiveness towards trans women.

I think that while respect for all gender identities is important, it’s also important to remember that more than 99% of people are cisgender. Also, at least 95% of people are heterosexual. Enough with the complaints about the world bring “cis-centered” or “heteronormative.” I love and respect all non-cis and non-straight people, but come on. There are countless minority groups out there and not everyone is going to get invited to every party.

Updated On: 11/19/18 at 09:56 PM

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 11/20/18 at 11:13am

Solution: cast a trans man (could be pre-op, could be someone who will never op, could be someone who used to have one and can relate to the topic for which they are chosen) to perform one of the monologues. Now it addresses all people with vaginas. Boom, inclusionary.

(You make the check out to g.d.e.l.g.i. I'll spell it for ya: G...)

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 11/20/18 at 12:27pm

g.d.e.l.g.i. -

That's probably the best solution if an organization is concerned about inclusion. I still feel that there's nothing wrong with doing the play with a totally cis-gender cast, but if the community has a significant trans population, and they want to feel represented or be included, then why not. The whole point of the play is to make people feel good about their bodies and to share and celebrate the human female experience.

[carnzee]

Posted: 11/20/18 at 5:02pm

TBH, I think the transman experience is probably quite different than the cisgender female experience. I doubt that would work, unless Ensler wrote a new monologue for a transman.

Honestly, someone should just produce work by/about transmen. But I see nothing wrong with the vagina monologues.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 11/20/18 at 5:12pm

The Vagina Monologues is not only a play, it's feminist activism.  Since the time it was written, feminism has expanded as trans people have asserted their voices in the fight for equality.  I think Ensler should revisit the piece to explore today's feminism that includes trans issues. 

 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 11/20/18 at 5:38pm

SHOULD she though? As in, is she morally obligated to? What if she was no longer living, and couldn't? Would we not do the play anymore?

If Ensler wants to write a new piece about the trans experience for the play, that's up to her. However, where does this need for inclusivity end? Are we going to never do Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? again because it is very much about upper-middle class, straight, cis-gender white people? 

Not every play can include everybody, and that's okay.

[DeepVSexyWitch2]

Posted: 11/20/18 at 6:18pm

I don't understand why the results of an interest survey for students has resulted in any other response besides "okay they're not interested in that!". No one is asking the show to change, they just aren't interested in seeing it. Ensler is an infamous second wave feminist who many consider "behind the times", it's not unreasonable a group of students would want to hear from someone else.