The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler is probably one of the most entertaining things I have ever read and I wish I could have seen them performed. Ensler found a topic that was never really discussed and ran with it. I do not know why, by I find it intriguing and can only imagine how intriguing it would be to watch it be performed. I never realized how taboo it was to talk about vaginas like Ensler did in our culture; possibly society in general. I remember being extremely uncomfortable with the whole topic area of vaginas and anything that had to do with them when I was younger, and even a little today in certain contexts. Honestly, I do not think I would ever be able to talk about vaginas and what ever goes with them like Ensler and these women do.
Reading this, I kept thinking of one of my sorority sisters. She is by far one of the most comfortable people I have ever known when it comes to talking about sex, vaginas, anything. She would be the one person I know that I could see doing exactly what Eve Ensler is doing. I think that she would be thrilled to write a monologue and perform it, and I know it would be entertaining.
I watched some video performances of The Vagina Monologue, and it made even more sense as to why these were supposed to per performed instead of read. I feel like the only way these can be truly embodied by an audience is if there is interaction between the audience and the performer. This helps to get the audience out of their comfort zone and forces them to interact with the performer and the material, the stories, the emotions. She wants the stories to be physically embodied, because she wants women to truly accept themselves. The only way to do that is to embrace every aspect of who you are, what makes you happy, what makes you sad, what makes you feisty, what makes you tick.
Sometimes, I feel like even though she is talking about vaginas, she is really talking about women in general. Throughout history, women have always been oppressed in some form. Even today, women feel more pressure from more directions than men do. It may be more socially acceptable for women to work outside of the home, live on their own, go to college, be politicians, judges, and doctors, in addition to be a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and everything else that a woman can be. One aspect of womanhood our culture still struggles with today is the sexuality of women. There is a song by Christina Aguilera featuring Lil Kim called “Can’t hold us down.” I feel like this whole song embodies this fact and what The Vagina Monologues are going for. There is one line that relates specifically to the fact it is not socially acceptable for women to express their sexuality in the same way men can
“if you look back in history
its a common double standard of society
they guy gets all the glory the more he can score
while the girl can do the same but yet you call her a whore
i dont understand why its okay
the guy can get away with it, the girl gets named”
I feel by doing the interviews and aksing the questions, and encouraging the monologues to be performed, Ensler is taking part in the battle women are facing to develop, embrace, and state their sexuality.
Everything I just did is why I think Ensler wants the monologues to be publically performed. She wants everyone to realize it is ok to talk about vaginas and that they should. She wants both women and men to know that every vagina, just like every man and women, in unique and that that uniqueness should be appreciated for all that it is truly worth. I mean honestly, who ever thought you could get so much from talking about a vagina.
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