Post by robeiae on Nov 21, 2018 8:35:34 GMT -5
In the spirit of schools pulling books like To Kill A Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn their curriculum and reading lists (if not libraries), I give you the pulling of The Vagina Monologues:
It's a play. And in my view, a good play--like a good novel, or even a good movie--can do more than just entertain. It can make one think, can make one question things, and so on. And when it's being watched (or read) as a part of an academic curriculum, it provides an effective platform for learning, not only with regard to things it may be getting "right," but also things it might be getting "wrong."
Allowing that The Vagina Monologues fails in some respects because of its lack of inclusion (I've never seen a production, myself), wouldn't that be a perfect jumping off point for discussion and learning?
Moreover, are there actually plays, novels, and movies out there that are 100% inclusive for all things, as well as being both good and thought-provoking? I have my doubts...
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.
[snip]
EMU is not the first university to reconsider its position in hosting "The Vagina Monologues."
American University's Women's Initiative chose to change the event to the "Breaking Ground Monologues" in an effort to "broaden the focus from specifically female genitalia to multiple identities and bodies."
In 2015, a student group at Mount Holyoke College decided to cancel its annual performance of production, saying the play excludes the experiences of transgender women who don't have a vagina.
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.
[snip]
EMU is not the first university to reconsider its position in hosting "The Vagina Monologues."
American University's Women's Initiative chose to change the event to the "Breaking Ground Monologues" in an effort to "broaden the focus from specifically female genitalia to multiple identities and bodies."
In 2015, a student group at Mount Holyoke College decided to cancel its annual performance of production, saying the play excludes the experiences of transgender women who don't have a vagina.
It's a play. And in my view, a good play--like a good novel, or even a good movie--can do more than just entertain. It can make one think, can make one question things, and so on. And when it's being watched (or read) as a part of an academic curriculum, it provides an effective platform for learning, not only with regard to things it may be getting "right," but also things it might be getting "wrong."
Allowing that The Vagina Monologues fails in some respects because of its lack of inclusion (I've never seen a production, myself), wouldn't that be a perfect jumping off point for discussion and learning?
Moreover, are there actually plays, novels, and movies out there that are 100% inclusive for all things, as well as being both good and thought-provoking? I have my doubts...
