For those of you who bother to follow me, or look at my Facebook-you're probably wondering-What's all this talk about Vaginas and Vday and One Billion Rising...?? For the past 3 years I've performed in VDAY NOLA'S productions of the Vagina Monologues. Every time I mention to someone that I'm a production, or that I'm involved with the cause, I hear a variety of comments/questions:
1. Isn't that a show of a bunch of women bitching about their vaginas?
2. Isn't that only for women?
3. Isn't that a really dirty, graphic show?
4. Isn't that just one woman's take on what it means to be a woman?
5. Isn't that show just all about violence and rape and "gross" stuff?
6. Oh I'm Christian I can't see it. (Yes, I've really gotten this response-and honestly, I am not even going to address it)
I get frustrated when I hear these comments.
The Vagina Monologues are many things. Yes, it's women performing monologues-some of which poke fun at womanhood. But there's no bitching or complaining. No. We laugh at ourselves. A ton.
And while yes, it's only women PERFORMING, the show can be seen, and appreciated by all genders, because, after all, men do have wives, mothers, sisters, and female cousins. Oh, and daughters-right? My Dad saw the show a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. He said it was so hard to hear some of the stories, (because yes, some ARE graphic, and sad, and disheartening) but that he learned a lot about what's happening to women all over the world, and he appreciated the show and our courage for spreading awareness.
The show is graphic. Some monologues are really funny and graphic, some are really sad and heavy and graphic. But they are ALL REAL. Real stories, real words, from real women. I won't say some of it isn't hard to hear, some of it's hard to perform! But it's all necessary.
Yes, Eve Ensler started the Vday movement, and she writes the monologues. She's compiled a plethora of real women's' stories and words to create these stirring, emotional, and capturing performance pieces. It' is many women's take, on many women's issues (not just "gross stuff") including but not limited to:
Rape
Physical abuse
Verbal abuse
Tampons
Femicide
Lesbianism
Molestation
Periods
Motherhood
Sisterhood
Yes, some of the issue are heavy and grotesque-but these are real issues, real things being experienced by real women-that's what's really gross, that's what's really heavy. That's what's really sad.
And what's even more heartbreaking-is that so few people really understand the magnitude of abuse happening to women all over the world.
Take a moment to think about the women in your life and be thankful if they have been lucky enough to have never been touched by abuse. Check out Vday.org, check out Vday Studio City's kickstarter:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/979836544/v-days-studio-citys-the-vagina-monologues
Donate, see a show, take the time to spread the word. Women all over the world need you.
xo
-Lauren
If you want a full low-down on the history of Vday and how it all started-check out Vday.org.
1. Isn't that a show of a bunch of women bitching about their vaginas?
2. Isn't that only for women?
3. Isn't that a really dirty, graphic show?
4. Isn't that just one woman's take on what it means to be a woman?
5. Isn't that show just all about violence and rape and "gross" stuff?
6. Oh I'm Christian I can't see it. (Yes, I've really gotten this response-and honestly, I am not even going to address it)
I get frustrated when I hear these comments.
The Vagina Monologues are many things. Yes, it's women performing monologues-some of which poke fun at womanhood. But there's no bitching or complaining. No. We laugh at ourselves. A ton.
And while yes, it's only women PERFORMING, the show can be seen, and appreciated by all genders, because, after all, men do have wives, mothers, sisters, and female cousins. Oh, and daughters-right? My Dad saw the show a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. He said it was so hard to hear some of the stories, (because yes, some ARE graphic, and sad, and disheartening) but that he learned a lot about what's happening to women all over the world, and he appreciated the show and our courage for spreading awareness.
The show is graphic. Some monologues are really funny and graphic, some are really sad and heavy and graphic. But they are ALL REAL. Real stories, real words, from real women. I won't say some of it isn't hard to hear, some of it's hard to perform! But it's all necessary.
Yes, Eve Ensler started the Vday movement, and she writes the monologues. She's compiled a plethora of real women's' stories and words to create these stirring, emotional, and capturing performance pieces. It' is many women's take, on many women's issues (not just "gross stuff") including but not limited to:
Rape
Physical abuse
Verbal abuse
Tampons
Femicide
Lesbianism
Molestation
Periods
Motherhood
Sisterhood
Yes, some of the issue are heavy and grotesque-but these are real issues, real things being experienced by real women-that's what's really gross, that's what's really heavy. That's what's really sad.
And what's even more heartbreaking-is that so few people really understand the magnitude of abuse happening to women all over the world.
Take a moment to think about the women in your life and be thankful if they have been lucky enough to have never been touched by abuse. Check out Vday.org, check out Vday Studio City's kickstarter:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/979836544/v-days-studio-citys-the-vagina-monologues
Donate, see a show, take the time to spread the word. Women all over the world need you.
xo
-Lauren
If you want a full low-down on the history of Vday and how it all started-check out Vday.org.
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