Vagina MONOlogues....who's included and who's not?

Yesterday was the first time I saw The Vagina Monologues. I had never been able to go in years past because of my commitments to Model UN, whose conferences usually fell on the same weekend.

This year, I had the privilege of attending and thought the cast did a fantastic job!

Before I went, I read a few negative reviews to gauge the level of contention among pro-sex, pro-feminist critics; many of them argued the show is monochromatic in its thematic organization -- that the discussed male characters and heterosexual moments were always portrayed negatively, the play focused too heavily on lesbianism/female-on-female sexual moments, and other assorted critiques.

While I'm not sure if IC Players amended the script at all for their own production, I would argue that the show is fairly comprehensive, albeit inevitably incapable of including all of the women (and men) (and others) whose multiple genders, races, classes, nationalities, abilities, bodies and experiences need to be discussed, too.

The monologues performed represented a diverse range of identity and character: an old lady, a black homeless woman, a British newcomer afraid of not finding her clitoris, a Bosnian refugee, a Haitian women's rights activist and yes, even a leathered-up, lesbian S & M enthusiast whose nomenclature for female moaning was both hilarious and thoughtful.

In contrast, many of the counterarguments are fair and insightful. Several feminists would prefer the show to be called the "vulva monologues" rather than "vagina monologues," arguing that the latter title commits psychic genital mutilation itself. The lack of healthy heterosexual relationships and presence of male feminists is noteworthy as well because it often limits our imaginations by assuming the only people who want to talk about these issues and embrace gender equality are women.

Still, while I do understand the extent to which the performances are less representative and self-critical as they could be, the show was still pretty damn good at providing what our culture lacks: a space for females to express sexuality.

The Vagina Monologues affirms that women, in fact, have variable and important sexual experiences, backgrounds and philosophies that should be welcomed and recognized. Sure, their employed hints at imperialism (particularly disturbing was the "female genital mutilation segment") weren't favorable, and it would have also been interesting to include contemporary feminist movements that are grossly misunderstood and manipulated in the U.S. (think grassroots organizing in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan).

In the end, the show did a good job by providing room for a dialogue and discourse on women's sexuality. It lifted up the taboo and challenged the dichotomous, culturally-assigned roles of purity and impurity that females are expected to fulfill simultaneously. For that, I give the show props.