Vagina Monologues: A Guy's Perspective

It's been a while since my last post and I apologise! I have just been too busy reading a trio of books all under the genre of Women's Literature.

The Vagina Monologues was enlightening to say the least. It was contentious, humorous and stomach turning all at the same time. Eve Ensler didn't hold back and I know everything to do with vaginas. As a book for  a high school class it was a daring but ultimately successful choice.

The apprehension that we had as a class before reading The Vagina Monologues was aptly summed up in the Ensler's first sentence, "I bet you're worried" (3, TVG). The theme of the book was worrying and intimidating for some but not for me. I'm proud to say this because it shows that progression has happened. Some of the reasons why Eve Ensler felt compelled to write this book have already dissolved in more liberal societies such as mine.

One thing that I found particularly interesting was that Eve Ensler kept restating the point that many women did not really seem to value or acknowledge their vagina. Right at the beginning of the book Ensler comments on how women sometimes "go weeks, months, sometimes years without looking at it (their vagina)" (4, TVM). Ensler cites a businesswoman who imply explained that "she was too busy; she didn't have the time" (4, TVM). This shocked me. How can someone not see their genitalia or be barely aware of it it??

Eve Ensler went on to explain the multiple reasons for what I call 'this phenomena'. I had never absorbed the fact that it takes effort and time for women to see their vagina. For men it's a doddle, but women "it's not so easy to even see your vagina" (4, TVM). For women to see their vagina they need at the very least to have a free-standing mirror, perfect lighting, a bit of luck and to be able to contort their body to the right angle for viewing.

Another reason was aptly portrayed by an one old Jewish woman Ensler interviewed in Queens. When Ensler asked her when she had last looked at her vagina, the woman responded by saying, "Down there? I haven't been down there since 1953. No, it had nothing to do with Eisenhower" (25, TVM). What this woman goes on to say reveals that another reason why women don't acknowledge their vaginas is because they are ashamed and embarrassed about them.  This women, like many was embarrassed  both by the appearance and odour of her vagina. She was embarrassed to even say the word 'vagina'.

This story and Eve Ensler's description of how she has felt compelled to set up workshops to get women to acknowledge and be proud of their vaginas reveals a dichotomy of how men and women view their sexual organs.

I went to a boy's school for much of my academic life and for years our banter followed three main themes. Football, girls and our genitals. Now of course I am exaggerating, but penis talk is popular with men of all ages and when asked we will proudly declare 6, 7 or 8 inches depending on the day of the week.

This, what I see as healthy pubescent talk doesn't seem to occur to anywhere near the same degree with women. I think talking and looking at your is healthy and doctors seem to agree with me. In one of my upcoming posts I would like to analyse the reasons why some women refuse to acknowledge their bodies.