Comments on: I just don’t think it ever sounded so mellifluous

By: Jenn

Jenn — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 06:38:17 +0000

1. from Eve Ensler:

“Let me just say something about that word,” she said. “The whole point of the play is to reclaim that word, and to make that word beautiful, and to make that word powerful, and not denigrating, and not ugly.”

2. any “offended” audience should have been prepared and shuttled their poor innocent selves and their sheltered children out of the room… the topic was THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES. doh!

By: Aaryn

Aaryn — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:33:12 +0000

That’s the thing about it, Kelly, that I was saying. The whole point of The Vagina Monologues is to reclaim, respect and honor the vagina in all of it’s terms. Ensler interviews hundreds (thousands) of women to create that play and so, the vignettes are in their words. When Fonda used the term, she wasn’t using it to insult someone—as was that awful co-worker you used to have—but just stating the name of a play she was going to be in. And that, I think, is why it isn’t bothersome. I agree, they probably did get tons of phone calls from people who would rather not have the conversation with their children (or spouses…or even with themselves) about what that word means, where it comes from and why it carries such an offensive, negative connotation.

By: KellyD

KellyD — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:54:27 +0000

I’m sure that between that segment and the apology there were about 5,000 phone calls from horrified midwestern housewives. I gotta say, there’s a difference when a man says it and when a woman says it—many years ago I filed a complaint against a male co-worker (pre-CityBeat!) who had a penchant for snarling “cunt” whenever he got a phone call from a difficult female client. I sat only a few feet away from him—I didn’t think it would bother me as much as it did. But it did. Jane’s utterance, however—no prob.

By: Yiftach

Yiftach — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:30:22 +0000

By: allison

allison — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:26:04 +0000

It’s not a “vulgar” term, it’s a title! Of course I don’t find this surprising – a student in one of my grad school classes (not undergrad, I went to (the all women’s college) Smith, we talked about vaginas, um, all the time) announced the annual performance of “Vagina Monologues” and the little bastard of a professor screamed “Don’t use that word in my class!!!” In his biology class. Sad. So in a way I’m not surprised cunt caused such an uproar when biologists don’t like to hear vagina. Anywho, thanks for posting the video, I missed it live!

By: Melanie at BeanPaste

Melanie at BeanPaste — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:22:19 +0000

Did you see Viera’s reaction over there on the right? Haaaaa. Delicious. I love live televised awkwardness.

By: Aaryn

Aaryn — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:59:06 +0000

Like Mrs. G said, her delivery was straight dead-pan. And really, I didn’t find it offensive because it wasn’t used in a derogatory manner or directed at anyone in particular. She was just stating that she already is widely despised and to appear in a vignette with a distasteful title might just add to her problems. She was being funny and I thought it made perfect sense. Of course, having been married to Ted Turner at one time and being as politically savvy as she is, I find it difficult to believe that she doesn’t know the words that earn fines from the FCC. Still. She’s just one of those women who says what’s on her mind and then takes the punches. I really admire the fearlessness. A lot.

By: Cheri

Cheri — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:16:41 +0000

I would like to know what Joy Behar’s response to that apology was.

Go Fonda.

By: the end of motherhood

the end of motherhood — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:37:15 +0000

Oy. How is that a “slip” anyway?

By: Mrs. G.

Mrs. G. — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:31:27 +0000

You know Fonda’s delivery and tone were so matter-of-fact that I can see where the censor might have snoozed through it. The apology seemed overblown…particularly since the next segment was on how to keep your love alive.