Your gift counts double until 5/31: $25,254 to go in our Easter Campaign. Please help now!
 Off the Record

à propos of nothing

By Diogenes (articles ) | February 16, 2005 4:24 AM

If a proud but timid man were threatened with rape -- trapped in an alley, say, by a thug with a knife -- and succumbed out of fear, one can imagine that his shame would prove fertile in inventing elaborate rationalizations for his submission, in order to

[begin digression] ...when it was developed a number of years ago, the Vagina Monologues was done as a vehicle to empower women to speak of their experiences as women. The play raises very important issues particularly about sexual violence toward women. The play often makes people uncomfortable. Some of the discomfort may come from the language of the play. And some of the discomfort comes, undoubtedly, from the exploration of violence against women and the exploitation of women in society. There are people who say that the play has no place on a Catholic campus. But this position misses the reality that the play has provoked a good deal of conversation among women and has helped them to name the dehumanizing attitudes and behaviors which reduce them to sexual objects. To exclude the play from a Catholic campus is to say, either that these women are wrong, or that their experience has nothing important to say to us... [end digression]

compensate for his loss of dignity. Paradoxically, the vicarious humiliation felt by friends at his disgrace would be augmented, not lessened, by his pathetic attempts to portray himself as the one in control of the encounter: a self-inflicted debasement.

An appeal from our founder, Dr. Jeffrey Mirus:

Dear reader: If you found the information on this page helpful in your pursuit of a better Catholic life, please support our work with a donation. Your donation will help us reach five million Truth-seeking readers worldwide this year. Thank you!

Easter Campaign:
Progress toward our Spring 2013 goal ($25,254 to go):
$80,000.00 $54,745.55
32% 68%
Sound Off! CatholicCulture.org supporters weigh in.

All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!

Show 2 Comments? (Hidden)Hide Comments
  • Posted by: Novus744 - Feb. 17, 2005 2:56 PM ET USA

    "But this position misses the reality that the play has provoked a good deal of conversation among women and has helped them to name the dehumanizing attitudes and behaviors which reduce them to sexual objects." Hasn't the play itself reduced women to nothing more than sexual objects? I honestly don't know, but that's what I would expect from the name.

  • Posted by: - Feb. 16, 2005 9:26 AM ET USA

    The Vagina Monologues are nothing more or less than one more vehicle for destroying natural moral inhibitions and the virtue of modesty. It is a tool in the Culture of Death. It is not literature and it is a perversion and a corruption of theatre. It contributes nothing to but is entirely destructive of civilization.

Think with the Catholic Leaders: Subscribe to Catholic Culture Insights Newsletter
Donate to Support this Site: Your contribution will be put to good work.
Tour the CatholicCulture.org Site
Shop Amazon to Raise Money for Catholic Culture

Recent Catholic Commentary

The sad decline of self-government 10 hours ago
That impromptu exorcism again 13 hours ago
The Mystery of the Spirit May 21
Against a Facile Assurance of Salvation, the Need for Mystery May 21
Making Sense of Society: The Ebook May 21

Top Catholic News

Most Important Stories of the Last 30 Days
Pope strongly supports call for reform in religious life CWN - May 8