# Say vagina, get suspended **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 6, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864 "2007-03-06T22:10:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/1 "2007-03-06T22:10:24Z")
So apparently a couple of high school girls were suspended by their school because they dared to say the word vagina during the…wait for it… **VAGINA** monologues. Words fail me :rolleyes: [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,257078,00.html](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,257078,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/2 "2007-03-06T22:13:04Z")
All I said was “That vagina was fit for Jehovah.” ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/3 "2007-03-06T22:22:12Z")
After the girls auditioned was the time to tell them the couldn’t perform at all. It’s not realistic to tell teenagers that they could perform but would have to omit the word vagina (what word would they have allowed to be substituted? hoo ha?) and then actually expect them to do it. We’re talking about teenagers Making a Stand[sup]TM[/sup]! Obviously they were asking for trouble letting them perform at all and no one should be surprised that they chose to deliberately ignore the direction given to them. The more I think about this, the more I wonder what the organizers thought was going to happen? Did they actually think the girls were going to omit the word? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/4 "2007-03-06T22:27:18Z")
I’m confused. How was this reading advertised in the program? “The V\*\*\*\*\* Monologues”? ---
**Author:** ![Jelymag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jelymag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelymag)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/5 "2007-03-06T22:27:47Z")
Hmmm… there are dozens of slang words for female genitalia that would have been inappropriate under the circumstances, and they got suspended for using its ACTUAL NAME… Out of curiousity, I wonder what word the school instructed them to substitute in its place. What do they call it in biology class? ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/6 "2007-03-06T22:29:46Z")
Good God. They cannot be serious. I guess they should have used the medical term, “doodle snooch”. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![GLWasteful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f05b48/32.png) [@GLWasteful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GLWasteful)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/7 "2007-03-06T22:29:56Z")
It was established upfront that they were free to perform the monologue, but based on the composition of the audience they couldn’t use the word “vagina”. What’s more, it sounds as if they agreed to this stricture. Then they used the word during performance. Dunno that I think suspension is the best punishment, but it sounds like the girls are in the wrong. But I also remember being in high school and wanting to stick it to The Man. This seems slightly ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/8 "2007-03-06T22:36:02Z")
Well, since it was 3 girls who got in trouble shouldn’t they have been performing the Vagina Dialogues instead? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/9 "2007-03-06T22:40:23Z")
They could have pretended it was “the China monologues”. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/10 "2007-03-06T22:42:00Z")
[QUOTE=GLWasteful] It was established upfront that they were free to perform the monologue, but based on the composition of the audience they couldn’t use the word “vagina”. What’s more, it sounds as if they agreed to this stricture. Then they used the word during performance. Dunno that I think suspension is the best punishment, but it sounds like the girls are in the wrong. But I also remember being in high school and wanting to stick it to The Man. This seems slightly ridiculous. [/QUOTE] I dunno. Pointing out the absurdity of the requirement that they not use the word that the performance is ABOUT makes them OK in my book. Why would anyone go to see the performance if the word made them uncomfortable? Vagina vagina vagina vagina! There! I said it! (Aaaahhhh…that feels bettah) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/11 "2007-03-06T22:52:02Z")
[QUOTE=GLWasteful] It was established upfront that they were free to perform the monologue, but based on the composition of the audience they couldn’t use the word “vagina”. What’s more, it sounds as if they agreed to this stricture. Then they used the word during performance. Dunno that I think suspension is the best punishment, but it sounds like the girls are in the wrong. But I also remember being in high school and wanting to stick it to The Man. This seems slightly ridiculous. [/QUOTE] You know, you’re right, and yet I just don’t care. Yes, ethically, if they agreed to the edit at auditions, then they shouldn’t have used the word. They broke their word, and that’s A Bad Thing. On the other hand, sometimes we have to do A Bad Thing to accomplish A Greater Good. Fighting the good fight, allowing them to claim and honor their bodies by actually using perfectly correct, non-vulgar and legal terms, raising awareness not only in their local community, but worldwide (hey, we’re talking about it!) and not allowing their genitalia to be “Voldemoreted” and made more powerful than they by shrouding it in puerile euphemisms is a pretty heady and important thing to do as a young woman. OR, they could be irritating assholes who make trouble at every opportunity and the dean is sick of dealing with them. The article’s not really clear on that. I like the first way better, so I’m going to pretend that’s what happened. If these were my girls, I’d not fight the suspension, because yes, they earned it. But I’d be taking a day off work to take them out to pizza and celebrate their courage and fortitude. Good going, ladies! These young women don’t just have vaginas…they have _balls_! ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/12 "2007-03-06T22:52:33Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] I dunno. Pointing out the absurdity of the requirement that they not use the word that the performance is ABOUT makes them OK in my book. Why would anyone go to see the performance if the word made them uncomfortable? [/QUOTE] Didn’t you know? Women are inherently dirty and any mention of them having, gasp, genitals is verboten in school! :rolleyes: But, in all seriousness, why would the school approve the Vagina Monologues if they were uncomfortable with the use of the word Vagina? If they’re going to avoid the idea that vaginas exist and that vagina is the proper word for one part of the female genatalia, then why let them use the excerpts in any form? It’s astoundingly stupid that they let them in the first place if they’re going to punish them for not wanting to edit out the whole focus of the monologues. ☹ :eek: I’m just really sad that there seems to be no common sense in this situation from the authority figures that are involved. ---
**Author:** ![GLWasteful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f05b48/32.png) [@GLWasteful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GLWasteful)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/13 "2007-03-06T22:54:56Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] I dunno. Pointing out the absurdity of the requirement that they not use the word that the performance is ABOUT makes them OK in my book. [/quote] Except that they didn’t perform the play. They performed readings from it. And this: > [@](#): > > Bob Lichtenfeld, superintendent of the Katonah-Lewisboro school district, which includes John Jay, said that had the teens, who are in their third year of high school, wanted to perform the play, they would probably not have encountered opposition. > > “As long as the intended audience knows what to expect, we don’t have a problem with it.” Speaks volumes. Hell, why **don’t** they perform it as a school? Sounds like a good idea to me. > [@Kalhoun](#): > > Why would anyone go to see the performance if the word made them uncomfortable? Sounds like it was more of a talent show type thing. And that can be turned around and I can wonder why these students would be so callous as to disregard the sensibilities of the audience that they knew full well would be there. Again, they were told going in that they weren’t to use “vagina”. Frankly, considering the audience that would be there, I think that the school should have told the girls that they couldn’t do a reading from that particular script. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/14 "2007-03-06T22:56:59Z")
If anyone would bother to RTFA, you might find out that it WAS NOT a performance of The Vagina Monologues. It was an event featuring readings of several different pieces by various people associated with the high school, including original work by students. Thus, “why would anyone go if they were uncomfortable with the play” or “that’s the whole FOCUS” don’t really apply. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/15 "2007-03-06T22:58:16Z")
[QUOTE=adam yax] Well, since it was 3 girls who got in trouble shouldn’t they have been performing the Vagina Dialogues instead? [/QUOTE] Wouldn’t that be the Vagina Trialogues? ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/16 "2007-03-06T22:58:21Z")
As a fairly pertinent aside, I was once in a high school one-act written by a friend. It was fairly unfunny (again, original high school material) but our resident iron-clad, stone-cold detention-running bitch of death deemed some of the material too offensive. In reality, it was pretty blase, but in order to perform, she made it clear that we’d have to go to her office, read the script, and allow her to make changes. We did. And then this happened: Me (as some character or another): “It seems you’ve really found your niche” Horrible Woman: Excuse me? Me (fumbling slightly): Umm…there…“It seems you’ve really found your niche” Horrible Woman: No. No way. Me: I’m sorry. What’s wrong. Horrible Woman: You can’t say “niche.” (indignant) You don’t think I know what that MEANS?! Me: I think it means, you know, like finding your specific work in life. Like your calling. Horrible Woman: (doubly indignant) What do you take me for? Me: (Nervous & stammering) Um…we could…um…we could look it up. Horrible Woman: NO! We’re changing it. Me: …fair enough. Horrible Woman: Scratch “niche.” Use “clitche” instead. Ok. Clitch? A) Not a word. B) INFINITELY dirtier sounding. Needless to say, the highlight of my stage career was deadpanning the line “It seems like you’ve really found your…clitche” to a girl who would’ve slapped me if she hadn’t known all about Horrible Woman in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/17 "2007-03-06T22:58:58Z")
Since when is “vagina” offensive?! That’s the term for it and I don’t know anyone who would be uncomfortable with that. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/18 "2007-03-06T23:00:23Z")
They should have simply used the last name of that character from the Austin Powers movie as a euphemism – Lotta Fagina. Y’know, it could’ve been worse. They could’ve read that scene from The Vagina Monologues where the actress just says “Cunt” over and over. ---
**Author:** ![GLWasteful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f05b48/32.png) [@GLWasteful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GLWasteful)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/19 "2007-03-06T23:01:48Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Fighting the good fight, allowing them to claim and honor their bodies by actually using perfectly correct, non-vulgar and legal terms, raising awareness not only in their local community, but worldwide (hey, we’re talking about it!) and not allowing their genitalia to be “Voldemoreted” and made more powerful than they by shrouding it in puerile euphemisms is a pretty heady and important thing to do as a young woman. [/quote] Which is why I think they should have performed it as a school. Particularly since the Superintendent said that doing so would be hunky dory. > [@](#): > > OR, they could be irritating assholes who make trouble at every opportunity and the dean is sick of dealing with them. The article’s not really clear on that. I doubt it. I think that they decided to take their stand. All fine and good so long as they understand that being first usually means being chewed up and spat out. Natural consequences of their actions and all like that. > [@](#): > > I like the first way better, so I’m going to pretend that’s what happened. Frankly, so do I. And I think that they should perform the play as a school. > [@](#): > > If these were my girls, I’d not fight the suspension, because yes, they earned it. But I’d be taking a day off work to take them out to pizza and celebrate their courage and fortitude. Good going, ladies! And I would cheerfully stand them to a round. But they were in the wrong, and need to accept the consequences of their actions. ---
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864/20 "2007-03-06T23:02:52Z")
Perhaps they could have substituted [hooha?](http://www.news4jax.com/news/10965683/detail.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-vagina-get-suspended/394864.md?page=2)