Did Somebody Say “Vagina Show?”

Yes, they did and in many ways than one! The middle to latter parts of January saw my female genitals on display in a way I did not ever wish to see it displayed; and I place partial blame on the Ghana media for their poor sense of decorum and amateur reporting. It was such a shame, and did not speak very highly of a profession many of us look upon with respect. I speak for myself when I say this; I don’t know about other women, but I personally did not like it at all.

Apparently, there was supposed to be a showing of the “Vagina Monologues” in Ghana for the first time, and because someone somewhere had read about the play somewhere (probably on Google) without any real idea of what the play really entails and what it symbolizes, a good thing was twisted so out of proportion and taken to such extremes; and the dignity of respectable women was dragged through the mud by what was dubbed “The Vagina Show.”

I read an article by one Isaac Simpson, titled “In the Name of Common Sense, Would Someone Stop This Please!” in the January 28, 2010 issue of Ghanaweb. I was going to comment, but my comment was turning into an article so I decided to make it just that. While I agree with the author’s disgust of the whole hoopla about “V-Day” celebrations in Ghana, I am not disgusted for the same reasons. I am more disgusted with the way the event was publicized and promoted than I am with the fact that it was being publicized and scheduled to show in the first place. Here’s my take on the whole issue.

I am a woman, and very proud of my womanhood. I detest the sexual predation of women, and I detest violence against women. (That’s not to say I am thrilled when bad things happen to men.) But, I do not ever want to see my private parts on display in the media the way I have in the last few days, not even if it’s for a good cause. Now that I have cleared the air on that one…

Vagina monologues … where do I begin? I have seen one of the plays here in the US and it carries a very positive message. The plays are performed awareness of sexual crimes against women to the audience, to get women to open up about their private sufferings (not their private parts) – rape, sexual assault, domestic violence - and to make them aware that they do not need to suffer in silence. Now all this is good. The aim of the monologues is to allow women an avenue to openly talk about these issues and to release the anger and shame they feel in a positive way. It is meant to educate and to heal. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with making the vagina popular. Like we need a show for that! It is a theatrical production. Women actresses (and sometimes women victims themselves) come out on stage and tell stories of suffering in the form of a monologue. The money raised from the proceeds from the play is later donated to women’s shelters and other organizations that promote a safe environment for women victims. It’s that simple! It is something I will encourage every man and woman to see.

Having said that: I will tell you this - I hate the name of the concept! There, I said it! Yes, I hate that it is called the “vagina monologues” and I hate it even more that a whole day is set aside and called “Vagina Day!” It places unnecessary focus on the vagina and separates it from the rest of the body. When a woman is brutalized, her whole body suffers, her dignity and pride are damaged, and her emotional state is left in shambles. With that being the case, why can’t the whole body do the talking (monologues) and be called say, “Womanhood Monologues” or “Women Speak out Against Sexual Violence Monologues.”

The idea behind what the producers in Ghana were trying to promote is wonderful but as is the case with everything we try to import into our culture, the organizers failed to acknowledge and educate their audience, and in doing so, left room wide open for misinterpretation, and a lot of misinformation. Here’s where I believe they went terribly wrong:

Cultural Venue: The vagina monologues was started in a country where people talk about everything, everywhere, anytime - and freely too! America is open to all sorts of speeches and freedoms. So, whereas it may be widely acceptable to go flaunting headlines featuring our private parts in one place, it may not be widely acceptable or even comfortable in another place, taking into consideration cultural factors. This is the mistake many Ghanaians make when copying from the West. We do not take into consideration our audience and how that audience thinks. Certain things take tact and a sense of good judgment. We have all fallen short of this at one point or another.

The name as it stands simply takes away from the appeal of the event and I believe the organizers should have been smart enough to change it to something more acceptable and reflective of our culture.

I am all for women’s empowerment and advancement, and yet I felt uncomfortable (and even offended) with many of the headlines I came across. Heck, the idea of a day set aside to celebrate my “vagina” absolutely horrifies me, yet alone the notion that it was up for “showing.” I’m sure a lot of you are seeing the word “vagina” in this article and are already uncomfortable, huh? Imagine that!

Poor Publicity/Communications: All the Ghana media did in its reporting was to add fuel to the already flaming fire. I mean the way the whole thing was publicized – come on! It definitely didn’t help any. Presentation is everything and makes a lasting impression and I was absolutely disgusted with the headlines – and in some prominent publications too. It left room for the outcry and misunderstandings that followed.

“No Public Display of Vagina on Vagina Day – Linda Nutakor,” published: myjoyonline.com, January 22, 2010. Ms. Nutakor did such a poor job of trying to explain further (or putting out the flames) what the event seeks to promote. How do you expect people to understand what you’re promoting when you can’t effectively sell the idea? Maybe researching the background of the monologues, and watching a play herself may have helped. If she’s already seen a play, she did a poor job of translating and promoting it.

“Movie Stars in Vagina Show,” published: peacefmonline.com, January 20, 2010.

Come on, I’m not stupid. And neither are you. But, when you read a caption like this, what immediately comes to mind? Exactly! The first time I saw the headline I thought I had misread it – was it supposed to read “Virginia Show?” No, my eyes were not deceiving me; it said “vagina show!”

“Stars to Mark Vagina Day with a Show,” published: ghanalinx.com, January 21, 2010. There’s a big difference between a play and a show. Usually when I think of a show, I think of a car show, an exhibit, trade fair, things on display out in the open for all to see. When I think play, however, not so much an exhibit crosses my mind, but “a play.”

“Stars in Vagina Show,” published: dailyguide.com, January 20, 2010.

“Stars to Mark Vagina Day with a Show,” published: Ghanaweb, January 21, 2010.

The list goes on and on. With such publicity, I am not surprised that a simple play meant to educate and to inform turned out the way it did.

The media has a huge role to play in this unfortunate portrayal of the event. The organizers had an even bigger responsibility of educating the public and the media on the details of the event instead of having to go back and attempt damage control after such bad bad bad publicity. They should have taken into account cultural factors and introduced the production in a way that appeals to their audience. The way you publicize something like this in America is not the same way you publicize it in Ghana.

My disgust, and the disgust of a majority of the people who have expressed disgust, I believe stems from what we read, saw, and assumed, and not the actual theatrical production cum “show.” Not too many reasonable people, after knowing what the play is all about, would have had the reaction they had.

Originality: Not to sound repetitive, but I believe the organizers also lacked originality in their portrayal of the event – another reason things went terribly wrong. We don’t need others to tell us that rape is an indecent act against human dignity that needs to be corrected. Women in the Congo, in Rwanda, and right under our noses in Ghana suffer this on a daily basis. The organizers could have given the event some originality and some Ghanaian/African flavor. They could have taken the suffering of women from an African viewpoint. African women are raped and brutalized in times of war, in their marital homes, and on the streets; and the monologues could have been advertised to address these issues in our own way – while incorporating some of the concepts of the Western plays.

Let’s face it; the issues that the V-Day monologues bring to light are real issues that do need to be addressed by any society. (To say that sexual abuse and rape are not issues present in Ghanaian society will be very deceptive!)

Wrong Focus: Instead of focusing on the positive message carried by the plays, however, they have succeeded in bringing focus to a part of my anatomy, and that of all women, that I had hoped would never be on such public display – ever! For this reason, I believe they did women a disservice, and in Isaac’s word’s made a positive thing “a complete insult to womanhood!”

People, please if we want to borrow, that’s fine. After all, not much about us is original anyway! But, we must do it to fit our own mode and our own comfort levels. To do so, things need to be introduced in small doses, and done with lots and lots of tact!

I’m just saying…

(N. Amma Twum-Baah is the Publisher/Editor of Afrikan Goddess Online and may be reached at afrikangoddess.ag@gmail.com)