Just a week ago I had the pleasure of visiting my girlfriend and seeing her perform in Mizzou's Vagina Monologues. The show was fantastic and it is among my favorite events in college so far. The script for the show was written by Eve Ensler following her interviews with women all over the world. The show captures something about women as a group that is fascinating to watch unfold. It celebrates women as smart, powerful, sexual beings and tackles the forces that oppress them. One monologue addresses a woman's love for the word cunt. Here is a short performance of it.
The monologue reclaims cunt as a word that feels and means something strong and sensitive. Owning this word takes away the power for other people to use it against women. At the end of the act, the crowd chants, yelling "cunt!" along with the performer. Collectively the audience is reclaiming the word.
I chanted with the audience and the fiery performance at first. Then I remembered something: I'm a male. It is a silly thing to suddenly remember (or to even briefly forget), but in this moment of clarity I felt out of place. The show is a platform for women to show their individuality. It exists for women to reclaim their bodies and their minds from patriarchal forces. Do I have any right to reclaim cunt? It is a word men use with a disgusted tone towards women, a carnal alternative to 'bitch'. I guess this also boils down to the role of men in a women's rights movement.
I don't have a point to make from this post. I just felt something unfamiliar and felt that this would be the place to share it.
After watching the short clip, what do you think of reclaiming cunt?
What role do men have in these efforts to fight sexism?
For me, cunt is a word I can not claim. Its just as not accepting as whore or bitch as a term of endearment. When I think of cunt its in a sexual manner were the female is degraded for performing sexual acts that should be considered complimentary for those involved. For me I see a cunt only being their to fulfill the male sexual fantasy and not as a sexual pattern were both are to enjoy the experience.
ReplyDeleteI think that reclaiming words is always a tricky thing. On one hand, you are taking the negative power out of a word, but at the end of the day the word is still what it is. Going off of what Shaneqah said, a cunt is always just that. No matter how you are using it, it is reducing a woman to a part of her body.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Rebecca and Shaneqah. It's a fine line to walk, not only for feminists with words like 'bitch' and 'cunt' but for any movement that is attempting to liberate itself from oppression due to language, law, social norms. I watched the Vag Mons as well and couldn't bring myself to shout cunt at the end of this piece, I don't know. It's strange but I do love the purpose of Vag Mons.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in regards to the role of men in the feminist movement; I have no clear answer for that but this is something I also question for not only the feminist movement but also in any civil rights movement; who is supposed to play a role in the liberation? Can 'outsiders' to the struggle be a part of the liberation?
I have to disagree, I sort of feel like when you call someone a cunt, its like a more extreme version of a bitch. like saying god your being a cunt, like your annoying or rude.
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