I have not seen or read "The Vagina Monologues", and consequently, my article is not focused on the play itself. I am not concerned with whether or not it remains on Saint Mary's campus; frankly, I am not capable of making an educated judgement.

Nevertheless, it is very evident what the ideological motivations are behind the play's material. Based on articles I have read concerning the "Monologues", it seems as though the vagina is meant to represent a new age in feminism. In this mutated version of pure and noble feminism, a woman's body becomes a sexual symbol somehow representative of the female spirit.

How is "allowing women to talk about their bodies", their vaginas and sex, in anyway an uplifting and productive avenue for modern-day feminists to pursue? What can possibly be accomplished from speaking about one's genitalia?

This "vagina movement" seems absurd to me, and contradicts the true spirit behind the feminist movement.

Proponents claim that by not speaking about a female's bodily and sexual functions women are left "voiceless and unable to send a message to the media and society that they do not want to be treated only as sexual objects".

Am I the only one confused by this bold statement?

First of all, by using the vagina to represent the feminist movement, proponents are in essence confining the woman to her sexual affiliation. The core purpose of feminism, as far as I am aware, is to prevent discrimination against people based on their sexuality. It is important for women to be treated as equals with men in society. It is imperative that women and men receive the same educational and professional opportunities. Women and men alike must be treated with basic human rights. Rape and abuse are intolerable and safeguards should be in place to prevent and punish such actions.

I agree with these standards, and I am a proponent of the true purpose behind feminism.

However, this focus on the vagina and sexuality, tarnishes and diminishes the gleam of the feminist spirit. It creates a circus-like atmosphere, and is intended to shock not educate. This movement to "celebrate" the vagina is not educational; it does not help the women's cause, rather it demerits and trivializes the true calling of feminism. In the same way that a man referring to his penis and sexual endeavors would be considered coarse, unnecessary and crude, this "vagina movement" is an embarrassment for the woman's movement.

Granted, I am not a woman, and consequently, I do not have a vagina. Perhaps there is some mystical connection women have with their sexual organs. But, for me, a normal guy, it seems perverted and reprehensible to equate my own sense of human rights, equality and freedom with my penis.

Am I the only one that finds this entire subject absurd?

Or is it just because I have a penis, and I don't understand?

• Can you say penis?