Choose Mary over `Monologues'
Monica Migliorino Miller, Ph.D
president of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society
I was stunned to read in the Feb. 27 issue of The Observer how Kerry Walsh, student director of "The Vagina Monologues," publically responded to a flyer that I helped distribute to ticket-holders lined up to see the play. The flyer was a photograph of the famous Dome of Our Lady — except that the statue of Mary had been removed. The flyer asked "Is this what you want?" Just before the show began, Kerry addressed the audience, referred to our flyer and answered the question "Hell, yeah!"
Notre Dame is a Catholic university; the statue of Mary on the Dome is the most obvious and beautiful sign of the truths of Catholicism. Kerry's statement showed incredible public disrepect for Mary and the Catholic faith. This is nothing more than gross arrogance and indeed a sad sort of ignorance. But what should we expect? "The Vagina Monologues" is a distortion of feminine nature — and thus ultimately a distortion of who Mary is. The play's fundamental philosophical premise is that feminine sexuality is fulfilled in isolation — a deadly premise for either feminine or masculine sexuality.
The true meaning of sexuality is covenantal, nuptial, mutual and life-giving. All of these human values are mocked and degraded in the "Monologues" in a theatrical soup laden with graphic sexual language and descriptive images. Words are used in the script that inherently degrade womankind. Kerry thinks she can reclaim certain words (including a certain C-word) as she says: "We no longer allow others to use that word in a negative light."
Well, some words are just not worth reclaiming. After all, feminists will not be on a crusade anytime soon to reclaim the words "broad" and "chick." Kerry's favorite word has a meaning — it's a word of male domination, a word used to denigrate feminine nature, a word calculated to treat a woman as nothing more than a single objectified piece of feminine anatomy reduced to its most base and obscene qualities. What symbolizes womanhood in this word is now devoid of goodness, nobility and spirit. One so reduced there's nothing left in the woman by which a man should honor her. That's the meaning of the C-word, and it's best left in the gutter of violence and injustice against women.
The "Vagina Monologues" are steeped in feminine alienation — thus, significantly, only monologues are possible. But Mary, whom Kerry wants to be rid of, provides us with the possibility of dialogues. Through the true exercise of her womanly nature, Mary made it possible for the whole human race to be in union with God.
Monica Migliorino Miller, Ph.D
president of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society
Mar. 3, 2002
All Viewpoint Stories for Monday, March 4, 2002
