I am compelled to respond to the post concerning Vagina Monologues and contribute a different opinion to that above.

As an actor I was honoured to have been cast in this production and, as a playwright, respected the opportunity to add my own biographical monologue to the show. My involvement with the show was a literal life-changing experience.

I was mobbed at the stage door after performances by hundreds of people, many in tears, who wanted to thank not only me, but the entire production cast for this show.

I followed up with some of these people afterwards and found that I was not the only one whose life was changed because of the show.

Even my own strictly calvinist Scottish godmother of 84 had tears in her eyes the night she came to the show. She told me I had won her respect and admiration as never before for being a part of it. (More important, to me, than losing the respect of the anonymous person above.)

If it is degenerate in actors to have brought hope to many who had lost it, to give respect back to those who had thought it gone, to inspire and empathise, and to show and share courage then yep, I'm a pretty degenerate person. But proud to be ranked alongside Fonda, Morrisette, Blanchett and Winslet - brave, strong women all.

To have watched the show and have no better critical comment than outrage at the use of the coyly termed "c word" suggests to me an unpleasantly prurient motivation . It also aptly illustrates the fact that the whole point of the "c word" segment was obviously lost on the above poster.

(And talking about not getting the point?

Oh James,

the fact that, despite the fear, hysteria and publicity no deaths from bird flu have ever been recorded in Australia while deaths from eating disorders are common WAS the point of that particular sentance.)

I think that most many guys (myself included) accept as axiomatic the concept of equal opportunity. At the same time our experiences have led us to the conclusion that the institutional reality is one of "us vs. them".

In any battle of that kind, I stand of the side of guys. If you give me a gender inclusive cause that I can vote for however - be it equal opportunity or a "fair go model" I'll support that. If a local mixed school is to become a girls school... well sorry, no way.

So my suggestions are

- We need a gender inclusive model/concept/ideology

- Marketing images (for both men and women) need to be
examined. There is no harm in regulating these
more tightly, ie it's revenue neutral to the advertisers

(and... no advertising during childrens TV. Definitely)

- The web... s##t. Dunno on that one. Lets improve our
cultural and philosophical education.. and see if that
helps indirectly.

So Romany you post under two separate idenities?

As for the mortality rate for anorexia as near as I can figure this equates to about 10 females per year (AIHW). This pandemic equals the total number of suicides for 2 days.

So I guess this makes deaths from anorexia common. Even though you are more likely to get killed by lightening or a snake bite than die from anorexia.

For further criticism of Vagina Monologues see;
http://www.canadiancrc.com/articles/Vagina_Monologues_Rape_Scene_Fox_12FEB02.htm
http://www.ifeminists.com/introduction/editorials/2002/0212.html
http://www.ifeminists.com/introduction/editorials/2000/0803.html
http://www.ifeminists.net/introduction/editorials/2004/0127.html

"Two seperate identities"?? Hey, mate, I'm bi-polar - not schitzophrenic.

"The world is going to end!"

Remember those predictions, what about the Y2K bug, it was predicted to cause a whole host of problems which never eventuated.

I think 'Doom Sayers' have been around for a very long time, predicting the end of the world, the end of society, the end of the human race etc.

There is a common tendency in some women's magazines and feminist activists where they continue to predict doom and gloom.

It wasn't that long ago 'Rock and Roll' was blamed for corrupting the youth of that day.

For the first time in recent anglo saxon history the social stigma about being a unmarried mother has been removed. Women can control their fertility.

So the social constraints have been removed, where fear of unwanted pregnancy certainly restricted human behaviour in the past, this is nolonger applicable today. There is more information and knowledge available today than was ever previously available.

Consuming alcohol and getting drunk was once seen as being unlady like behaviour.

The social barriers that feminist fought so hard to destroy are now gone and now they have the hide to ask 'What is happening to women?

This article "What is happening to women?" by Mary Bryant is a standard/typical feminist tract seeking to portray females as victims and men as perpetrators.

Feminism is not about equality. On the contrary, the aim of feminism, and this article, is to gain advantage (power, control, children, property, income, protection, etc) for females at the expense of men (who are viewed as useful idiot servants, as long as they do as they're told). Feminism is just a rebadged matriarchy.

No matter how much feminists take they will always want more. And playing the victim (card) is one of the chief strategies and tactics used by women to take advantage of the good nature of men, with regard to men's willingness and readiness to provide for and protect women.

We should not be surprised to find feminists in the Jesuits (and other organisations). Feminism is, and feminists are, by nature parasites who seek to infect, invade, affect and seek to control ... because feminism is essentially about female power and control (not equality).

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Wow 'Mercy' is a true misandrist (man-hating) feminist/matriarch: "As usual the women here talk more and say less. Men are fundamentally different to woman. This difference causes them to hate women. It is this hatred of women that women have to fear. Protect yourself with a gun because he hates you." - Posted by Mercy, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 3:33:43 PM

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Nice choice of word, though - 'FrankGol'. Sounds like a euphemism for feminism to me.

As for the feminist role you ascribe to men - as servant/slave providers and protectors for women - that sounds like a cosy position for women to take. And it's the sort of rationale that has been trotted out to keep men and other underlings in their proper inferior position through the centuries.