Suspended over saying the V-word

[Goodsoulette]

Three 16 year old girls were suspended at a school in New York for saying the v word during a sponsered literary event. I have never read or seen the Vagina Monologues, it doesn't appear to be my sort of thing. I don't know if the material is in appropriate but mearing in mind they all have a vagina I would assume it was ok. Surely the schools problem should be with the context not the actual world. Can anyone shed some light on whether it was inappropriate? At the moment I am struggling to figure out how they have sex education classes at this school.

[WaldoMcFroog]

The school's position here seems pretty ridiculous and untenable, however it does note in the article that each of the three girls was reading separately until they got to the word 'vagina' whereupon they all said it together.

Now, if this is how it is normally performed, then I'm on the girl's side. If, however, the three girls were being childish and saying the word together because of its percieved shock value and their glee at getting to say it, then they haven't understood enough about what the play is about and the school is more correct.

But I've not seen the play, so don't know which scenario might be more correct. It does seem a bit of an over-reaction to an anatomical term though.

[Pippa68]

What the heck is wrong with the word vagina? I could understand if they had done a 'Caprice' and uttered the 'C' word in it's place...

[Goodsoulette]

I think them uttering it together was a stand at bring told not to say it, at least thats the impression I got. I think they probably felt like taking the fall together.

[kempie]

The stanza under scrutiny is repeated in this article and accompanying video...

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/17535427/

Waldo - I am somewhat confused by your second paragraph.

How does reciting the stanza in the way "it is normally performed" have any bearing on whether or not it was appropriate for the event in question?

A recitation is either acceptable or not acceptable; how it may be performed within its original setting is irrelevant.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Kempie, I meant that if the play directed that they should all say 'vagina' at the same time, then that was fine. However, if they had decided to say 'vagina' at the same time because they were getting a thrill out of its apparent vulgarity, then they had missed the point of the play.

However, reading the piece you've linked to makes it clear that they were standing up against a ridiculous act of censorship and were not taking a childish delight in the word and I'm thus on their side.

[joko]

the word vagina is not a swear word.

the us needs to lighten up a bit, the levels of education of many of the kids out there is shocking.

[tara20]

American common sense - an oxymoron.
To confirm, right now on my TV - "Supersize Me" -
Nuff said