The Curt Jester writes in his post Pornography and a Panel about the unfortunate decision of Notre Dame - America’s Catholic University - to support a production (again this year) of the Vagina Monologues during Holy Week against the express wishes of the local bishop. Hell, against my express wishes if anybody asked. (For the record no one did…)
Why not just show a porno? (Here is where I am largely glad we have 12 people who read us - most adults or figments of my imagination which live in Arizona and drink Heineken… Children - go read something else!)
A porno would be far more titillating and stimulating than the VMs… With about the same effects.
“Simple, you have lost your mind!” says you… Says me: “No, we can justify it in the interests if ‘higher learning’ if we set our minds to it. Academic freedom being what it is, we could come up with a reason.”
So why not show the cultural phenom “Deep Throat” which was a 1972 top 10 movie at the box office, and discuss its cultural significance? Bankrolled for $22.5K by members of the Columbo Crime Family, and then shown in theaters across the nation where it wasn’t banned… It put porno on the map and in the mainstream, it generated $100M+ for the mob (though that could be unduly exagerated by money laundering) and made “adult entertainment” something that was a part of the life of the “sophisticated set”…
The film’s star Linda Susan Boreman (aka Linda Lovelace) later wrote that she had been coerced into the film and in her testimony before the Meese Commission in 1986 she states “Virtually every time someone watches that movie, they’re watching me being raped.”
So here we have opportunities for a panel discussion on:
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Pop culture
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True Crime
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History
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Money Laundering
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Sociology
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Obscenity Law
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Domestic Abuse
Honestly… If you are going to make a case for showing a performance of something based on its educational value… why go half way? I would dare suggest that there is more still to be discussed in this porno… And a panel discussion afterwards could go on for hours…
That is, if anyone stuck around for it.
David Bennett
Jennifer
asimplesinner
Fr. J.
Chad Toney
Jorge Flores
Jonathan B
carmelbennett
nicenehobbit
Jason S
jaybird68
papaz
March 14, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Well, the only positive thing I can muster reminds me of the old addage “….well, besides that, Mrs. Lincoln, how’d you like the play?”
In other words, albeit a cold comfort, at least the Bishop DID go on record with an objection. How many bishops in how many other Diocese don’t even do that?
Gret blog, by the way, and great spotlight of you and the group on American Catholic Radio
March 14, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Thanks for the compliment… Are you referring to Jonathan’s interview with the Franciscan podcast? I wasn’t aware of any spotlight other than that - is that the same thing?
(Either way, it is nice to get some publicity… If it should be the case that more than 12 people start reading us, I will feel a serious obligation to edit my typos better!)
March 14, 2008 at 2:55 pm
The interview on Franciscan radio was technically about Jonathan’s conversion to the Catholic Church, probably based on her reading his conversion story online. The interviewer highlighted the websites that Jonathan and I have worked to develop over the last 5 years. I think her main concern was his story of how he became Catholic (which was a Lenten theme of theirs), but nonetheless, the main ancient-future.net site points to the blog in the “what’s hot” section.
Maybe there was another spotlight, but if so, I wasn’t told about it!
March 14, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Simple Sinner:
“Are you referring to Jonathan’s interview with the Franciscan podcast? ”
Yup! That’s the one
I had found Ancient and Future when I was podsearching for Catholic stuff last year. I loved your stuff, but was saddened to see that there hadn’t been an uploaded cast in quite some time. Your dialogues were great, and hit on so many of the shortcomings I saw in Protestantism I was struggling with.
I was listening to ACR, and the segment in question came on, and I recognized the voice, but didn’t know where from, until he said Ancient and Future… I said “Ah-HAH!”
“If it should be the case that more than 12 people start reading us”
Twelve people changed the world, if I recall from scripture ;-)
“I will feel a serious obligation to edit my typos better!”
Don’t you go raising the bar now, or I won’t post anymore!
March 14, 2008 at 3:51 pm
PMG,
I have contacted a few bloggers (both converts who read/comment here) and after my internet is fixed at home, we will probably do some more interviews like we did with Dave Hartline (right now my net is running just above dial-up speeds, but Time-Warner says it will be fixed soon).
March 14, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Sorry, but there are a few univeristies that have beat you to the punch.
http://media.www.theguardianonline.com/media/storage/paper373/news/2006/05/31/News/Colleges.Now.Offering.Pornography.Classes-2014823.shtml
http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2006-03-14/brewster-porn/
http://www.academia.org/campus_reports/2001/february_2001_1.html
March 14, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Doctor E, I was actually mildly aware that it had taken place in some place or another…
Do a little digging, I am sure you could find well worse… I wouldn’t go digging if I were you!
March 14, 2008 at 7:48 pm
-figments of my imagination which live in Arizona and drink Heineken-
Not during Lent!
March 16, 2008 at 10:02 am
I’m curious who these “figments of [your] imagination which live in Arizona and drink Heineken…” are. Given that I just recently started reading by Father J’s invitation I don’t know the regulars. I’m in AZ myself so am always curious to meet people from my home state on the big ol’ Internet. However, I don’t drink Heineken, I’m a red ale man.
On topic, based on the (blessedly little) I’ve read of the VM, I don’t understand why anyone is still putting it on. What is it, the feminist Cats? I mean, it’s not even entertaining and there are much more controversial plays out there.
ANDREW LOYD WEBBER CHEAPENS THEATRE!!!! - sorry, off topic but I just had to get that in there with my reference to Cats.
March 16, 2008 at 12:30 pm
James G,
Good point. I mean, all controversy aside, who even enjoys something like the “Vagina Monologues” anyway? It reminds me of when I was an undergrad, they would require us to go to plays and hear readings of poetry, etc. When we actually got to see classics, most of us enjoyed them. The newer stuff usually had us scratching our heads, wondering who in the world would enjoy something this ridiculous, although the grad student teacher was always enjoying it and on the edge of her seat. Maybe its just grad students that like it.
By the way, welcome to the blog!
March 16, 2008 at 12:38 pm
James G. You are not alone. The “figments” are a reference I dont get and I kinda live in the neighborhood.
I think the VM has lasting power because it is something naughty wrapped in a “serious intellectual” veneer. Adolescents thrive on this sort of thing. To attend is to be rebellious and unique in a nonconformist conformity sort of way. And, to be in the show is to reach the nirvana of teen self actualization. Notice that adults dont go to this thing.
March 16, 2008 at 3:06 pm
“Figments” in a sort of a running joke as I start out many of my posts with saying “To my dear readers - all 12 of you, my father included…”
In fact we have somewhat more than 12 readers… for a time that wasn’t the case.
Rob in AZ (who happens to enjoy Heineken during non-penitential seasons) sort of made fun of that once saying “According to simple sinner, no one actually reads this blog, and those of us that post comments must be figments of his imagination!”
That was the reference - it was a hat tip to Rob who is a “figment of my imagination who lives in Arizona and drinks Heineken”
I have gotten to thinking about the ND performances of VM… And have come to the conclusion that if they are carried on from now on they should be recited by elderly male professors in their tweed suits with bow ties sitting at the table reading the text monotone right from the book.
Now that I would pay $5.00 to see. And would do my best not to laugh my rear off when it was being recited.
March 16, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Require that all in attendance smoke cigars, and I’m in.
March 16, 2008 at 7:42 pm
And Scotch Father… pass around the decanter and be liberal with it.
Buy me the right cigar, I will sit up there and read the damnedable thing.
A big stinky Dominican cigar, please!