Sunshine and Theatre and Feminism

So, Mr. Snowman is almost entirely melted now, but I can't really complain. I spent a good chunk of today outdoors, and I think the sunshine did me good.

I played a little bit of one-on-one basketball with Jeremy, and was solidly whupped. (I think that's how you spell that word; at least I think it's a word.) I walked the dog around the block, which is a longer project than one might think, as it is a fairly large block and a very small, very easily distracted dog. And, in case that wasn't enough sunshine, I put on a tank top and sat on a lawn chair reading in the sun until the sky clouded over.

Last night I saw a benefit production of The Vagina Monologues at UPenn with Mollie and a couple of her friends. I was actually quite impressed. I believe the original production was done entirely by one woman, but this one was divided up between somewhere in the neighbourhood of 30-40 actresses. Some of the monologues were done by one woman, some as sort of a montage of several women. It was done reader's theatre style, which detracted a bit at times, as some of the actresses really looked and sounded like they were reading. But there were also several stellar performances, and I found myself genuinely laughing and crying at many points.

I didn't post about the play last night, because, aside from a theatrical critique, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to say about it. I thought that maybe, in a day, I would know what to say. Unfortunately, I still don't. I'm a feminist in many ways. I think that Eve Ensler's work does an extraordinary thing for overcoming certain stereotypes, raising awareness, and, most of all, tearing down an enormous wall of taboo so that frank discussion can occur.

However, I'm not much of a feminist when it comes to sexual liberation. I don't find the traditional "male and female within the bounds of marriage" framework demeaning or even limiting. As a married woman, one of precious few in our modern age who made the choice to save sex for marriage, I can honestly say that I don't feel like I'm missing out. Yes, I grew up with certain stigmas surrounding my "privates", but I was also instilled with a sense of respect. I couldn't relate to many of last night's monologues because I have only ever had one sexual partner, and he has only ever been wonderful to me. I found it interesting that the one monologue that directly addressed a positive sexual experience with a male began with about two minutes of apologies for not being more feminist, more empowered.

Great, three days into this blog and I'm already talking about sex. So much for being "public friendly." I promise this won't happen too often!