The BLEEP! Monologues

The BLEEP! Monologues

by Selwyn Duke

There was a time when the word "theater" evoked the image of Shakespearean plays peppered with words like "thou" and "knave." There was a time when the arts were the domain of giants like Michelangelo, Mozart and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Of course, that was a time when people had a sense of propriety and operated under the assumption that the arts should express beauty and Truth, and that time is no more. Those geniuses are now dismissed as "dead white males," the implication being that their works were born of a Eurocentric, patriarchal perspective and therefore aren't relevant to today's times. So, now we benefit from a very different perspective, one that has brought us such esteemed works as a religious icon immersed in a jar of urine and a pile of garbage masquerading as a sculpture. This new openness to "alternative" art forms certainly is more egalitarian than the old, stifling, dead white male standard that placed a premium on aptitude and ability. For sure, now second rate minds with third rate talent can free-associate and convert pure drivel into something vaguely resembling an art form, and you can be sure that pseudo-intellectual pinheads somewhere will praise them for their "creativity" and courage in challenging the "establishment." And, if these aspiring artists are lucky, they may even get some of our money from the National Endowment for the Arts [does the government fund YOUR hobbies, hmm?] for the purposes of financing their juvenile depravity. Of course, what's lost in all this is the fact that the establishment isn't being challenged, because it is now firmly in the hands of those who have made a career out of defining deviancy downwards in the name of progressiveness.

One of the more recent in this line of works that would make the Marquis de Sade proud is a play by Eve Ensler called "The Vagina Monologues." What's it about? Well, the title is self-explanatory in this case, as it is, believe it or not, about women sitting around and talking about that most private of their parts. This must be a fringe work only to be found in Greenwich Village or Haight-Asbury you say? Think again; this classless exhibition is all the rage in the realm of contemporary American theater according to Marc Peyser, who wrote a piece about the play in the February 18th issue of Newsweek. He reports that it's being performed in six different venues across the nation; moreover, productions of it are appearing on an unbelievable 550 college campuses as well. Not surprisingly, given the fact that cultural poison has become one of our biggest exports, it's also being performed in 31 countries and has been translated into 26 languages. It's not a revelation though that people like Ensler, who are willing to prostitute themselves for fame exist. Having a few nuts in a population of 284 million is par for the course, so, this in and of itself isn't damning - it's not much of a social barometer. What does speak volumes about present day America however, is the fact that there are so many second degree nuts that these first degree nuts get exposure and a place at the table. And Marc Peyser's article exemplifies this problem.

Mr. Peyser's piece is an excellent illustration of much of what ails us today. Firstly, he, like so many others, lends this trash credibility by treating it as if it's a serious work. Of course, he would no doubt counter by saying that's it's not his job to make value judgements, that his job is only to report on various developments in the entertainment world. This brings to light another problem in America today: phony non-judgementalism. Because, while there certainly is no condemnation to be found in the piece, it most certainly is replete with implied positive judgements. For instance, Mr. Peyser states that the college girls who have embraced the play are the "most liberated of all" by it, and the clear implication is that this is a good thing. So much for non-judgementalism.

Now, this brings us to the issue of "liberation;" we tend to talk as if liberation is a virtue in and of itself. Many female college students have been so liberated by this play that they have created what they call "Vagina Clubs" at their schools. But how often do people stop and ask what they're being liberated from? When the Nazis first invaded the Soviet Union they were greeted as liberators, until that is, the Russian people realized they were jumping from the frying pan into the fire. So, what form of liberation is this? Are they being liberated from proper morality? From their innocence? From decency and purity of heart? Are they being liberated from God and delivered over to the Devil? Ironically, while the purveyors of these works claim they are a celebration of womanhood, in reality it is simply an example of women demeaning themselves. No philanderer, or pornographer, or any one of the rest of their ilk could do more to objectify women and diminish their dignity than these young women are, and the irony is that they do it in the name of women's liberation.

Lastly, there is the fact that this is not an aberration at modern universities, but rather is emblematic of the philosophy that prevails at these institutions. Anything goes now: courses in gay and lesbian studies, pornography, art courses involving nude models, and all other manner and form of politically-correct, moral-compass distorting poison for the soul. Anything that is, except conservative ideas - they're what constitute sacrilege at these empty shells of institutions of higher learning. So, the bottom line is that you can pay $80,000 for your daughter to attend one of these schools, so she can partake of these magnificent opportunities and then kick back after hours in her Vagina Club and grow as a person. Unfortunately, many parents are blissfully unaware of what's really occurring at their kids' schools. What's even sadder though, is that many of those who are privy to these facts don't really care.

Anyone who thinks that we're not experiencing a moral crisis either has his head in the sand or his hands on the throat of decency. The fact is, that we're spiraling downwards toward the very nadir of moral turpitude at an ever accelerating speed. Unfortunately though, people like me ever increasingly feel like voices in the wilderness, for, many won't identify this crisis because immorality suits them just fine. They are ridden with vice and want to wallow in it, and they know full well that cultivating virtue in oneself isn't easy. But if we want to be a great nation we will have to be virtuous; make no mistake about it: as the national character deteriorates everything else will follow suit. As Alexis de Tocqueville said in the 19th century, "America is great because America is good, and if she ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great."

Protected by Copyright



	The BLEEP! Monologues

by Selwyn Duke There was a time when the word "theater" evoked the image of Shakespearean plays peppered with words like "thou" and "knave." There was a time when the arts were the domain of giants like Michelangelo, Mozart and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Of course, that was a time when people had a sense of propriety and operated under the assumption that the arts should express beauty and Truth, and that time is no more. Those geniuses are now dismissed as "dead white males," the implication being that their works were born of a Eurocentric, patriarchal perspective and therefore aren't relevant to today's times. So, now we benefit from a very different perspective, one that has brought us such esteemed works as a religious icon immersed in a jar of urine and a pile of garbage masquerading as a sculpture. This new openness to "alternative" art forms certainly is more egalitarian than the old, stifling, dead white male standard that placed a premium on aptitude and ability. For sure, now second rate minds with third rate talent can free-associate and convert pure drivel into something vaguely resembling an art form, and you can be sure that pseudo-intellectual pinheads somewhere will praise them for their "creativity" and courage in challenging the "establishment." And, if these aspiring artists are lucky, they may even get some of our money from the National Endowment for the Arts [does the government fund YOUR hobbies, hmm?] for the purposes of financing their juvenile depravity. Of course, what's lost in all this is the fact that the establishment isn't being challenged, because it is now firmly in the hands of those who have made a career out of defining deviancy downwards in the name of progressiveness. One of the more recent in this line of works that would make the Marquis de Sade proud is a play by Eve Ensler called "The Vagina Monologues." What's it about? Well, the title is self-explanatory in this case, as it is, believe it or not, about women sitting around and talking about that most private of their parts. This must be a fringe work only to be found in Greenwich Village or Haight-Asbury you say? Think again; this classless exhibition is all the rage in the realm of contemporary American theater according to Marc Peyser, who wrote a piece about the play in the February 18th issue of Newsweek. He reports that it's being performed in six different venues across the nation; moreover, productions of it are appearing on an unbelievable 550 college campuses as well. Not surprisingly, given the fact that cultural poison has become one of our biggest exports, it's also being performed in 31 countries and has been translated into 26 languages. It's not a revelation though that people like Ensler, who are willing to prostitute themselves for fame exist. Having a few nuts in a population of 284 million is par for the course, so, this in and of itself isn't damning - it's not much of a social barometer. What does speak volumes about present day America however, is the fact that there are so many second degree nuts that these first degree nuts get exposure and a place at the table. And Marc Peyser's article exemplifies this problem. Mr. Peyser's piece is an excellent illustration of much of what ails us today. Firstly, he, like so many others, lends this trash credibility by treating it as if it's a serious work. Of course, he would no doubt counter by saying that's it's not his job to make value judgements, that his job is only to report on various developments in the entertainment world. This brings to light another problem in America today: phony non-judgementalism. Because, while there certainly is no condemnation to be found in the piece, it most certainly is replete with implied positive judgements. For instance, Mr. Peyser states that the college girls who have embraced the play are the "most liberated of all" by it, and the clear implication is that this is a good thing. So much for non-judgementalism. Now, this brings us to the issue of "liberation;" we tend to talk as if liberation is a virtue in and of itself. Many female college students have been so liberated by this play that they have created what they call "Vagina Clubs" at their schools. But how often do people stop and ask what they're being liberated from? When the Nazis first invaded the Soviet Union they were greeted as liberators, until that is, the Russian people realized they were jumping from the frying pan into the fire. So, what form of liberation is this? Are they being liberated from proper morality? From their innocence? From decency and purity of heart? Are they being liberated from God and delivered over to the Devil? Ironically, while the purveyors of these works claim they are a celebration of womanhood, in reality it is simply an example of women demeaning themselves. No philanderer, or pornographer, or any one of the rest of their ilk could do more to objectify women and diminish their dignity than these young women are, and the irony is that they do it in the name of women's liberation. Lastly, there is the fact that this is not an aberration at modern universities, but rather is emblematic of the philosophy that prevails at these institutions. Anything goes now: courses in gay and lesbian studies, pornography, art courses involving nude models, and all other manner and form of politically-correct, moral-compass distorting poison for the soul. Anything that is, except conservative ideas - they're what constitute sacrilege at these empty shells of institutions of higher learning. So, the bottom line is that you can pay $80,000 for your daughter to attend one of these schools, so she can partake of these magnificent opportunities and then kick back after hours in her Vagina Club and grow as a person. Unfortunately, many parents are blissfully unaware of what's really occurring at their kids' schools. What's even sadder though, is that many of those who are privy to these facts don't really care. Anyone who thinks that we're not experiencing a moral crisis either has his head in the sand or his hands on the throat of decency. The fact is, that we're spiraling downwards toward the very nadir of moral turpitude at an ever accelerating speed. Unfortunately though, people like me ever increasingly feel like voices in the wilderness, for, many won't identify this crisis because immorality suits them just fine. They are ridden with vice and want to wallow in it, and they know full well that cultivating virtue in oneself isn't easy. But if we want to be a great nation we will have to be virtuous; make no mistake about it: as the national character deteriorates everything else will follow suit. As Alexis de Tocqueville said in the 19th century, "America is great because America is good, and if she ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great."





		Protected by Copyright