I was really moved by a poetry performance reading I saw over at Eilleen's blog.
I was also intensely disgusted by this documentary over at Hungry Beast. Disgusted by the Australian censorship laws making girls feel abnormal, imperfect, unworthy. I'm saddened that its a subject so taboo that in reality there will doubtfully be enough protest about it to effect any changes for the better. Well pardon me, but fuck some stuffy organisation who thinks that the image of a real vagina is too obscene to be seen. What is obscene is surgically and digitally altering the very essence of a woman to conform to the concept of someone's idea of 'discreet genital detail'. They call it being 'healed to a single crease' its not being healed, its being disfigured, and it in turn is disfiguring our perception of ourselves.
Being interested in women’s rights, sociology and anthropology and all issues related, for some time now, I went on a little yoni journey on the internet and came across a number of stories, reports and documentaries - many positive, some not, but inline with the whole self image issue women and girls face, this docco really hit home about how silly our insecurities can be, and that with just a little communication and a sense of community amongst women, we can turn dogma, stigma and taboo subjects on their heads so that no woman or girl should ever feel abnormal or unworthy.
If we can not see the inherent beauty in ourselves and each other, if we can not talk openly about our bodies, and stand together in protest when images of our bodies are disfigured and averred as obscene, what chance do our daughters have?
So please, take the time to watch these documentaries, they're free to view for a reason, share them with your mothers, your grandmothers, your sisters, your daughters and friends. And get angry! You've got a reason to be. And once you're angry enough,
You can contact the OFLC at:
Office of Film and Literature Classification (Australia)
Levels 5 and 6
23-33 Mary Street
Surry Hills
Sydney NSW
Postal Address
Locked Bag 3
Haymarket NSW 1240
Telephone (02) 9289 7100
Facsimile (02) 9289 7101
e-mail oflcswitch@oflc.gov.au
Thank you! I am so looking forward to The Perfect Vagina. WIll watch it with hubby tonight- sure he will be thrilled. LOL. xo m.
ReplyDeleteI just had an experience today in the park with my daughter...
ReplyDeleteShe was at the playground and slipped a bit on the monkey bars. She fussed and said, "Mama, I hurt my "agina". As I was about to go over to her, another mother looked at me in shock and horror and said, "Oh no, you shouldn't let her say those things in public!"
I just looked at her completely dumbfounded and asked, "So, you'd rather me teach my daughter to lie and grow up to hate herself?" and I walked over to my daughter. They left the park.
It just had me swimming all day!
Will watch those docs, thanks for the links.
Hello me again! I had to come and visit THIS post!!! Healed to a single crease? What the friggidy-friggidy-frick???
ReplyDeleteI just watched it with my nine year old, and sent it to my sister, then posted it to facebook. Thank you...not sure if I'm angry or sad. I am a midwife and i have seen my fair share of vulvas in all their powerful womanly glory. The 'rituals' of modern society has much to answer for.
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