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Live from Studio 1A: Vagina-palooza

Posted: Friday, March 09, 2007 7:55 AM by Elizabeth Neumann
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This morning we tackled a recent controversy out of John Jay High School in Cross River, New York.  Three girls performed a poem from Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues" at an open mic night and got suspended for saying the word vagina at a school function open to the public.  The girls and their parents confronted the decision-makers and the story has quickly picked up national buzz.

While the segment you saw at home was five guests at the sofa area speaking with Meredith Vieira, the controversial nature of the segment created a virtual circus of activity behind-the-scenes.  Let's start with our staff yesterday afternoon: two of our talented associate producers were assigned to the story.  Nick Palladino tackled a tape spot setting up the story and Ryan Osborn was put in charge of the live interview.  Before they signed on we had two of our bookers working on getting the guests for the show.  It was exciting to realize we had all of the key players available to come on live at one time - the girls, president of the board of education Peter Breslin and Eve Ensler. WATCH VIDEO

This morning I was in the greenroom when the girls arrived.  Breathless, brushing off the cold and giggling, the girls shook our hands as their parents stood to the side, smiling and taking pictures.  Ryan met them and told them how the segment would run.  All of a sudden we hear squeals and cheers and I look up to see Eve Ensler walking in and hugging the three young women as if greeting old friends.  They are all immediately sharing stories and talking over each other as they head into hair and makeup chairs. 

Along with the girls, their parents, our hair, makeup and wardrobe staff and producers for all of the above segments, there are also two different camera crews in the greenroom following the girls as they get ready.  One is a crew led by our online web correspondent Lynn Berry who will interview the girls after their segment airs (WATCH VIDEO).  The other is an independent film crew shooting a documentary on censorship.  The censorship crew gets sound bytes from the girls' parents as Lynn's crew takes shots of the girls getting their hair and makeup done.  Our normally spacious greenroom is filling up quickly - the band Augustana has just arrived as well for a live performance later in the show!

During the segment I watched from the control room; the logistics of having five live guests creates more activity there as well: our director Joe Michaels is rapidly switching camera shots to show a close-up on the three girls, a shot of Breslin, a shot of Eve Ensler, a close-up on Meredith and a wide group shot.  Joe has to support the story in pictures, and that includes people's reactions along with seeing the person who is speaking. 

The segment goes smoothly, Breslin voices support for the girls and all of the guests have a chance to speak their part.  No one is rushed for time, and the control room keeps a running "vagina" tally throughout the segment.  Props to Nick and Ryan for getting us going with lots of vagina-talk early on a Friday morning!

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Comments

Some things are meant to remain private, and I believe vagina is one of them. I also believe that the girls do deserve punishment from the school for directly disobeying the principal. Save the 'Vagina Monologues' for a time when they are advertised as such and people can make a choice whether to attend or not.

Lisa, Mapleton MN (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 9:34 AM)

I emailed this to the Today Show, too, but I thought that I would leave a comment here also. I just have to say that I totally respect those girls and I am sure there are other mothers and fathers out there who feel the same as I do. Like Eve said, "elbow, hand, vagina". To punish these girls because they said the word vagina (especially when someone else wasn't punished for saying the F-word) is devaluing to women and girls everywhere. The vagina brings forth life. Why is that too "dirty" to say out loud in front of a crowd? It tells us women that our reproductive organ is dirty and shameful. I think they did the right thing. You go girls.

Shelli Miller, Andover, Minnesota (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 9:38 AM)

The problem is not that parents don't want small children to "know" their body parts, the problem is small children don't have a brain-to-mouth censor that knows when it's appropriate to use a certain word or phrase. Small children don't know that it's inappropriate to tell a stranger "You have a vagina." It's not just about the word "vagina," it's about the whole piece the girls were quoting. The principal did the right thing. This is not really a censorship issue, it's an authority issue. And, by the way, NO! Parents of small children do NOT use the word vagina around the house for the reasons stated above.

Kristin Robinson, Tyler, Texas (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 9:41 AM)

You go girls!  If three boys had wanted to say the word penis in the show, would they have been allowed to?  Vagina is the name for a body part and should not be banned from free speech.  Our society is too puritanical and that is not doing our young people any favors.  Kudos also to the school board president who also appeared.  I hope that they can come to a resolution to this issue that does not involve punishing young people who are trying to express themselves freely.

Josa, Streator, IL (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 9:47 AM)

How by all that is holy do we teach young people to be proud of their bodies if they cannot use the proper names for their body parts. We in the USA have such a "poo-poo-tinkle syndrome" that it is considered "dirty" when the proper name is used when are we ever going to GROW UP !

Henry S. Bromley,III ; Ardmore Pennsylvania (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 9:50 AM)

I have 2 daughters ages 10 and 7, they have been taught the correct terms for their body parts, including vagina, we have never called it anything else but what it is. Our 14 year old son has also been taught the correct terms for his body parts as well. Still, most people I know do not say vagina, they call it something else. Educating people is important, but we need to get it together when it comes to parts of the body. It's okay to say vagina. That is what it is.

Dionna Morris, Wentworth, Missouri (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 9:53 AM)

I found it interesting that the President of the Board didn't outright support the principal in the interview today. As a high school English teacher, I understand both sides of the issue; however, I think the School Board is "throwing the principal under the bus" if they don't support the decision that has been made. On the other hand, I think the principal was wrong in his decision, but because he asked the girls not to go ahead with their plan and the girls did, they should be given some sort of punishment for being insubordinate. I don't think a suspension is appropriate.

Julie, Cincinnati, OH (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 9:57 AM)

I am a big believer in teaching children anatomically correct names for their body parts. I a mother of 5 children – 4 of which are girls, complete with vaginas. I taught them to call their genitals penises and vaginas. That being said, I will add that my children don’t speak publicly about their genitals – mainly because there is really not a good reason to do so. They also don’t talk about their elbows, spleens or forearms – again because these body parts rarely come up in a natural conversation. I am not quite sure what Eve Ensler was trying to do with her “The Vagina Monologues,” though I resent that she alludes that anyone not wanting to talk about vaginas in public is less enlightened than her. I will gladly talk about vaginas when I encounter a conversation in which the subject comes up, but to speak about them simply for the sake of speaking about them seems rather silly actually. And why do people like Eve Ensler have the power to say it’s wrong for people to want to keep these things private? There is nothing wrong with using discretion. As far as the girls and the open mic night, I think it’s yet another step in the direction of making sure nothing is left private of human sexuality. And yes, I do believe talking about vaginas is related to sexuality – it is the female sex organ after all. I do talk openly with my children about sex, but I try to impress on them that it is something sacred between partners, not something to be taken casually. Talking about these topics in public cheapens sex and takes a loving act that is special between two people and makes it merely about physical pleasure available to anyone at anytime.

Lori Twohig, Sioux City, Iowa (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 10:08 AM)

Bravo Eve, and Bravo John Jay High school students for standing up against this kind of crazy censorship. Bravo Today Show for making it a newsworthy subject. Eve Ensler has done so much to awaken the world's consciousness over violence towards women- starting with the brilliant Vagina Monologues and continuing with her V-Day organization to end violence towards women. Trying to silence 3 girls for talking about their bodies is an injustice. Thank you for bringing them on the show! Eve Ensler is a major force, a tireless leader and a hero for us all.

Cathy Grier, New York, NY (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 10:11 AM)

Hi. My name is Mike Harris. I live in South Salem NY which is the next town over from Cross River. I am a 9th grader at John Jay High School. I think this whole thing is crazy. I just don't know what to say about it. And I don't want to anything wrong. But I want to congratulate The Today Show crew for covering this story. They covered all sides of the story and gave all the opinions and didn't miss a thing. I can't wait to see how this story unwinds...

Mike Harris, South Salem, New York (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 10:28 AM)

I am intrigued by issue of the implied agreement of the girls informing the principle they would perform. The segment made it sound like they determined on an option C but did not inform the principle that there was such an option. That situations sounds to me misleading. It appears the principle was attempting to work with the students to do what the principle believed was best for the school. Regardless of those efforts the girls did what they wanted. It seems that society, or a portion, feels that the students should do what they want regardless of what the school feels should be done. At the same time, we as a society pass legislation that requires the school to make the students do certain things regardless of the wants of the students. It seems to me there is a disconnect here.

McKay Hall, Hurricane, Utah (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 10:32 AM)

The girls were not given an "Option C" from their school principal. They made their own "Option C", did not notify the principal and went ahead with their plans. This is not the way to negotiate, get what you want, or even come to a comprimise. This is insubordination. They must receive some sort of consequence for disobeying their principal. This is truly not an issue of wanting to say the word "vagina", but an issue of defiance.

Laura, Chicago, IL (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 10:42 AM)

I applaud these girls and think they did the right thing. Well, okay I think they should have been upfront with the administration and told them what they planned to do before the show BUT I also think that the administration needed to be more open minded about it, which was obviously not the case. In my opinion the girls had every right to read what they chose but sadly they met up with an unmoving administration. I am the mother of 5 (soon to be 6) children. All of my children, from my teenage son down to my 4 y/o son (including my daughters in the middle) know the word vagina and what it is, what it means. We taught them the proper name for things, just like we taught them all penis and not "pee pee" or anything else ridiculous like that. They learned hand, eye, nose, penis, vagina, finger, toe, elbow, etc.. Why in the world would I not teach them the proper name for things?

Patti, New Milford, CT (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 11:51 AM)

I agree that being punished for using an anatomically correct word is ridiculous. However, I am familiar with The Vagina Monologues and I do agree that the school had a right, if they felt the poem was too explicit, to pull the plug. Let me ask you this: if three boys did a poem about talking about their penises, do you think that would have flown? Just because something is taken from a successful play doesn't mean it's appropriate for a high school sanctioned event.

C. L. L. Western New York (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 12:20 PM)

My husband and I both decided when our son was born that we would teach our children the correct names for all body parts.  We have a boy and a girl and we feel strongly that they both should not be ashamed of their bodies.  However, that is our choice as a parent to teach them these words.  I agree with the principles decision that the girls should not say the word “vagina” in a community forum.  If someone chooses to go see The Vagina Monologues they know what they are getting into.  That is fine if these three girls want to talk about their bodies and I applaud them for their confidence about who they are, but I feel it shows a lack of respect for authority in that they disregarded the principal's words.  I think the point here is insubordination and not “women power”.  There are other ways of getting our point across ladies rather then teaching teenage girls total disregard for authority.  

Julie Thorn, Highlands Ranch, CO (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 12:22 PM)

last weekend i had the amazing opportunity to perform in the V-Day benefit of "The Vagina Monologues" in the small town of Skippack , Pa, and the responses were overwhelming! These young women had every right to perform that piece AS WRITTEN by Eve Ensler and furthermore, the slang words used in our culture only serve to undermine women in our society...i hope these girls continue to stand up for their rights as strong, empowered women!!

Patrina Harding, Phoenixville, Pa (Sent Friday, March 09, 2007 2:24 PM)



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