Saturday 18 February 2012

You can't say ''vagina'' on Cairns radio; 'Monologues'' show this weekend

In an effort to promote The Vagina Monologues show in Cairns this weekend, almost every local commercial radio station refused to say the word 'vagina' as it might upset children - besides ABC Far North.


This weekend - both Saturday and Sunday evenings - The Vagina Monologues comes to Cairns. It will be presented by local community members with proceeds going to Ruths Women's Shelter. Renowned Brisbane-based Burlesque group Scoundrelles Sorority, will also treat the audience to a few numbers.

"When we asked local radio stations to put the word out on their community notices, we were respectfully informed that the commercial radio stations in our region could not promote our fundraiser because they couldn't say the word 'vagina' on the radio," Fiona Henderson told CairnsBlog.

''This was even in the context of a play title, because 'small children might be listening', we were told. I'm not sure if you can say nose, ear, elbow or, heaven forbid, neck?''

However, morning 'radio jocks were heard this week spouting "sucks balls" repeatedly throughout a morning show that they deemed appropriate.

''It's not a dirty word, it's a term which refers to part of the human anatomy of half the population,'' Fiona Henderson says.

''We are going to say the word over and over, loudly and proudly. We will celebrate vaginas, we will honour vaginas, laugh about vaginas and maybe even cry about vaginas. But we will not be ashamed of our welcoming, unique, adaptive, strong, and resilient vaginas."

Maybe Cairns' radio stations could have said "sheath" or "scabbard", which is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials?

Local radio bosses might want to avail themselves of the infamous Monty Python song, I bet they won't play this song on the radio.

This weekend Red Pavilion, a community theatre group that promotes women's issues, will present The Vagina Monologues at JCU's Boathouse. Monologues is being presented to coincide with global Vday activities, that seek an end to violence against woman and girls.

Yesterday Cairns Regional Councillor Diane Forsyth addressed the first-ever Cairns Slut Walk, a movement that protests against explaining or excusing rape by referring to any aspect of a woman's appearance.

For 35 years the non-profit Ruth's Women's Shelter has been supporting women and children to escape domestic and family violence in the Cairns Region.
  • WHEN Saturday and Sunday, doors open at 6.30 pm, Show 7.30 pm
    WHERE The Boathouse, James Cook University, Smithfield
    COST A bank note
    EXTRAS Raffles and door prizes
    BAR OPEN proceeds to JCU Student Union

1 comment:

:Kevin-John: Morgan. said...

You go for it girls!
Don't these stupid egotistical radio people realise that the vagina is where children enter the world?
From my experience in radioland, I found most of these so-called "jocks" to be closet rapists covering their tracks.
I remember the day my 7 year-old daughter shocked the Cairns North State school, by answering the question, "Where do babies come from?", with "Down there out of mummy's tummy".
Christ Almighty, it was like the Spanish Inquisition had arrived in Cairns.
My girls grew up with their Dad and learned the Truth about many things very early in life.
Would it not be good for children to be taught these things instead of having to learn later in life, with an unwanted pregnancy as their teacher?
How can the word vagina, be any more confronting on radio than Gay & Lesbian rights, or the wars around the globe?
In case the children hear?
What utter rubbish, just like the radio jocks themselves, utter rubbish!