52. I think Penny is saying that you (nor I) don’t have a clue as to how to see things from her perspective. But let’s be clear. We men are the most dumb. We even elect our presidents based on that conviction. Dumb is good, by God. If he would have wanted us smart, he wouldn’t have made us so stupid.

…wait for it….

…I’m just sayin’.

Patti:

I don’t think it is so much talking as thinking that guys use their little commander for.

I’m just sayin’.

todd

The steak knives are on their way.

Keep da faith baby!

In the end, I think it is well within the rights for SDSU to allow this play to perform on their campus with no explicit or implicit endorsement by renting the facility at market rate, they could allow it with an endorsement at a discounted rate because they believe it furthers education and discussion on campus, or they could decide to not allow it because they deem it demeaning to women.

I agree that censorship is not good, especially on a college campus (I all hope we agree that it would be appropriate for the play to be “censored” from a Kindergarten class). If they proposed having a play that was demeaning to Native Americans, Blacks etc., everyone would be up in arms. And I still might say “let the play go on” in the interest of free speech or educational freedom. Or, I might determine that I think decency and goodwill call for not allowing it in a public facility. It depends on the circumstances discussed later.

#41, I assume that you are talking to me. My natural civil libertarian bias is such that I err on the side of opposing censorship and oppose absolutely a theocracy. I generally agree with your points. However, when some speech receives public subsidy or endorsement, a new standard is created which places a burden on the institution to not be selective. Subsidizing demeaning speech about women requires them to subsidize demeaning speech about Native Americans. Thus, I just hope that SDSU is providing a subsidy or endorsement (if they are) at a level they would also be willing to support other controversial speech.

If my college sophomore daughter chose to go to this, I trust her to discern the merits and demerits of the play. To me the bigger question relates to whether it is appropiate for a group whose purpose is to prevent violence against women should accept money from a source which some women believe contributes to a marginalization of women. But this up to the prudential judgment of the group to decide.

My point is that this issue has complexity of subsidy/endorsement that doesn’t lend itself to a kneejerk response (ban or allow discussion of controversial topics). If SDSU is treating this the same as they would other controversial speech, I personally have no problem. Fairness will require them to be just as tolerant of controversial speech which demeans Blacks, Native Americans, Muslims, or Catholics.

We also have to consider that not all controversial speech is appropriate at all times and places. Today, a play about Native Americans that is controversial might be ok at SDSU. But at the time of Wounded Knee situation a few decades ago, it could be inappropriate. As good a book as “Huck Finn” is and appropriate for teaching American Lit, I don’t think I’d want to be the American Lit teacher in Jena, LA right now.

Quite possibly this is the dumbest thing I have ever read anyone write ever.

What’s worse is that I think they called it the ‘Pussy Monologues’ for a while, until people started seeing the absurdity of it.

Todd’

‘Scrotum Mumblings’ Hah! Guys do often let their dick do the talking.

I can just smell a bill this year from Nanny Tad.

Censorship sucks.

If you don’t like it don’t watch. You are all adults so is every student at SDSU. If they don’t want to go, the won’t and no one will give a shit. If you don’t want to go, don’t.

And if YOU don’t like what’s on YOUR tv turn YOUR channel. If YOU don’t like what’s in or on the magazine/newspaper/dvd player/satellite radio/et cetera that YOU subscribed/paid/choose to view/read/write cancel YOUR subscription. Get a V chip so your kids don’t go behind your back.

It’s America baby and reasonable people can say, do, feel, think and watch what we want. Deal with it. It is that simple.

This isn’t a theocracy for folks to impose their views on the rest of us, because your view isn’t the same as mine. That’s what the Founding Fathers would have said.

It seems that some students might be made into a captive audience if a nutty professor required a paper written about the production or face an unfavorable letter grade. This could be one way to squeeze change out of a declining market.

Troy Jones, our conservative bodhisattva. Seriously.

As much as I would like positive attributes like polite, discrete and prudent to be exclusively associated with conservatives, they are traits good people hold regardless of their political ideology.

Remember the seven virtues to be held by gentlemen and ladies and seven corporal works of mercy to focus our daily acts?

Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude,
Justice, Prudence, and Temperance.

Feed the hungry, Give drink to the thirsty, Give shelter to strangers, Clothe the naked, Visit the sick, Minister to prisoners, and Bury the dead.

Plus, there is, for me at least, a sanctity to the act of love that I think gets profaned in today’s commercial world.

Hey, maybe I am conservative about something, huh?

Who knew?

While I have not seen it, I’ve read a non-biased summary of the play and excerpts. What I wonder is if it is conducive to building self-esteem in women or respect for women in men. A play which separates a body part of a woman and essentially gives it “personhood” on the surface appears to me to demean women just as much to references that men think with their complementary part.

In my mind, using this play to raise money to prevent violence against women would be like the American Lung Association being sponsored by Marlboro.

As a father of three daughters, I am most appreciative of the societal gains of women. But I applaud only the good gains. Women becoming crass like men is not one of them.

Finally, not everything that occurs on a campus is an endorsement. In the name of educational freedom and intellectual discourse, it is good that they err on the side of allowing even offensive matters being presented. But I do wonder if a play which demeaned blacks would be welcomed? Would the local Black Student group except the proceeds?

However, the principle is not without limits. Cornell allowing that little twerp from Iran was good. The raucous conduct of the nut cases at speeches/talks of invited guests (ala the Minutemen or David Horowitz) is over the top. I don’t care if it is a conservative or liberal or even someone on the fringe. Guests should always be treated with respect.

By the way, Bill the references by “Nobody” is just someone giving himself/herself a 3rd person nickname. Feel free to refer to yourself as “Somebody”. We’ll know who you mean.

I’d love to hear your opinion on that crazy new “Oops…I Did It Again?” song. I think that Britney is really going places!

Brilliant post, It is so refreshing to here from people who are not held captive by our pop culture, and yet are somehow able to identify fictional creatures there in.

Jabba Rocks and you don’t

Um, Jabba the Hutt from the Star Wars movie!? And either SoDakMac or Dakota Patriot morphed Jabba the Hutt into Jabba the Klaudt?

If this doesn’t help, then you’re on your own to make sense of it.

It’s supposed to be funny.

Indeed, Jabba the Klaudt, indeed. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Todd

And that’s funny Patti – I was going to refer to it as the “VJJ Chronicles” but I figured that we’re all grown up, and I’d use the real title.

What’s worse is that I spent some time and analysis on the previous post, and this is the one getting all the attention.

What gets people all riled up is the title, which, I assume, is designed to catch people’s attention and raise ticket sales. Would PP be posting on this if it were called “The Lifetime Channel’s Salute to Women: Stories from Women that You
Should Hear”???

But the central messages of the production are so important that I would recommend it to anyone over the age of 18.

So before anybody else comes up with some theory about whether this is a good or bad thing, go watch it first.

Is former Republican Rep. Ted Klaudt directing the play? Seems like he has some first hand experience.

Todd

On the other front, I’m just teasing you because I have the same initial reaction to frank, open discussions about sex myself, good Catholic boy that I am (or at least was raised.) i.e. Any discussion of sex at first renders me immediately and hopelessly stupid even at my now advanced age.

So, is that TMI, or what?

And are you saying that the play isn’t controversial?

Yep. Nope.