Oh, for fuck's sake

[yendi]

Dear morons at the John Jay High School in Cross River, New York:

Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Penis, Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Clitoris, Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Vagina, Breast.

Bonus points to asshole Principal Richard Leprine, who is trying to wiggle out of any arguments that he's a moronic prude who wants to prevent kids from saying words that offend his Seymour Skinner-esque ears by arguing that he's not punishing them for saying "vagina," but for disobeying his order to not say "vagina."

And for the record, even if elementary students were in the audience, my daughter has known the word "vagina" since before she was in first grade. That's because it's a body part, not a curse word.

Comments

[crystalsage.livejournal.com]

That's because it's a body part, not a curse word.

I can see if they were trying to use the less acceptable forms, like Cunt or Pussy, but come on. VAGINA! Its a scientific body part name. Somebody's got some serious issues.

[yendi]

*nod* That's what irks me so much.

[brak55.livejournal.com]

I hope he suspends himself the next time he introduces himself as Dick Leprine.

[yendi]

Or Penis Leprine.

[nihilistic-kid.livejournal.com]

Surely, coochie-snorcher was still allowed!

[yendi]

The principal's late mother is named Coochie-snorcher, so he'll also suspend students who disrespect her good name.

[rwarner.livejournal.com]

To quote Kindergarten Cop:

"Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina."

*sigh* When is this puritan PC crap going to end?

[dustyskinandall.livejournal.com]

I saw the girls interviewed on a NY news station last night and all three of them seemed like really well-rounded, cool kids. One of them even said "Yeah, we got suspended, but it was worth it because now people all over the country are talking about this issue."

[crwilley.livejournal.com]

The deal seems to be that they don't want 5-year-olds to ask "What's a vagina"? I would like to propose that if you're not prepared to answer that question for your five-year-old, maybe you shouldn't have one.

If you need a hint, your five-year-old will probably grok "That's the name of a girl's private parts." Under most circumstances, that will end the conversation, as your five-year-old will smile, say "Okay", and go about their business.

[yendi]

Exactly!

[tru2myart.livejournal.com]

*sigh* The day we tossed the word "hoo-hoo" the world went insane.

[yendi]

Just wait until they ban "hoo-hoo."

Theatre and Principals don't seem to mix...

[bluedressdevil.livejournal.com]

In my experience as a theatre freak in HS. Principals (we had two separate ones while I was in HS) did not like when the theater department did anything that was not total straight laced well known stuff such as Oklahoma (not to be confused with Oklahomo! (http://www.calendarlive.com/stage/232696,0,6560573.event))

My friends and I put on a show that was similar in theme to Vagina Monologues but not even half as provocative in nature (not that VM is that provocative, ours was just that tame), and the hoops the prinipal made us jump through were ridiculous. You would have thought we were trying to put on a burlesque at lunch hour.

There is something about theater (and art in general) that makes people in power itchy and uncomfortable. And they try to stamp it out whenever possible.

Re: Theatre and Principals don't seem to mix...

[kennycelican.livejournal.com]

Dude, I remember high school. A burlesque at lunch hour would have rocked.

Sorry, sorry, way too intoxicated to be posting right now, but also too drunk to prevent myself.

Re: Theatre and Principals don't seem to mix...

[bluedressdevil.livejournal.com]

Well, now that I think about it the play *did* have a small scene with poll dancing...no clothes were removed of course!

Drunk posting, second only to drunk dialing!

Re: Theatre and Principals don't seem to mix...

[kennycelican.livejournal.com]

With the difference that drunk posting is unlikely to wake anyone up out at 2 AM...

Re: Theatre and Principals don't seem to mix...

[jerel.livejournal.com]

I'm the co-sponsor of a high school Thespian troupe ("we do it on stage for money>") We're somewhat lucky. The only word our principal will not let us do is say "fuck" on stage. We've fired guns, we've had fake blood, we've had nudity (nude body suits), but we don't say "fuck."

At Thespian competition, students are required to announce if their piece contains sex, drugs, religion, death, and adult language, so anyone who might be offended can leave. So an announcement could have been made that the next piece contained references to body parts and that anyone who wanted to take their children out to the lobby could do so. If you stayed and were offended, tough shit.

Re: Theatre and Principals don't seem to mix...

[bluedressdevil.livejournal.com]

I know that had to be the case some places because when we would go to thespian conferences, but I saw a lot more stiffling of it too. It always seems the more amazing and provcative stuff was done by alternative schools (like HS that was geared toward theater or the arts).

I could probably rant on and on about the arts and public HS's but I don't want to clutter up yendi's comments with my rantings.

I totally agree with you, if you are warned and stay, that is your problem. Sadly, it wasn't seen that way. And awesome for you to be a co-sponser to a thespian troupe.

[suzieboz.livejournal.com]

I think that the guy has a slight problem with the word vagina as he has never gotten near one..........

What an asshole. Doesn't this country have better things to worry about or do?

[kennycelican.livejournal.com]

Vagina?

Someone is seriously trying to curtail use of the clinically correct term for a portion of the human anatomy?

Now, I'll curtail my initial intoxicated rantlike response, but goddamn that's seriously fuckin' stupid. Even in the military you can't actually be legally punished for disobeying an illegal order.

Ok, that one may not be illegal. But it's patently stupid.

In short, *agree*

[shellefly.livejournal.com]

Fang knows his body parts.
And my body parts.
As every four year old should.

Ridiculous!

[ogre42.livejournal.com]

yeah, I read about this the other day. What the hell is wrong with people these days? High schoolers can't say vagina? I think that the entire school should stand up and as one say vagina to him, and maybe penis, labia, cervix, clitoris and testicle. Or maybe just sphincter. That would get his ire up. Would he then punish the entire school? That I would love to see.

[yendi]

Sadly, he probably would try.

[jenphalian.livejournal.com]

On one hand, the principal is clearly an asshat. On the other hand, I remember being a smart, bored high schooler with smart, bored friends. We pulled any number of stunts which our parents or other onlookers thought were for a cause or to make a point, but were really more about having too much time on our hands. We enjoyed making our elders look like asses.

[yendi]

We enjoyed making our elders look like asses.

Well, of course. That's what teenagers do. :-) That said, this is one of those cases where, even if they were fucking around, I don't buy the punishment.

[jerel.livejournal.com]

I don't think they should be punished, but if they have to be, one day of ISS is inappropriate. Our students don't get ISS until they've had 4 referrals, or for cheating, defacing property--anything that doesn't harm another student. This sounds like a case of defiance; according to our school's manual, the consequences for that are parent notification and administrative detention (1 hour after school Wednesday).