Jennrich: Addressing the Gender Divide
By Jessica Jennrich, Guest Columnist
Published on Friday, February 17, 2012
This article is the answer to the annual question directed at the efforts of V-Week: Why is there no P-Week?
First, a clarification: The “V” in V-Week actually stands for “Victory Over Violence,” not “vagina” as many people believe. That said, because the culmination of V-Week here at Dartmouth is the performance of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues,” the conflation is understandable.
So why are there no comparable monologues devoted to men’s sexual experiences? The simple answer is that there has never been a large group of Dartmouth men interested in creating a performance devoted to understanding men’s sexuality in a similar way to “The Vagina Monologues.”
Nothing would excite me more than for the students on this campus to work with the Center for Women and Gender to create a similar performance piece and week of diverse events related to understanding the complexity of masculinity and men’s sexuality.
However, at the same time, nothing would disappoint me more than seeing both men and women deviate from the message of empowerment, personal narrative, sexual positivity and a demand for the end of violence that is so integral to the original “Monologues” by creating a performance that demeans these efforts and refuses to address the privileges, problems and complications of male sexuality. Unfortunately, that is what the few “Penis Monologues” I have encountered do — they react negatively to “The Vagina Monologues” and work to induce ridicule instead of revolution.
If there were a genuine effort to create a week of events and a performance driven by the students at Dartmouth that would address these issues of masculinity and men’s sexuality, the CWG would be more than happy to help. It may not be known to the entire Dartmouth community, but the CWG also runs the Men’s Project, which takes part in a white ribbon campaign each fall and also hosts a men’s sexual health panel.
The Project, however, has struggled to find men willing to participate in these events, to suggest ideas for future efforts or even to attend those events that we do plan. So perhaps rather than insisting we create a P-Week to duplicate the efforts of V-Week, we should instead consider integrating the efforts of men into the work of the V-Week campaign in more intentional ways.
To that end, let me invite you to attend some of the diverse, innovative, funny, thought-provoking and empowering events that are part of V-Week. These events are designed by our students and staff, who work tirelessly to ensure that there is an event for every interest level. Whether you want to push your own limits, discuss the controversial aspects of a performance or just have some fun, there is an event for you during V-Week.
These events allow room for participation from all members of the Dartmouth community and create intersections between our various social identities. They are far from being just about women, but instead work to embolden our students, faculty and staff to claim a space where discussion of violence against women, women’s sexuality and the history of the female experience is okay to talk about in a world that often works to keep these issues silent. These events even include a V-Men event, “Sex, Drugs, Responsibility and Masculinity at Dartmouth and Beyond.”
So I hope to see many of you attending at least one V-Week event, and when I’m asked, yet again, whether there will ever be a P-Week, I will look to you, the Dartmouth community, to give me an answer.
Jessica Jennrich is the director of the Center for Women and Gender.
Every week is P week. The College is dominated by male-social social spaces. Hell, society in general is still a man’s world, with the pay and promotion gaps still there.
By Anon on Feb 17 | 9:08 am
Yes, “Anon” you are right. Every week IS p-week. Men need to stop competing with women to be recognized as victim and come to terms with the privilege they enjoy and how those privileges hurt others. I think the campus would benefit from a discussion of masculinity—because being a male certainly comes with its own pressures. But, at the same time any examination of masculinity must acknowledge the power, privilege and problems that come with it. Men need to stop whining and stop their “reverse discrimination” nonsense. There is no such think as “reverse discrimination” whether we’re talking about race, class, or gender. The fact is certain constructs (whiteness, affluence, and masculinity respectively) afford power to the people who are categorized within those constructs. Any resistance, criticism, or backlash against these structures cannot be accurately defined as discrimination because these protests do not come from a position of power.
Complaints about the absence of recognition for men overlooks the default privilege and recognition men receive just by the nature of our society. That privilege and recognition is certainly not all good for men, but it means that men should take more responsibility instead of just complaining about the marginal, occasional recognition that women receive.
By Dartmouth Male on Feb 17 | 12:38 pm
You’d be surprised, but there are actually some guys out there who agree with this article. Good column, Jessica! Long live V-week! Keep the conversation going!
By Feminist Bro on Feb 17 | 12:40 pm
The P-Week question was a joke, which leftists don’t get, they think as victims so when someone makes a joke about it, in their victimological minds they think it’s an actual request. This shows just how out of touch the administration is with the students. As far as Dartmouth dominated by male social social spaces, is anyone forcing anyone to go to male dominated social spaces? Students must like it better at the male dominated spaces, including the women…so whose fault is that?
By Anonanon on Feb 17 | 3:09 pm
“The Project, however, has struggled to find men willing to participate in these events, to suggest ideas for future efforts or even to attend those events that we do plan.”
This is the answer to your question. There is no P-week because no one cares enough, because men recognize that nothing constructive would come of a so-called “P-week.” We have better things to do with our time than discuss non-issues. That said, if V-Day makes women happy, go for it.
By Anonymous on Feb 18 | 4:04 pm