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Ve Don't Say V----- Here!

Started by Recusant, April 27, 2016, 07:04:26 PM

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Recusant

The "won't somebody please think of the children?" prudery is strong in Michigan.

"Saying 'vagina' got me fired, Battle Creek middle school teacher says" | Detroit Free Press

QuoteVagina. It's a noun describing female anatomy that caused such outrage in the Michigan Legislature in 2012 that a legislator was blocked from speaking after using it.

Now, a substitute teacher says using it got her fired from a Battle Creek middle school after she said it in an art history lecture.

Allison Wint, who had been teaching art at Harper Creek Middle School since January, says she was speaking about a broader topic of controversy in art when she held up reproductions of paintings by Georgia O'Keefe, some of which have been seen as erotic.

At some point, Wint remembers saying: "Imagine walking into a gallery when [O'Keefe] was first showing her pieces, and thinking, 'Am I actually seeing vaginas here, am I a pervert? I'm either a pervert or this woman was a pervert.' "

She was hoping to have a thoughtful dialogue with a class of about two dozen eighth-graders on Thursday – but school officials have said her lesson ran afoul of policies.

[Continues . . .]

Or maybe it's something in the water in Battle Creek. It was the home of John Harvey Kellogg, who invented corn flakes as a way of helping in the prevention of masturbation.
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Tom62

It serves her right. She should have used the word cunt instead ;).
The universe never did make sense; I suspect it was built on government contract.
Robert A. Heinlein

Pasta Chick

Huh. Maybe that's why my senior sociology teacher was afraid to talk about anything remotely pertaining to sex.

Which made for a fucking boring sociology class.

Biggus Dickus

This happened in my home state, and the story has been in the news quite a bit today...was the prime discussion on the radio show this morning on my way into work...now the school district is coming out saying, "Teacher's firing wasn't for saying "vagina"...

Which is of course bullshit...what is equally or even more disturbing is the number of folks, both online and on the radio who didn't really disagree with the firing, or made shitty misogynist or homophobic comments about the teacher, or who immediately politicized the story, like this fuck wad.

Commentator Charles Brown
Note the speed at which the vaginal/politician Lisa Brown jumped on the story, with the ever-compliant Free Press quickly joining in, and with a re-broadcasting of Ms. Brown's Tweet. This isn't news. This is social media for Michigan Democrats.
"Some people just need a high-five. In the face. With a chair."

Firebird

So would this happen in any other western country besides ours? Seriously, can you Brits or Norwegians or Brazilians or whatever see this happening where you are? Or am I right in thinking this happened because we're still uptight prudes when it comes to sex and naked bodies?
"Great, replace one book about an abusive, needy asshole with another." - Will (moderator) on replacing hotel Bibles with "Fifty Shades of Grey"

Claireliontamer

I'm teaching my Year 7s the reproduction topic in biology at the moment, so they're age 11-12. The first lesson with them I actually get them to think of as many words as they know for the various parts as possible to get them all out of their system so for 5-mins I actually let them say anything they wanted including c*nt if they came up with it.  Then we have a rule from then on the only words allowed are scientific names like penis, scrotum and vagina.  They get tested on the reproductive system alongside all the other systems of the body so it's treated in the same way, as a part of the body which it is!

Sandra Craft

Maybe she was reported by a stickler for accuracy?  I can remember a lot of O'Keefe paintings that resembled vulvas, but none that looked like vaginas.
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

No one


Sandra Craft

Quote from: No one on April 28, 2016, 01:16:23 AM
Sausage wallet, is a good one.

Too limiting!  The vag can do so much more than that. 

(and it's still not what O'Keefe was depicting)
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Magdalena

Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on April 27, 2016, 11:00:30 PM
Maybe she was reported by a stickler for accuracy?  I can remember a lot of O'Keefe paintings that resembled vulvas, but none that looked like vaginas.
I agree with you. Her paintings resemble vulvas, and not vaginas. Well, they resemble the labia majora and labia minora, clitoris, clitoral hood, and the external openings of the urethra and vagina.

I'm sorry if I just made someone faint with all those words.  :eyeroll:

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Magdalena

When I saw the title, I thought this was about not saying the V word, "Vegan."  :P

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Sandra Craft

Quote from: Magdalena on April 28, 2016, 02:51:43 AM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on April 27, 2016, 11:00:30 PM
Maybe she was reported by a stickler for accuracy?  I can remember a lot of O'Keefe paintings that resembled vulvas, but none that looked like vaginas.
I agree with you. Her paintings resemble vulvas, and not vaginas. Well, they resemble the labia majora and labia minora, clitoris, clitoral hood, and the external openings of the urethra and vagina.

I'm sorry if I just made someone faint with all those words.  :eyeroll:

Nah, you're not in a public schoolroom where they're fine with demolishing the separation of church and state but can't handle mention of human anatomy.
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Guardian85

Quote from: Firebird on April 27, 2016, 10:06:31 PM
So would this happen in any other western country besides ours? Seriously, can you Brits or Norwegians or Brazilians or whatever see this happening where you are? Or am I right in thinking this happened because we're still uptight prudes when it comes to sex and naked bodies?
I would be very surprised if that happened here in Norway.


"If scientist means 'not the dumbest motherfucker in the room,' I guess I'm a scientist, then."
-Unknown Smartass-

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Firebird on April 27, 2016, 10:06:31 PM
So would this happen in any other western country besides ours? Seriously, can you Brits or Norwegians or Brazilians or whatever see this happening where you are? Or am I right in thinking this happened because we're still uptight prudes when it comes to sex and naked bodies?

I think there maybe isolated pockets of prudeness here and there especially where the ultra religious are, but in general, no, I don't think so.

I'm not aware of any cases that got media attention.
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Pasta Chick

What really gets me is the irony of hand-wringing over "won't somebody please think of the children!" When we know for a fact that teaching children cutesy names for gentalia and avoiding the subject as if it's bad and shameful makes them easier victims for sexual preditors.