Thursday, February 08, 2007

Hoohaaaaa!

No vaginas please, we're Floridian:

A theatre in Florida has had to change the title of a charity production of The Vagina Monologues on its marquee, after a woman complained that it was offensive.

The new name? They've decided on 'The Hoohaa Monologues'.

Atlantic Theatres in Atlantic Beach, Florida, received a complaint from a woman who'd seen the advertised title as she drove past with her niece. She said that it had made her niece ask her what a vagina was.

The theatre's Bryce Pfanenstiel commented: 'I'm on the phone and asked “What did you tell her?” She's like, “I'm offended I had to answer the question.”'

So the theatre, anxious to avoid controversy, decided that the childish slang word 'hoohaa' was the most appropriate thing to replace 'vagina'.

Some have welcomed the change to 'The Hoohaa Monologues', while others have expressed some confusion. 'It sounds like a country band,' one passer by commented to local TV station WJXT."

Okay, Florida Hellions. Bob? Jim? Kristy? Any comments on this?

All I can say is, if I ever do form that country band, I'm definitely calling it The Hoohaa Monologues.

11 comments:

Pat Kight said...

Same kinda thing happened here the first time a group of actresses at the university (of which I was one) put the show on - not wrt a marquee, but newspaper ads; both local papers balked at using the v-word.

After much discussion, our little collective opted to bill it as "The V****a Monologues".

Oddly, the paper thought that was just fine, and it got the point across.

David Terrenoire said...

I want to use this for my new country music station:

Hoo-haaa! You're in Cooter Country!"

Tasha Alexander said...

PLEASE tell me you're making this up...

JD Rhoades said...

Tasha: you CAN'T make this stuff up.

JD Rhoades said...

Jez:
The really bizarre thing about this is that 'vagina' is the correct word. The non-dirty, non-cutesy, non-vulgar word. It's a medical term, for Chrissakes.

Tasha Alexander said...

Well heaven forbid you use the correct term. Hoohaa is so much classier.

Looking forward to seeing you in KY!

Patrick Shawn Bagley said...

When we were both in college, my wife wanted me to go see The Vagina Monologues with her. I agreed 'cause I thought it was some kind of X-rated ventriloquist act. Tonia liked it, but I felt kinda gypped.

C.L.J. said...

That's North Florida for you. The play has been done numerous times in South Florida. As a South Floridian, and someone who works in professional theatre, I'm ashamed the Atlantic for their behavior. Iam ashamed that they're Floridians, and I am ashamed that they claim to be theatre folk.

First, the entire point of the play is that Society has become uncomfortable using the word "vagina." That's why the play is CALLED "The VAGINA Monologues." The playwright knows how uncomfortable people are with the word, and it's the reason she uses it. And I'll tell you this, the title isn't the only time the word appears in the play.

Second, they are producing a well-known play with a well-known title. I'm sorry, but if you can't advertise a play by its name because you don't want to offend anyone, you have no business doing the play, particularly when the reason for your refusal to use the title is what the play is ABOUT.

Cornelia Read said...

In this sort of situation, we say "popo" in my family (not as a substitute for the title of that play, but just for kid-friendly reference.)

This is what prompted my sister to jokingly refer to a road nearby ("LeConte") as "Popo Street" while giving me directions to the university when we first moved out to Berkeley.

"You'll know it when you see it," she said.

Anonymous said...

DEAR GOD sometimes this state makes me utterly insane. The horror, the horror. Did the marquee complain of feeling not so fresh? Bad, awful vaginas. They sure are in demand for such an offensive thing...

Stacey Cochran said...

I like "The Happy Hoohaas" for a band name.

I'll play rhythm guitar!

Stacey
www.staceycochran.com