Donna Ferrato, fearless image maker, opens up a discussion after a Guardian newspaper editorial about the "most terrifying word," "vagina." Donna demands an explanation. And Blue complies on her Facebook page:
"But why is it feared, that word? It means "scabbard," or a tool or place in which to carry or hide a sword. So male power is wrapped up in it. Until 50k years ago, you didn't want other males planting seed there, and to maintain exclusive a...ccess to all vaginas is an extremely violent proposition: Goodall observed that all alpha male chimps end up violently tortured and killed, torn limb from limb, and this is a direct cost of controlling the vagina. What better way than to help control access than to demonize it, cut it off or kill it if it betrays? 11K years ago, when the first chiefs and first pangs of religious organization began in permanent settlements, the needs of war or farming meant vaginas had to be better guarded than ever; more propaganda. And women still believe what men say about their vaginas! That's how effective the propaganda was. Pudenda is an even worse word: Latin for all genitals but used far more to describe female genitals, "pudenda" comes from pudere, which is the verb to show shame for or be ashamed of. So the Romans hid the goods by making them something to be ashamed about; the Vatican sings that same song still. So we can infer that fear or revulsion of the vagina is really fear of power or its lack, expressed by males alpha or otherwise. Competition for food made chimps north of the Congo into the violent creatures they are (and we became when proto humans broke from that line 7 million years ago); a separate chimp species called Bonobos (south of the Congo) had no struggle for food and among them the vagina is so lovingly shared that it might as well be called "candy." In Bonobo-speak, females say "if you stop acting like a man I will give you some candy," to which males reply "that would be nice." No Bonobo becomes a banker."
