Everybody has heard about the Vagina Monologues right? Women coming together and sharing stories of personal experiences, issues of sexuality, rape, femininity and such. Well, San Francisco State has put on a similar production titled Cocktales: Unplugged and Undefined. Like the title implies (pun intended), this production is based more on the concept of men and the issues they face as well in society such as redefining the term masculinity, facing gender controversies, sexual assault and what it means to “become a man”.
The cast of the production was very diverse, from Latino, Asian, Black, males and females. Each held a touching and uplifting performance that questioned our societies definition of “social normality” when it comes to categorizing ourselves as “male” and “female”
. Society as a whole has shaped and manipulated our minds to live up to these ideal roles where a man cannot openly talk about his feelings, where a man is not a man unless he demands what he wants, where a man is not a man if he cries. These are the social norms which our society defines as “masculine”. What about the female perspectives? Well, we are so worried about our safety outside the house and often consume ourselves filled with the hate and mistrust of men, we neglect the fact they are human being as well. Men feel pain just as much as women do, although it’s not very common, men can be victims of sexual assault.
So, why must we draw a line between male and female, sex and sexuality, masculinity and femininity? Because we are consumed in our own selfishness and have learned that it’s easier to fight with a closed fist that to be accepting of other with open arms.