Don't Blame Jane: Fonda uses C Word on Today Show
Thursday February 14, 2008
 © Michael Bruckner / Getty Images |
Now before you start bashing Fonda, take a look at the video. You'll see it was innocent enough.
Viera asked Ensler about V-Day, stating, "It began with a play that you did not think would ever be mainstream, using a word that is not normally used in mixed company." Viera then questioned Fonda about her involvement, noting that Fonda wasn't initially a fan of The Vagina Monologues. Fonda said no, it wasn't that she wasn't a fan, but that she hadn't seen the play:
"I live in Georgia, okay? I was asked to do a monologue called "C---" and I said 'I don't think so. I've got enough problems.' But then I came to New York to see Eve, and it changed my life. It really did."Jane Fonda didn't say the word to titillate, shock, or gain attention. It was the title of the piece and she said it with aplomb in a casual way, probably not even realizing what she'd done until after the word came out of her mouth.
In a world where Howard Stern has deliberately made many crude, disgusting, and demeaning comments about women on his commercial radio show before he went to satellite , it's important to keep context and intent in mind before anyone starts slamming Jane Fonda.
Comments
*blink* I’ve never, ever, ever heard of the notion that the C-word is offensive when a woman uses it to refer to a part of her anatomy, or when anybody uses it when it’s the proper-noun title of a performance piece, work of art, etc.
It’s unfortunate that men have used the C-word in such a way as to make it an expletive, because it’s one of the few non-clinical-sounding terms for female genitalia that has a history and Latinate roots. In the HBO Rome miniseries, the characters used the word “cunny,” an earlier and non-expletive variation on the C-word with the same roots, that I really wish would catch on as an alternative to “vagina.” “Vagina” sounds like a disease of some kind, at least to my ears. There’s no playfulness to it.
Bear in mind that Howard Stern was fined repeatedly by the FCC before he moved to satellite radio. This “slip” is the second such slip recently on morning television. The other being Diane Keaton’s use of the “F” word in an interview with Diane Sawyer. Why is there no delay being used on these broadcasts and will there be fines from the FCC issued to ABC and NBC for these “mistakes”? I’m not personally offended by these indiscretions, but I do believe what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If these networks are fined as others have been fined, perhaps they’ll rein in their guests or add delay.
Happy Valentine’s Day
yawn.
Jane Fonda, Howard Stern, Moral equlivancy
I could not agree more with the author of the article. She was simply saying the title of her piece. To the person who wants a delay – why don’t we just put a delay on all broadcasts of television and radio etc… so we can edit out anything anyone might find offensive… Awful idea. In the 1980s I would have said, “Why don’t you move to the Soviet Union”. There are so many more important things to worry about.
I’m disgusted that anyone would defend Jane Fonda for this, and attempt to use the Howard Stern defense/comparison. Firstly, don’t think for a minute that she didn’t know what she was saying, or that what she said was inappropriate for morning network TV. She knew exactly what she would be asked in the interview beforehand, and that the interview would be live. She only used it for shock value. We know how much she craves the limelight.
Secondly, as for the Howard Stern factor, everyone knows what to expect when they listen to him, and everyone has the ability to not listen if they don’t want to. But when you tune into a network TV morning news/entertainment show, you don’t expect this level of gutter language. Children are watching, for God’s sake!
I’m really sick of this double standard. Because it’s was said by a woman, and because she’s a mature woman, and because she’s ‘Hollywood Royalty’, it’s okay! Bull! She needs to be held accountable. And poor Meredith shouldn’t have had to make Jane’s apology. If Jane was sorry, as the apology stated, then why didn’t she come back on and apologize?
I used to like Jane, but this is the last straw. We need to ship her off to Viet Nam. (Along with that psycho Diane Keaton!)
Some words are not a words that should ever be so flippantly used as to NOT notice using it. If this is a word so easily injected in her everyday vocabulary, she should not speak in public.
Just one question Mr. Head. Who makes the rules for what is and isn’t the appropriate use of a word? Civil liberties, my ass.
Just one question. What arbitrary body makes the rules for what, when and how to use a word? Sounds like more phony liberalism to me.
I watched the video…not offensice…America get over it! there are more topics to get offended over.
This would not have been so inappropriate had it been on late night TV.
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I have two daughters. Fair treatment of females on all levels is important to me. Jane Fonda does and says the things she does and says because she is a spoiled brat. She has never apologized for anything, ever! Her failure thereto says it all.
My daughters would never use that word, under any circumstances. It is considered identical to the “n” word, which my daughters would also never use. I, for one, am sick of hearing what this fatuous simpleton has to say about anything. What is the facination?
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