With banners in White Plaza, “rape free zone” tape around the row houses, and blue ribbons about the post office, it is that time of year again; no not Valentine’s Day, but Vagina Monologues Day. The purported point of all of this is to “Stop Violence Against Women.”

But how does a production that calls for audience participation in screaming “c-nt” stop violence against women? How does the story of the “Little Coochi Sorcher That Could” in which pedophilic molestation against a previously assaulted 13 year old girl is morally equivocated as a sexual growing experience do anything to reduce violence against women? The answer is that it does not.

If “V-Week” was really about the motto “Until the Violence Stops,” then there would be discussions of tougher criminal penalties for rapists, how to better reform the justice system to deal with sexual assault, and if Megan’s Law went far enough. Instead, the week is marked by exaggerated statistics meant to shock and expose a problem, without ever presenting a solution. Even if one assumes the Vagina Monologues production can really stop sexual assault against women, why isn’t it marketed towards the audience who commits these crimes, men?

While the Vagina Monologues fail to properly address issues of rape, they succeed in creating an amazingly potent anti-male presentation. With males depicted as Serbian gang rapists and child molesters followed by lines such as “I’ll never need to rely on a man” the anti-male slant is undeniable. But certainly not all males are rapists. Moreover, most women do need men, just as most men do need women. I fear that the collective sense of women’s self-empowerment is coming at the cost of a greater resentment and distrust for men in general.

Rape is unquestionably a terrible crime. But if we are to properly address it, it will take the concentration of people of both genders. Demonizing males everywhere for the crimes of a handful only stifles the cooperation that must exist between men and women if we hope to stop these outrageous crimes. The Vagina Monologues only accentuates divisions on an issue where gender unity is required.

Let the Stanford community be honest with itself. This was never about stopping violence. This is a week of hoorah female self-empowerment in which the taboos surrounding genitalia are blown to bits by an outrageous production that takes it way over the top.

Perhaps there is nothing wrong with this. Perhaps the women of Stanford deserve a week to bask in a collective spirit of female solidarity. But rape is a very serious issue. It is a dire problem today’s society faces and it will not be dispelled by female “self-empowerment.” All the “rape free zone” tape in the world won’t stop crime, screaming “c-nt” doesn’t scare a rapist, and being in touch with one’s vagina doesn’t intimidate a sexual predator.

If the Stanford Community is truly interested in preventing rape, surely we can find a better route than the Vagina Monologues.