Is pubic hair a feminist issue?

VG, Turnitin - it's each woman's choice.
I have a question - why would any man wish to have any woman appear pre-pubescent - by her shaving her pudenda?

It was all a bit itchy on the face (heavens to Betsy)

Eye-wateringly funny chez Horse..

If a woman exercises her own personal choice to remove body hair it is nothing to do with anyone else, any more than a woman who choises to be hairy.

A body hair free adult woman certainly does not resemble a child (vulva, hips) any more than a man who shaves his face looks like a boy.

Why would any man
Wish any woman
To appear pre-pubescent
Through her shaving her pudenda?

Say please, thankyou, bless you, I'm sorry for your loss?

Socialised, socialised, socialised.

(Pulls Buffy's hair and runs off sniggering...)

Seriously though, I never cease to be amazed at these people who live in a little hermetically sealed bubble claiming that the norms of the society in which they live don't affect them at all. Being bloody minded and reasonably resistant to social pressure is not the same thing as the absence of social pressure.

For example, I want to bring DS up to realise that the extent of women's grooming is a personal choice for the woman concerned and no-one else. For this reason, sometimes I dress up, sometimes I go swimming pit hair and all. But when I make the choice to swim with pit hair, I am aware that I may be pointed at, that some people may think I'm a dirty minger for doing so (and this is not my imagination - I've seen enough people on mumsnet say they would pass this judgement to know that it will be thought by a minority of people). Resisting that social pressure takes emotional energy, it takes headspace, it takes effort. You may think I'm weird for choosing to put this effort into something that you think is trivial - but I don't think it is. If I want to show DS that social norms are arbitrary, that they can be questioned, that women aren't just painted dolls... then I have to walk the walk. (And yes, he may well be excruciatingly embarrassed later - but hell, that's part of the job description of being a teenager ).

Agree pipbin. The plucked chicken look to nude male bits does nothing for me. My husband did it once as an experiment as he cycles a lot. He was disappointed I found it more funny than sexy.

I like men with pubic hair and prefer to have it myself. There is nothing sexy about stubble or folliculitis. Why is looking prepubertal sexy? I do do my armpits (sometimes) but that's quick and easy and shaving them has never given me folliculitis.

Well yes, "that's progress!" for you was an ironic statement.
In addition to that, almost 100% of the men over about 40 ridiculed the idea of hair removal from thei privates, and the general opinion was the same for women i.e. men who though they should be hairless also thought women should be hairless. Men who thought shaving/waxing was ridiculous mostly (but not all) thought women should "tidy" at most.

Well, no, progress would be toward a place where it simply didn't matter whether someone's body was as bald as a 7 year old's or furrier than a silverback.

Interesting discussion.
Have recently been reading a semi-related discussion on another forum, started by a guy who was getting back into the dating game, mid 30s.
The overwhelming advice was shave his pubes because "women don't like hair", "if you want oral sex you have to shave it", "it's more hygenic", etc.
It turned into a long discussion where almost 100% of the men under 30 shaved, waxed or whatever, their complete tackle because it was expected.
In my opinion that's getting worse! So in the past, the societal pressure was only on women, now it's on women and men - that's progress for you!

I think pubic hair is a feminist issue.
Lots of brainwashing ads about 'beautiful legs/armpits' all hair free.

It is also now desirable to have no pores apparently.

Hairless , poreless, eternally youthful, plastic dollies we aspire to.

I don't remove my body hair, it is odour and moisture wicking, and gives a certain amount of protection.

And Peggy, the people talking like that to your DH would probably mock a woman with pubes coming out of her costume. And then they'd be part of the social pressure.

I think all but the most ardent waxer knocks it off in the last trimester...

Will also ask DD2 who is a midwife what % of the women she sees are 'bare' .Its fascinating how this has evolved.

Excuse me, not excusee

The people talking like that to your DH are very rude.

Peggy, do you say excusee when you burp? Bless you if someone sneezes? Put on something smart for an interview or wedding?

Then you are influenced by society, it doesn't make you weak.

so from what ive read on this thread woman don't seem to be able to win this argument - damned if they do, damned if they don't - and it seems to be other woman who are looking down their noses at those who do and those who don't.

some people really don't give a toss about adverts or magazine or watch porn or care what other people think. they genuinely do it because they want to - doesn't matter why they want to all YOU need to know is because they want to - end of!

why do people also keep saying you are influenced by society - NO not everyone is - fuck off and stop saying that. YOU may be influenced but not everyone is as shallow as you and they don't feel the need to follow the crowd - they are happy doing what they how, how they want.

ive never had anything said to me by any partners as to how I should fashion myself however like another poster my DH could be wearing a wooly jumper - guess who gives him the most stick - WOMAN - some of the comments have left him really red faced and he gets really upset about it and has left places like the gym, the swimming and the beach because the comments and abuse got so bad - and yes it is abuse - ive heard woman shouting monkey man at him and making monkey sounds and lots of other unpleasant things. I knew him before we went out together and we had some mutual friends but some of the comments about him being hairy were bang out of order - all woman though. his male friends don't give two hoots about him being hairy so I disagree it men who are making other men uncomfortable about being hairy...

My marriage ended a couple of years ago. I am now 50 and my younger girlfriends all told me that when I start dating I would have to shave my pubes off as men don't like them. These are well educated women in jobs such as the police etc. I have ignored that advice as I refuse to be told what to do and my exes never had any complaints.

Perhaps now that there is such variety of pubic hair in porn, from the completely hairless to extremely hirsute, women (and men) can be free to do whatever they want with theirs.

Sometimes they went for the wispy cloth (male genitals often got that treatment too) but a lot of art would show nude women with a smooth curve of flesh in what ought to be the pubic region, with no hair or vulva to embarrass the viewer. Because nice girls are so pure, you know.

I've heard the line of hair that some people have from the navel to the pubic hair called a "treasure trail". In my opinion natural human bodies are interesting, erotic and just plain fun. It would be a fine thing if everyone agreed.

Some years ago (possibly enough years ago that it was just the Tate, not Tate Britain), I went to an exhibition on the Victorian Nude, and they did show that in many cases, the genitals - particularly women's genitals - were still covered by a fig leaf, or a wispy bit of cloth or trailing vine or something - their actual bits were usually obscured in some way, and if you could see them, were often very indistinct. Some of this would be because of commercialism, making it easier to sell paintings which could be displayed in public. Actual Victorian porn, which was photographs, did include pubic hair though