In being surprised that apparently 98% of UK women under 25 have no pubic hair at all?

[Longstocking2]

Is that true?

A friend who is a practice nurse says she presumes it's just a fashion. None of her women under 25 who come for smear tests have any pubic hair.. all shaved, shorn, waxed to nada.

Obviously that's fine but it seems a little universal to me. Aren't there any rebels out there?
Is it just for the boys they do it?

Does the image not come from porn originally?

{shock]

would love to be enlightened!
Clearly I'm over 25

(I'm thinking about WS's research project!)

For celebrities, and those who are photographed a lot, it might have a "use-value". their job is all about getting photographed, getting profile. For female celebrities, that is often going to entail wearing swim-wear, short skirts, and with more or less consensual "papparzzi" shots, which may involve all those getting in and out of cars candid shots. Some of which are stage, some aren't.

Unruly pubic hair, bizarrely, interrupts the economy of sexuality in those photos. (Which gets us into a whole different area - though a related one.)

Factor into that that phase a while ack where lots of celebrities thought it was hilarious to play with the border between the sex'porn indstry and their own (exalted, uber-entitled) industry-position, thus emphasising their extreme sexual allure, and power ... and I can see where a trend would start.

As it "trickles down", it loses any use value, (though all of its more dubious connotations) becomes a signifier mainly of celebrity culture/wealth. Then becomes signifier of knowledge of/aspiration to that culture. then becomes signifier of a certain age, and taking part in culture at a certain level (not your mother's level)?

For those porn deniers.
Those of us who are older can remember when a brazillan meant nothing more than a South American person.

I remember being totally amazed when the fashion to trim to that extreme was discussed and it was almost all porn stars, then bit by bit it became more mainstream (often in ime because men saw it and wanted it).

Now it no longer is no longer necessary to hear about it in the context of porn.

it's similar with anal sex. This used to be 'the last taboo' now it seems almost expected by younger men. this is definately an influence of the porn industry that for some reason is obsessed by anal sex (despite it being pretty crap. No pun intended)

Hm, animula, I think we're onto something.

Did SATC rip it all out?

Sorry, missed your post, Xenia. V. interesting. Hope you're right. some would argue that increased equality might well lead to increase body modification to produce a sexual difference, markde on the body. not sure I buy that, myself. Because why should it be mainly women doing this? And why this?

Personally, i think increased equality (and that means access to power, and holding power, and real power,) is just a good idea.

There's always been that divide amongst women on whether holding power is dradful, male and playing my men's rules and that they should set up lovey dovey female cults without power and instead (my view) that power is a human thing, not a male thing and there's no reason women should not seek it and keep it and enjoy it and that it's sexist to say all women want to bake cakes and lover everyone at home and only men want to succeed in business.

My much earlier post on this thread including the extract from the Koran about body hair presumably shows that all cultures do over the years have trends and fashions and that body waxing is not just something of the porn industry circa 2010 but a very very long tradition particularly in the Middle East.

In terms of seizing power there is the interesting issue of whether women should use their sexuality and looks. I certainly have used my photograph to garner business which you wouldn't get if you weren't the best at what you do anyway but there's no harm in all men and women playing the game as it stands as it's fun to play.

I've seen about 3 episodes of SATC, and one of the films. I haven't done the research. And I am completely outed as the last person able to talk with authority on celebrity culture.

yes but does anyone's husband wax all because of porno

Why do women bleach their anuses?

"Why do women bleach their anuses?"

I'm a woman, last time I checked, and I have no idea. Maybe they do it by accident, while flushing a recently-cleaned loo?

Ha, sorry, some women.

I too am a woman who has no idea...

Any opinions on the jewel thing would be good as well. Very interesting thread.

whoknows anal sex is still illegal even between consenting adults of either sex.

Jewel thing? Do you mean that sticking rhinestones on your bald fanny thing?

Personally, I blame Barbie. She'd definitely have a vajazzled fanny, if she had a fanny that is.

So bleaching is purely for sexual purposes?

Yes Manatee, it sounds hugely messy and awkward. @ Barbie, I think you may be right there. Maybe she's to blame for the bald fanny too?

They were just two things I had never heard of before.

cabbageroses - never knew that, so does that make all the anal porn illegal then?

In which country, cabbageroses? Are you sure that statement is true re. the UK?

You mark my words, it WILL be head hair next. We'll all be wondering around like bald bejewelled Barbies. Our fanjos and anusus will be given a smooth veneer of pink plaster of paris to resemble Barbie's nether regions. We won't even need clothes.

Errrrrrrrrrr Anal sex is not illegal, certainly in this country. It's 2011.

To add an interesting aside to this (gargantuan)debate:

Apparently(and I don't know this for sure) most porn these days climaxes with the man coming in the woman's face.

This was revealed to me by a male friend. When I said that if anyone did that to me I would deck them and leave, he seemed surprised.
Apparently it's considered normal now. (another thread maybe?)

I get the feeling (and this is totally unscientific) that all of it-waxing bare, anal, letting a man spooge in your eye, has got to come from porn, Directly.

Ten years ago most people had no or very limited access to porn. Now most people can look at it if they want.

I am sure in the past some women would go for hairless bits, anal sex, and a spunk facial, but surely the availability of porn has normalised these things.
In the Eighties, even, tall those activities would have been pretty special interest.

So now it seems we are at the point where waxing for e.g has become so mainstream that people who do it are not influenced by porn, directly.
They are influenced by fashion (which is influenced by porn.)

I don't give a shit what proper grown ups do in bed, or with their genitals but the worrying thing is that if you were 15 or so, the pressure on you as a girl to conform to some of these trends could be really damaging.

Yes it is (it has happened by accident in the past!!)

I agree about male expectations being conditioned by porn, however subconsciously this happens.

I mean the whole 'performance' of it seems to militate against people having sex together as equals and working out the unique thing they could have together rather than the aping of a series of rictus positions performed by plastic actors/models who are pandering to the director etc.

The whole thing feels so fake to me.

bending over with its bum in the air saying "Beat Me Big Boy!"

I have once shaved it all off - DH and I thought it would be fun, I hated it when i saw it because it made me think of child porn - DH said that from his point of view, he just saw it asbeing nice to see "everything" and in no way did he think of kids, but I've never done it again. Neat triangle for me so no spider legs out of the cossie when I go swimming, and trim the length as it feels cleaner. Don't like landing strips - rectangles make me think of a Hitler 'tache!

"the aping of a series of rictus positions performed by plastic actors/models who are pandering to the director"

Loving that Longstocking.

You just explained perfectly why I don't want to watch porn.
I think it actually makes people really self conscious, and worries they are not doing it "right" if they don't do what porn actors do.