AIBU to think armpit hair is a moral issue?

[ICBINEG]

How did it come to pass that the natural appearance of an adult woman has become socially unacceptable?

Adult women have hair on their arms, legs, fanjo and (if you can bear the disgustingness of it all) armpits.

In a not at all surprising turn of events the natural appearance of an adult male is still considered attractive including (god forbid) hairy legs, arms, balls and armpits.

Why have we adopted a prepubescent look as the optimum for women but mysteriously not done the same for men?

AIBU to next shave myself when shaving becomes compulsory for EVERYONE and not just those without a Y chromosome?

Observation of my SIL suggests it can take over a year to unlearn the societal conditioning and start seeing your own hairy armpits as attractive....a whole year to stop thinking the natural female form is repulsive....AIBU in thinking that society is totally fucked up?

I dont like hairy armpits, as they show everyone what your pubes looks like!!!!

its not nice lovely flowing hair

its pubey

I'm surprised you think a year is a long time - most women I suspect would never come round as viewing hairy armpits as attractive! I certainly don't - though rationally I understand where you're coming from and agree with you. I must be socially conditioned too.

Interesting that in France it's acceptable and normal.

YABU. I don't take the hair off my body for anyone but me. It makes me feel cleaner.

I hate this notion that women are "conditioned" into thinking something looks better. Some women have their own minds and make their own choices you know...

never come round to

you know you're going to get loads of people tell you that they personally just don't like it, as if they weren't completely and totally conditioned into that so called preference?
You can't take the illusion of free opinion away, you'll get a total flaming.

Completely YANBU though, of course.

Just don't shave your pits OP, no-one is forcing you.

I shave my legs and pits and wax my va-jay-jay but I don't feel pressured to, it's just my preference. Clearly society has had an effect on me, but if I felt strongly against hair removal, I just wouldn't do it - I wouldn't get het up about it.

I hate how it looks and that it makes your pits smell worse. I remove unwanted body hair because I want to though, not to make myself look more attractive to the opposite sex.

Men can do what they want with their body hair, as can other women. I just dont want to see it.

Shave if you want to, or don't.
What I resent is the implication that if I do want to remove hair from various parts of my own body, I'm doing it because I'm brainwashed.
If I want to shave my legs, armpits or my head, it's my own business.
Your body is your's.

I don't think we have 'adopted a prepubescent look as the optimum for women'.

We just realised that female armpits and legs look nicer without hair on. Which it does. But no one is going to get in trouble for not doing it, we still have free choice.

We ant going to start seeing something that is unattractive as attractive when it just isn't. But if it is to you, then nothing's stopping you from letting the hair grow free.

And men have taken to shaving or waxing their backs and chests, which personally I think is horrible, but each to their own.

I've never quite forgotten having hairy pits in PE and one girl forcing my arm up to show everyone. Hence when dd hated it on her, I showed her how to shave it. I also sweat a lot and find if any hair there it smells more. So for me it's more hygiene than moral. I've never had anyone near my fanjo for waxing, shaving whatever, that is how it is end off. But my legs have dark hairy hairs so they come off.

"Interesting that in France it's acceptable and normal."

What???! I live in France and can assure you that French women are assiduous about épilation. Armpit hair is definitely not acceptable here.

Totally agree but actually would add that hair on men is becoming less and less acceptable - I know a LOT of men, younger men particularly would remove all hair on their back and shoulders, many remove hair on their chest and stomach and armpits and i believe (though haven't seen it myself) that some men 'groom' their pubes.
I know some women who rant about men in sleeveless tops as they can't bear the sight of men's armpit hair.

see?

There will also be mass missing the point that if you do choose not to, you will have to put up with stupid people pointing it out, whispering, judging etc. What they mean is sure don't shave, but make sure you cover it up.

I don't agree that it's a moral issue. It's a personal issue.

I'm not sure your title makes sense, but YANBU in the sentiment of your post. Fashion, culture, society all dictate what is considered normal/attractive. The only rationale I can think of for finding hairlessness more attractive is the potential hygiene issue (i.e. hair traps sweat), but that doesn't explain why men are 'allowed' to be hairy and women aren't. It's the same with lots of things though; why is thin supposedly better than fat (aside from the unhealthy extremes), why do women wear makeup and not men, why don't men wear skirts? It's all a bit bizarre when you think about it, and who the hell decides this stuff in the first place?

YABU

Although well done on fitting so many clichés into your OP. Body hair is not a moral issue, it's an aesthetic preference. Sorry to disappoint no-one actually gives a shiny shite.

you perhaps need to spend more time in mens changing rooms - an awful lot of hair removal and neatening happens for men to.

I don't think not doing it is socially unacceptable, lots of people just prefer it.

YANBU and YAB a little U.
Every person has a choice, people find different things attractive and there are some women who feel completely at ease with having hairy legs/under arms/fanjo and there are others who aren't.

Peronslaly, I don't like under arm hair on myself because it feels itchy and unhygienic so I get rid of it. It's got nothing to do with how society feel about it. If I choose to shave/wax etc., it's only for me.

scentednappybag That's fair enough. Your body, your choice.

But equally, I resent the implication that if I don't remove the hair from various parts of my body then I have 'let myself go' or some such.

Because that is a view that I have encountered both on here and in RL.

It's not a new thing though is it? Not when you look at all those old nude painting and statues.

Not a pube in sight.

I know what you mean though - I wax and shave but I do realise that I am only doing it because I have been conditioned that female hair = bad.

*personally, unhygienic (must preview)

Grow your pit pubes till you can plait them and put pretty wee bows in them.

I'll continue to shave mine.

Of my own volition and not because magazines I don't read, TV shows I don't watch, adverts I pay no attention to OR other people who's opinions I don't care about have brainwashed me.

It's called freedom of choice.

Not sure moral is the right word. I'd say it's a political issue though.

at WhatYouLookingAt's post and the few that follow it.

Women are under no pressure at all, oh no

body hair is horrible to look at, feel and for cleanliness imo baring downstairs which i think looks weird without. Men seem to remove most hair these days too, back and chest hair is no longer seen as 'acceptable' on young men and i think a high number of the under 25 ish region remove their nether region fluff too