To not want Office to tell me I need to shave my legs?

[AliceInWonderland3]

I got an email this week from Office trying to sell me summer shoes, the email also told me not to forget to shave my legs.

AIBU to not want a business who wants female customers telling them they need to shave their legs? I shave my legs because I know people I encounter day-to-day will be horrified by body hair on a woman, but I don't need a business trying to make me feel bad if I choose to go outside without doing so. Or trying to make me feel disgusted by something natural

This morning dd and I were ready for school run much earlier than normal, turned TV on to catch the news and it was on channel 4 and just coming to an ad break, dd likes to play a game where we have to guess the ad before the product is mentioned or appears, so we left it running.
These were the ads,

Woman with cracked heels fixing them with cracked heel cream.
Louise Redknapp running about busy all over the place in by skirt saying how she saved time by using whatever razor on her legs.
Young female models using head and shoulders to beat dandruff.
Other woman in shoe shop with feet so soft you have to touch them, cos she uses scholl summat or other.
Woman talking about BBQs and always being ready "down there" thanks to razor
Women taking shower with dove products for silky smooth skin all over.
Some Olay "ageless" face cream.
Man in car with roof down driving over sunny bridges and under cool tunnels (was a car insurance ad)

I don't think dd is the only young girl/boy watching TV on a morning. This stuff must sink in.

Dd 11, commented that it's almost like summer = women doing million things to be silky smooth, literally from toe to head/ men driving around in cars looking cool...

She said that the car insurance insurance probably showed a man driving instead of a woman because they think women have to spend all their money and time looking silky smooth so can't afford to buy or car or have the time to be gallivanting over sunny bridges :)

OP definitely YANBU.
Loving the label Underthinkers.
I shave my legs largely because I find my legs more aesthetically pleasing without hair - I'm not that fussed about what other people think of them. On the other hand, I am not stupid enough to think that my own aesthetic preference for hairless legs just popped into my head independently from nowhere. If it had never become fashionable/the norm/desirable for women to be hairless, we'd obviously all be happily walking around with hairy legs like men do!

And when you start thinking about WHY smoothness and hairlessness became expected attributes of women (but not men), it makes you think wtf. Or it should do. Unless you are an Underthinker.

Just get over it... I don't understand why it's so offensive? Most women shave their legs. Should there not be any razor adverts, just incase a man, who likes growing his beard, is watching? Your feet are attached to your legs, what's the problem? People are so easily offended...

It's just an email, why get worked up over it? If people took all advertising/emails seriously and to heart then there'd be a class action against Lynx by a load of under washed spotty teens because they failed to 'pull' after using Lynx.

"Most women shave their legs."
Why?

And if it's so brilliant, how come most men don't?

Of course, I could mention the very obvious links between softness, hairlessness and puberty. Why should standards of female beauty include women looking less like hairy adults, and more like smooth, hairless children?

Frankly quite creepy when you think about it.................

BlueDove, this wasn't a razor advert. No-one has suggested that a razor advert shouldn't advocate, um, using the razor. But this wasn't and advert, and it was from a shoe seller.

Did you see the wording?

Show a little leg.
Just don't forget to shave them.

i.e. No, don't show any leg unless you've shaved them, because you ladies' legs aren't fit for human view UNLESS you've shaved them first.

Hands up all that have an iPhone. Why? Because it's the in thing,the cool thing? They are definitely not the best. Now if it became the cool,in thing not to shave your legs then I bet a few of you wouldn't. Stop berating advertising,social trends,etc for things like having to shave your legs. Exercise some free will/thinking.

Some - don't be so ridiculous, it has nothing to do with wanting to look like a 5 year old. If this hair is so great, why do we get our hair cut?

Augusta - do you shave your underarms?

Looking at the legs of some guys in short shorts(quite a few come into where I work) then I would say that some men do shave their legs. But then these are probably the same ones who squeeze into skinny jeans so not sure they count

If only I got that email...

What's the relevance of that?

Sorry, thread moved on - what's the relevance of your question, BlueDove?

Oh fgs - nobody's opinions about fashion, appearance etc are free of societal influence, whether they are male or female (unless they've been living in some kind of vacuum all their life). It's not stupid to think you've got choices, but it is pretty naive to think that your choices have not been influenced in any way by your upbringing, the culture you grew up in, the media surrounding you etc. I like my legs smooth too, but it kind of annoys me that I do.

I'm wondering if you think a hairy pit is so attractive that the whole world should see, considering you're so 'natural'... I don't see why it matters. No one moans at people getting a haircut...

Sorry - that was in reply to Itsmine.

But it doesn't matter what I do or don't think. It is not appropriate for someone selling shoes to tell me that I shouldn't dare show my legs, or indeed my underarms, unless I've shaved them first. Unless they can demonstrate that they say the same to men.

The reality is, it is different for men, as the majority don't shave their legs. They aren't going to start advertising make-up for men either, as the majority doesn't wear it. Do you think they should advertise make-up for men too?

Send an email to Office telling them your upset at their email, and state that they are saying women basically have to shave their legs to be acceptable. Then if you don't receive an adequate apology or explanation then send your email and their response to all the newspapers,newsrooms and websites you can think of. Don't like how things are done then take action

I don't think anyone is objecting to shoe shops advertising shoes.........

If there was suddenly a massive marketing campaign for make up for men and a couple of real celebs(B list or above) endorsed it then I bet men would start wearing makeup. Just look how that TOWIE and Chelsea crap have made people dress

Bert - it had moved on though, it was being discussed how it isn't the same for a man.

If there was suddenly a massive marketing campaign for make up for men and a couple of real celebs(B list or above) endorsed it then I bet men would start wearing makeup. Just look how that TOWIE and Chelsea

And if men didn't then wear make up would people deride and ridicule them? Would it become the societal norm that all men would wear make up and be called names by other men and women if they didn't? Would women only find men who wore makeup sexually attractive?

For fucks sake

I know the thread has somewhat moved on, but sharknad0 asked for something to be explained, so I thought I'd help.

Women shave their legs, (most) men don't. So what? I wear nail varnish on my toes, my husband doesn't. So what? Does it make any of us weaker than the other? Shaving is a sign of oppression? Talk about a storm in a tea cup.

Yes, shaving is a SIGN of oppression; it's not the sum total of oppression. No one is saying "I hate men because there's this one singular thing that they expect of me and it's that I have smooth silky legs". It's a symptom of a much wider issue, and frankly, people who think we shouldn't question this stuff are part of the problem. If we never questioned anything; if we just sat on our pretty little bottoms and smiled and nodded, we'd still be without jobs, or the right to vote, or the right to abortions, or any of the other victories that feminism has given us over the years.

Furthermore, most feminists (the good ones) don't look down on people for choosing to shave - we are fighting for your right to a choice in what you do with your own body, not to impose a matriarchal set of rules. That would make us just as bad as the patriarchy.

Bodily autonomy, and the right to feel comfortable in your own skin, is incredibly important and is something that women are constantly and insidiously denied.