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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Article about women (or 'ladies') not shaving

26 replies

Lio · 02/05/2012 21:04

link

Made me laugh, although I noticed there are reams of comments, which I dare not look at. OK, so I read a few (hey, I'm only human, it's like picking a scab...), but when I got to the first one to use the phrase 'physically repulsive' I made myself stop.

OP posts:

KRITIQ · 02/05/2012 21:42

Never, never, ever read the Comment is Free Comments if you value your happiness and sanity.

munkysea · 02/05/2012 22:59

I read them sometimes. It's like when get a bruise or something and you can't stop poking it to make it hurt again.

I am weird, I know.

I do like the feel of both my shaven and unshaven legs, though.

solidgoldbrass · 02/05/2012 23:05

I like the piece, nice and snappy rather than overly worthy. And I am a bit of a human hairball myself - hairy pits, untouched foof, moderately hairy legs at the moment. I do tend to shave my legs if I want to go barelegged or wear sheer tights because I think they look and feel nicer that way then, but most of the time I don't bother. And I do trim my prawnwhiskers because otherwise I have a bad habit of licking them which makes me look a bit inbred.

madwomanintheattic · 02/05/2012 23:15

yy, saw this on vagenda.

she is v funny.

haven't read the comments though, now tempted...

carernotasaint · 02/05/2012 23:26

I have never ever shaved my foof. I dont want to. But the amount of men who say that this is unhygenic and then want you to put their unshaved hairy bits in your mouth is hypocrisy on a grand scale.

Anniegetyourgun · 03/05/2012 10:23

Shaving? Men shave. I'm not a man.

yakbutter · 03/05/2012 10:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HotDAMNlifeisgood · 03/05/2012 10:42

I had never heard of Emer O'Toole before, but I think I love her.

Or at least, I want to read more stuff that she writes.

(I cave to social pressure and wax or shave anything that will be displayed by the clothes I intend to wear that day - legs or armpits; foof is not on display and so remains wild and free.)

SinicalSanta · 03/05/2012 10:58

Isn't hair growth linked to testosterone levels. So it makes sense that women would want to highlight their difference from men in order to advertise their female fertility. The question s why would it be necessary to advertise your femaleness- shorthand for sexiness - when you are not seeking a sex partner.that's the sexist bit, not that women want to look attractive however that's defined, but why its necessary to look attractive all the time

CrunchyFrog · 03/05/2012 11:16

I don't shave my legs, but you can't really tell.

I have a number of friends who shave their arms FGS. Apparently they "have" to. I do shave my pits, but that is because it's embarrassing, I have like 9 hairs. It just looks like I missed a bit!

Original poster

Lio · 03/05/2012 11:34

Yes, it also made me want to read more by her.

OP posts:

WoTmania · 03/05/2012 13:17

I think facial hair is triggered by testosterone but not the rest of it. You just start to grow certain types of hair at puberty. IIRC women actually have more pubic hair than men (coarser too). I'm a v. hairy woman and definitely not a problem with fertility.
I'm a little bit on love with her too after reading this.

grimbletart · 03/05/2012 14:49

I do shave my armpits and legs, simply because my personal preference is for smooth skin.

But what really brasses me off is men, while sprouting hair all over the place think there is something unhygienic or off-putting about women who have bodily hair. If it's natural on men, it's natural on women FFS.

Personally if I did not shave and was the partner of a bloke with attitudes like that I'd say "OK darling, I'll shave if you shave...how about I help you reach the bits down there that you can't get at easily..oops, sorry about that, still not much blood, barely nicked it really"

fotheringhay · 03/05/2012 15:03

The guardian comments on anything to do with women make me so unhappy, and cross. It's like we're seen as a minority group. I MUST stop reading them.

fotheringhay · 03/05/2012 15:46

That might've come out wrong... I mean you'd never know women made up every other person in the country. Loved the article.

Synchronicity · 03/05/2012 16:37

This is quite timely for me as I stopped shaving a little while ago, but recently decided to shave my legs again when I wanted to wear tights and a skirt. I was interrupted in shower by my 4 yo DD who was askng why I was 'scraping that off' and I really had no answer which has made me pause a bit. She was quite upset actually and asked me to promise not to do it anymore.

I'm quite interested in this - it threw up lots of questions for me; for example why are shaved legs/arms/bikini line considered more feminine and attractive? What's the history behind it? How long has it been this way? Is it to do with what SinicalSanta said about people thinking more hair is associated with higher testosterone levels?

HotDAMNlifeisgood · 03/05/2012 16:43

I used to think it had to do with looking more youthful, ie. prepubescent.

But now I just think it's totally arbitrary, and just a marker of our willingness to jump through hoops to be patriarchy-compliant. Like make-up and bodyweight mandates. But I too would be interested to know when, where and how the concept started that less pubic hair on women is deemed more attractive.

Earthymama · 03/05/2012 16:57

I am so glad to be ancient, I am in my 50s.
In the Summer (haha) I do shave my legs but not zealously and often have stubble.
I do shave my armpits but again don't worry about it at all.
I would die rather than go near my bits with a razor.......I am notoriously crack-handed and feel faint at the thought.

I think the rise of pornification and the view of women's bodies as commodities as a societal norm has made the removal of hair or , rather its non-removal an issue that is policed by the media.

Luckily most of my friends are of the same mind as me, I can't imagine it is a huge issue for them. I have very little to do with men but I'll discuss it with my 15 yr old DGS and find out what he thinks.

SinicalSanta · 03/05/2012 17:19

I was thinking more of men's hairy chests arms etc when I made my testosterone comment, but I'm just musing really.
There's a big difference between shaving legs say, when wearing a skirt and shaving pubes. Think it's something to dowith judgement. Your legs are going to be seen by strangers who owe you nothing and will judge. Fine, that's one thing.
But if you are being judged when in the vulnerable naked position of having sex with Simone, doesn't that day something about the way we view sex now, how genitally focussed it is, and the performance aspect of it? As well ad the porn influence on r l sex lives.

minipie · 04/05/2012 19:31

Oh I love this article. She is just sooo right.

Especially this bit:

"Small child: My mum doesn't have hair under her arms.

Me: She shaves it off.

Small child: She doesn't.

Me: She does. Ask her.

Small child: Mum, do you?

Mother of small child: Yes.

Small child: Why?

Exactly, small child. Exactly."

Thanks Lio for making me laugh.

Sadly I'm not brave enough to not shave my underarms and legs when they are going to be on display. But I completely agree that it shouldn't be thought necessary or desirable.

stillawake · 11/05/2012 19:58

Love this thread. The legs get shaved if someone is getting married, if the person is lucky. Ankle hairs get trimmed, but that's not for "beauty" reasons.

thechairmanmeow · 11/05/2012 21:54

i dont think it's quite a sinister as that, what the sexes find attractive in each other are the differences , women tend to have less body hair so removeing a little more augments this just like men tend to be physicaly stronger and some work out hoping it will impress the ladies.
personaly though i think a woman looks sexier with pubic hair than without but i'm probobly in the minority , i wouldnt be put off by armpit hair as it go's , cant quite strech this to hairy legs, afraid that is a turn off.
renaiceance oil on cancvass women were also hairless, in fact the only time in history when women were seemingly proud of bush was the seventies, by the mid eighties skimpier bikinis were doing away with pubic hair and in the 60's pin-up's were only topless, i once heard that D H laurence was 23 years old when he found out that women also had pubic hair!

stillawake · 11/05/2012 22:35

Wow, that would be quite an age to get to and not know.

I know men who enjoy shaving their legs because they enjoy the clean feel (straight even, I might add).

Empusa · 12/05/2012 01:40

"I have a number of friends who shave their arms FGS. Apparently they "have" to."

I do that, it feels nice!

LeBOF · 12/05/2012 02:21

I remember a few years ago being in a political meeting with a weedy bloke glowering at me from across the table. At the end, he said to me, with a sneer, "You're really beautiful, but you're not perfect, because you've got hairy arms."

I laughed in his face. WTF? Why would I give a shit if I was his perfect woman or not? What a weirdo.

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