Shave your legs or suffer the ridiculous consequences
From the same folks who want your to "mow your lawn" comes a commercial telling women that if they don't shave their legs, chaos will ensue.
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One think I noticed is how it's women who enforce these things on other women and not necessarily men.
Suppose there's a girl with hairy legs or arm pits. Men and women would be equally repulsed.
Moreover, many women who call themselves feminists rationalize feeling compelled to shave as a choice they themselves make to--because they like it and makes them feel comfortable. Oh sure hon, it isn't because society judges you as weird and unattractive if you don't do it.
Am I the only one that is annoyed with your wording of: "Oh sure hon?" I'm not anyone's honey so please don't refer to me as such.
Second, I'm so sick of having to defend why I choose (yes I used the word choose) to shave or wax.
I wax and trim my bikini area because too much hair down there interferes with my sexual stimulation and arousal.
And yes, I started shaving my legs because of society. I kept shaving my legs because I like how it feels better then when I have hair on them. It itches when they're hairy. I don't like it and that's my prerogative.
You say you "choose it" because it's a hell of a lot easier than saying "I'm giving in to societal pressure." You shave to fit in and to feel attractive. If society instead preferred hairiness in women, you'd be saying being hairy made you comfortable.
I may or may not agree with your analysis re:leg shaving is only be a mark of patriarchy, but your presentation really undermines your cause.
If you belittle llevinso's agency ("you say 'choose' because it's hell of a lot easier to say than 'giving in'") then you become another force trying to usurp individual choice ("doesn't fit MY idea of feminism, therefore, it's not a valid opinion, therefore, you're WRONG!") If llevinso says "gee abe, you're right, this wasn't my own idea at all, I'll switch to your camp," she hasn't accepted your superior reasoning, she's given into your insults. She would, in fact, just be another woman who got bullied into a particular behavior.
Thank you Jrant. I'm so sick of this bullying and judging other women. The important thing is that we look at the reasons behind why some women choose to shave their legs and not demonize them because of that. We need to be analytical but that doesn't mean that I need to jump up and all of a sudden stop shaving my legs.
I registered with a new name (changed computers, couldn't recover my password) just because your attitude is so absolutely ridiculous I couldn't bear to let it pass without comment. You are not a victim. I like waxing my legs and trimming and I shave my under arms and whatnot, and I am not in the least bothered by the very relevant argument that our society unfairly enforces a standard on women that is onerous at best and unfair at worst.
You derailed the whole thread as though the world revolves around you and the way you assume people think of you. No one singled you out to begin with, you came to the conversation as though the post itself was indicting your choice. Furthermore, focusing exclusively on the one comment that is, in fact, presumptuous and unfair to you is cherry picking to support your victim complex.
It's people like you that make it hard for me to be someone who waxes and has no problem with people who don't or the argument that it's unfairly expected of all women.
...And this is the sort of comment that makes Feministing a hostile forum.
I totally agree. The comment section should be a place where feministing readers can feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, not *bullied* because others feel the need to judge and claim thier feminist viewpoints are the one and only way to go.
Comments like these, when women bully other women, can be just as bad as the misogynist anti-feminist comments.
This kind of comment is also relatively rare. The vast majority of the comments here are not like this. Do I wish I didn't have to see anything like this? Of course. But for the most part, feministing comments make me think instead of pissing me off. Don't let one bad apple spoil the bunch.
Wow, you're just ridiculous aren't you?
Um, no, MANY women AND men would not be repulsed at all. So I'm not sure why you say "Suppose there's a girl with hairy legs or arm pits. Men and women would be equally repulsed."
I'm not repulsed by a woman's unshaved legs any more than I am by a man's.
oh, cry me a freakin' river.
it's leg hair, not a major cultural divide.
i *choose* to shave my legs and my pubes. some people don't. we're both feminists.
the only one shaming anyone for their choices here is you.
hey if you want to let it all grow, I say go for it but don't be the one bitching when one on wants to touch you because it's gross. And don't blame it on society, it is what it is.
For real? There's are some many different ways to approach being mad about this.
1. Another example of how male run companies use what is natural about our bodies as a tool for profits.
2. Another example of teaching women to be ashamed of what is natural about our bodies.
3. Another example of how heterosexuality is the only thing depicted with any seriousness (sexuality or relationship wise) in advertising... but what's new there?
This is pretty much right up there with tampon ads for me, but that's a story for another blog.
Infuriating. I just sent this out on Facebook to all of my friends.
that commercial was horrible.
on that note;
i personally like shaving my legs, but from my experience no on freaked out if i didn't keep up w/it every day.
i tried not shaving for a few months once and i did not like it at all. while on the one hand it was nice not being a slave to my razor, i just did not feel sexy. i know that it's normal for women to have hair, but being femme i could not feel sexy putting on my heels w/some hairy ass legs. i tried, but i cannot exist outside of my culture that says women are not hairy, and i think that's ok.
i think as feminists we try to deny everything society tells us we are supposed to be as women, but that is impossible to do!
But why is it impossible? Historically, with a patriarchal past (and present), men have been the ones to shape and form societies expectations of women. This idea of "sexy" was created by men who wanted their women do be smooth, silken creatures.
I do not disagree that in some situations, women genuinely do like shaving for their own person comfort. Personally, I do not shave. Many of my friends do not shave. However, I have MANY friends, male, female, or otherwise, who shave because they enjoy it.
I just think it's important to ask ourselves, "Would I still be doing this if I were not female?"
I think it may not be impossible to totally dissociate yourself from the culture that you live in, but it's extremely hard mentally, and that's not even getting into how much you have to deal with the culture you live in to survive-if you'll get fired for not shaving your legs, all the politics(and rightness) in the world won't necessarily give you enough money to pay rent. That particular example may be a little extreme, but people do have to play along with gender to a greater or lesser extent in order to survive in our society. It depends on circumstances and varies a lot from person to person, and from situation to situation. I also question the idea that one has to reject everything that women do that men don't-that's still allowing patriarchy to define your life, just in the reverse. I
I certainly agree with your reverse patriarchy remark.
I also agree that there are instances when gender takes over. I dated a woman who told me she would not touch me unless I shaved my legs. Needless to say, that relationship didn't last long. But I still did it for her. I am guilty, as many are.
And as I stated, I believe that if it is an issue of YOUR PERSONAL COMFORT, and if you're of ANY gender, please do. Don't let that reverse patriarchy control you either. :)
I have male friends who shave their legs, pits, and chests. het ones, even.
I've read that the custom of armpit-shaving was started by prostitutes in some port city that wanted to demostrate their lack of lice or STDs - in any case, something that would have shown up in armpits. Just a thought.
I struggle with the issue of shaving. I dislike shaving and would love to be able to not do it without crazy negative reactions. I've stopped shaving my legs except for very rarely, and people seem to be relatively fine with that; but hairy armpits garner very strong reactions, and I feel compelled to shave them so as not to be ostracized. It's a sucky situation.
*mentally moves hypen one space to the right*
Hairy ass-legs. Now there's something that's not sexy.
LMAO ASSLEGS!
Your post interests me because it seems to support something I've experienced in my own life.
People always tell me that I'm a non-conformist role model because I embrace my body hair (do not shave anywhere...ever) and fat and natural hair texture (in a society in which most African-origin hair is pressed or permed to literal death). And I suppose I am, to a degree. Both my specific ethnic/class group and the U.S. culture favor striaghtened hair and denusion of body hair, and I fly in the face of that, AND still consider myself sexually attractive (if not to others, than to myself).
But I've been thinking that my ability to feel attractive to myself and others despite my non-conforming appearance has less to do with a magical strength of my own than the fact that it's a side effect of never having been deemed attractive to U.S. society in the first place.
I was never allowed to be pretty, even though my facial features are quite attractive, my hair is, IMO, beautiful, and I enjoy my curves. Because all of the people I grew up with were European in ancestry, I was never put on their buffet of beauty for their consideration. They repeatedly reminded me how ugly they found me, even though, in confusion, I went home and looked in the mirror and thought that I and my family were quite attractive.
Because of these experiences, I grew up not giving a good goddamn about majority society's standards. The key was that I always knew that no matter how much I policed my body and hair, they couldn't construe me as "the pretty girl." So, I didn't feel constrained to try. The result was my luxuriant body hair growth, endless ability to chow down without concern for "my shape," and other eccentricities anathama to majority society.
Now, send me to a community of people all of my own ethnic group, and all of a sudden, I care a bit more about whether I conform to their standards. Not a HUGE bit more--the pressing comb doesn't come out, mind--but a little bit more.
So, I think I understand where you're coming from--you identify as "femme" which I think you will agree is a construction of society that values a specific, painted and perfumed performance of "feminiity." And because you hew to this construction in some ways (high heels) you cannot find it in yourself to breach that construction in other ways. There's a mental dissonance that I don't have because I don't have the opportunity--even if I wanted to--to hew to any of those social ideals in the first place.
What would be interesting is to hear from people who have the same opportunities as you presumably do for cultural consonance in some respects (e.g. they wear heels, have silky long hair, ruffly sleeveless silk blouses, etc.) who yet do not remove their underarm and leg hair, and who feel "attractive," as you put it, in combining the two purportedly warring aesthetic ideals.
Oh nice. Not only is she being harassed by the man she's with who cannot take "no" for an answer, it's still her fault that the bus crashes because she hasn't kept herself perfectly groomed... what??!?
Stupidest.commercial.ever. GAH!
That is exactly what I was thinking! If I didn't know the context I would think this was an anti-harassment spot. This ad doesn't make me want to shave my legs, it makes me want to punch that guy.
If you don't shave you could kill someone!
No dear, if you date a douchebag who reacts to a little hair like it burns his hand "you" could kill someone!
Her shame at the end of the ad is what shits me the most. She should not feel bad. It was her daft boyfriend's fault for being such a simpering pussy that he can't take a little body hair on a girl.
That said, THE POWAH! If I could really wreak that sort of havok with my legs, I'd do it all the damned time! LOL! It would be my evil superlord power. Madam ScratchyPants.
I heart "Madam Scratchy Pants." I would totally buy all her comic books and have a poster of her over my bed.
'the powah' made me laugh out loud.
using pussy as an insult didn't though =(
waitwaitwait
SERIOUSLY?
The new reason to shave your legs is FEAR?
Oh, dear god.
Strangely enough, this EXACT situation happened to me just the other day. My stubbly legs landed seven people in the hospital and now the lawyers are trying to sort out liability.
I *must* buy this product.
There are too many things about this commercial that piss me off. One, the fact that she is clearly uncomfortable with him all over her, and keeps moving his arm upward (oh I don't know, reminiscent of anything?); two, his dramatic overreaction of a little stubble, and three, her all too obvious shame at the end, and pulling down of her skirt over her legs (again, reminiscent of anything?) The symbolism in this commercial, along with the unhealthy body image it promotes is what really infuriates me.
It's blatantly sexist, and exploitative.
I am boycotting this company, and their products. I hope they suffer until they change.
The sublte references in this commercial, and body language are also potentially dangerous to impressionable minds; the unhealthy perceptions that they could develop about themselves as a result from seeing things like this can trickle over into more serious matters. Friggin shame on you, whoever produced this commercial.
As soon as I saw the Quatro razor I thought "Nooooo, I use and love you razor, now I must boycott you!" First I wanted the razor with the trimmer on it (but you made that horrid "mow your lawn" commercial) and now this! Do you not want me to buy your product?
but if you let your leg hair grow out it's soft and fuzzy!
it's the shaving that makes it prickly in the first place. so really it's the razors fault. really....
headdeskheaddeskheaddeskheaddeskheaddesk
No, I've had it grow out for over two months to the point where it stopped growing. It still irritated me. Mostly when I'd wear pants because the hair would rub against the pants to the point where the skin irritation and redness was unbearable. So then I decided I would keep shaving.
Was this before or after you'd been shaving for a long time? My leg hair's pretty long, but never having been shaved, it's never irritated me.
This was after. I admitted (in a post above) that I started shaving because that's what you're supposed to do in this society and I didn't really give it much thought at the time. Then I decided to see what it was like not shaving. I didn't like it. So I shave. And I don't feel the need to stop shaving to prove anything to anyone.
It doesn't make me less of a feminist. I don't look down on others that don't shave. I don't look down on those that do. I understand the societal pressures in place and I'm willing to analyse those pressures. I don't feel the need to shave to be attractive to the opposite sex. I've never had a guy recoil in fear when he's touched my unshaven legs. It has happened when a guy I'm with has noticed I haven't shaved recently and he and I could've really cared less.
Doesn't long-term waxing (or, at the very least, one instance of waxing) result in sparser hair such that it feels softer? If it's the feel of the hair that bothers you, would you try that? Or did you consider wearing baggier pants?
I don't see why I should have to change what I like to wear (I hate hate hate baggy pants) in order to accomodate not shaving which is something I don't want to do anyway. I like shaving. I don't see why I have to keep explaining this. I love the way it feels. With pants, without. I love the feeling of it. And waxing doesn't, in my experience, make the hair thinner or anything, it just takes longer to grow back. It's also more expensive. No thanks.
You're interpreting my posts wrong. At no point did I say what you should or shouldn't do: what I read from your posts was that there were reasons why you kept shaving, and I was asking if those reasons could be addressed by other means than shaving. I'm not saying "You haven't any more excuses! Put down the razor!" If you're tired of explaining things to people, maybe it's because you're assuming they're attacking you when they're simply asking questions.
As far as I'm aware, one person here was up in arms about you, specifically you, shaving: I am not that person.
Um...what does shaving your legs have to do with what type of pants you wear? I haven't shaved in four years and wear skinny jeans, leggings, and tights. Not to mention, haven't you seen all those boys running around in skinny jeans? They don't all shave.
I never said that people that don't shave where different pants. Where on earth did you get that from any post here? Kim was wondering whether my choice in pants caused the irritation I was experiencing.
And Kim I'm sorry if I misinterpreted what you were saying. I just felt, and have felt in the passed, that certain feminists always attack this choice and always try to give all these alternatives until they do say "See! You have no reason to shave!" forgetting the first reason I said that I did it: comfort.
The only reason I even stopped shaving for several months was I was severely depressed. I also didn't get out of bed much during that period. So it wasn't as though it was something I was doing because I hated shaving. I have no problem shaving. It doesn't annoy me. It takes maybe 5 minutes of my time and I only do it about once a week.
It's fine: what I'm saying is more "You shouldn't feel pressured to shave." than "You shouldn't shave."
If it's all you, then that's cool. There are women that wear earrings because they like them, not because they feel they need to wear jewelry as women: it's the same thing.
For what it's worth, it took my leg hair about four months of no shaving to completely lose the prickly, sharp ends quality. Not saying you shouldn't shave, of course, just offering. I know hair that's coarse enough can be really uncomfortable under pants, and I have to keep my ankles shaved or socks are hell. (Yeah, my legs look really funny.)
I'm jealous of all the women who have soft leg hair. I have better things to do than shave, but mine is far from soft.
Huzzah for the power of hairy legs to winnow out the useless boyfriends of the world. Serously, if he squeals like a little piggy in a cold bath when he feels a bit of stubble on his poor widdle palm, it does not bode well for his cunnilingal creativity stamina or creativity.
And on further consideration from Napalm Nancy's comment, this just needs an ending with Madam ScratchPants recruiting the poor girl as one of her Army of the Unshaven and it could be a fab trailer;-)
Let's get married. In Iowa. NOW
I waxed my legs once (I had my mother help me, otherwise I might have upset the paramedics) and here's something for the people who write these ads to think about: I didn't like my hairless legs. They looked wrong, they felt wrong (even a couple of days afterward), and they just looked "naked", and I really didn't like it. So I let my hair grow back, and my legs looked and felt normal again, just the way I like them.
My leg hair is relatively smooth (like arm hair) and whereas it's darker than my head hair (I'm blonde, but somehow my leg hair is brown: go figure) it doesn't stand out much, except in comparison to other women's legs. It cracks me up, though, that guys can walk around with afros on their legs and if a woman has stubble she's scorned.
As for the commercial, did anyone on the bus stop to look at the guy for overreacting? It was his arm jerking around that caused the whole mess.
This commercial makes me not want to shave ever again.
Apparently my stubble will act as wonderful pain-inducing protection from tools who will not listen to me saying no and trying to stop them from touching me.
It's like porcupine quills... keeps away the predators!
As an add, I thought this was hilarious...
Until, that is, the final frames depicting the woman feeling shame. Completely unnecessary and counterproductive.
Maybe we shouldn't be surprised from a product called the 'sword'.
I'm reminded of this cartoon.
I do not want to shave my legs or arms or nethers (yes I said nethers), and so I don't. But! It's like that old saying about you never know where you're going to be so always wear clean underwear. I was admitted to a hospital this weekend and every...single...doctor and nurse had to lift my blankets and check my legs. It was horrifying to me, even though months ago I consciously made the decision not to shave. Gah.
I use my hairy ass legs to ward off guys like that...
And when I say hairy, I mean leg hair that will rival most guys. I rub my face in my leg hair 'cause it feels so soft and nice...
It's nice to know that I'm not the only girl with a TON of freaking leg hair. I'm hairy ALL OVER like a gorilla.
It's like the UK version of Schick. That commercial was ridiculous.
You have GOT to be kidding me.
This is just ridiculous.
"Shave or people will be hurt and it's all your fault cause you decided to blow it off for at least a day and now you feel like a fool, everyone hates you and your boyfriend thinks your disgusting. All because of the patriarcial values that dictate most of society says that leg hair is gross."
Yeah, that's just...
The only "sword" I want is a broadsword so I can take down the person who thought of this and play with it until I hurt myself.
Part of what I find not just galling but worrisome about this ad and the "mow the lawn" one is that somewhere in the world there was a focus group letting Schick/Wilkinson Sword know that this kind of advertising would be effective. These ads are so obviously insulting, but the fact that the companies and the agencies that work for them think that we'll still gobble this shit up makes me wonder if we actually will. That depresses and worries the hell out of me.
I haven't been shaving my legs daily for years now, and no one has so much as stubbed a toe. Clearly I need to work harder.
So very this. :) I haven't shaved in ... mmm, it's been a while. And yet to cause ONE disaster. My feminine wiles are clearly lacking.
(Though since I'm wearing a strapless wedding dress this summer, I'm probably going to do my pits. Legs aren't being abused, though.)
No matter how regularly I shaved, I always got serious razor burn, and it was itchy, miserable, and ugly. My hair is much less unattractive, IMO, than red-bumpy itchy irritated legs, so I lost interest in trying. My fiancee even coaxed me into a swimsuit this summer, hair and all. :)
...and not one person drowned.
i agree that shaving is a form of submission.
and yet, i continue to shave, wear makeup, and put on clothes that make me look "attractive" (or at least that's the intention).
am i proud of it? no.
but changing the way i am is just too hard, at least at this point in my life. you have to pick your battles. i admire women who want to defy the patriarchal standards of beauty, but for now, i'm going to continue dressing the way i do...and i don't want to be considered a "weak woman" (as my father once said when he saw me in a pair of satin pumps)for doing it.
If you believe that shaving serves another purpose aside from "fitting in", or there are other reasons for shaving, then you're completely correct that it shouldn't be assumed that you're being a "weak woman" by shaving. If you like shaving, then shave.
If you do it because that is what is "right" for your sex to do, though, then that is a form of submission, and arguably you are being a "weak woman" by giving in to patriarchal standards. Granted, there is, as you say, only so much you can do, and it does take a lot of guts and stamina to stand up to standards of beauty, so whereas I am saying I could understand why your father said that, I don't entirely agree.
We all conform to the status quo to some degree, it would be nearly impossible not to, I don't think that makes you (or anyone else) 'weak'.
Shaving is not a feminist choice, but I think understanding that we all have to assimilate in our daily lives is an important distinction to make regarding our choices, we don't 'choose' in a vacuum.
That's what I'm saying: I understand that if shaving is (only) a submissive gesture, that it is therefore giving into patriarchal demands, but I also understand that there is only so much one can ask of women and other oppressed persons.
choices aren't feminist or not; people are. let's avoid even subversive value judgments. there isn't a "feminist choice" or an "unfeminist choice" to be made here.
the important thing is to fight for a world in which women have choices (i.e. to shave or not) free of threats, coercion or shaming. one can do this with or without leg hair. and shaving or not shaving is no indicator of feminist status.
I'd argue that it's an indicator of how well women are received in society. If we live in a society that still shames women into removing things that grow out of our bodies in order to conform to what it means to be a woman, then going against it is an extremely feminist decision to make.
Not a decision I would have the ovaries to make, but still.
i'd say it's a *rebellious* choice, and yes, many feminists are rebellious.
but other feminists aren't rebellious, or at least, aren't rebelling against that specific action for whatever reason. they're equally feminists.
as soon as there's a *right* choice to make, THAT is when i have a problem with being a feminist. i understand that we live and operate within a system, and that system merits critique. i believe people should thoughtfully consider what they want and how that fits within that system.
but, as long as they do that, *i believe feminists should have nothing invested in what someone ultimately chooses*. it's about promoting an environment in which someone can make a choice without coercion or shaming, *not* the choice in and of itself.
therefore, shaving or not shaving is immaterial. the important thing is promoting an environment where women aren't shamed or judged for *either choice*.
Well how is anything EVER going to change if we do the exact same thing we always do in the exact same way we always do it?
SOMEONE has to be rebellious or we are never going to get anywhere with this movement.
um, it's possible to shave one's body hair while also not shaming those who don't. i'd say that's doing something different....
I'm not arguing that shaving is an indicator of feminist status, but to deny that hair removal has any genderised social consequences is naive.
Making the decision not to shave off your natural body hair *is* a feminist choice, conforming to the hairless status quo of femininity is not. Not shaving is a form of activism, just like not wearing make-up or marching for womens' reproduction rights.
It does not make women who shave less of a feminist, in the same way that women who don't attend marches and rallies are not less feminist, but there is a distinction to be made in the actions.
The actions aren't right or wrong, there is no feminist handbook, and hairy and hairless women are equally feminist.
Making the choice to not shave, is promoting an environment in which women will be less judged by the state of their body hair.
Think of wearing trousers; women were ridiculed for doing so, now it is a choice free of political consequence (for the most part)
Leg shaving is not a politically neutral act, so for now not shaving legs is making a political statement about the natural body hair status of women.
Am I the only who noticed the sand-scraping sound that was made while he brushed his hand on her leg? That's what really set me off.
Wow that was super disturbing... Even the fact that at the beginning she's clearly saying "no, stop" and he keeps right on pawing at her... YUCK.
I've never dated a guy who actually cared about shaving legs, pits, or vag. I, in fact, would refuse to date that kind of man. There are actually a lot of men who don't give a fuck because they're not shallow or superficial. I think women care more about hair than men.
thanks for saying this, my experience is exactly the same / i feel exactly the same way.
it's a great way to ensure you don't get involved with idiots.
When I still lived at home up north I, and many of my friends, wouldn't bother to shave all winter. Want to know why? Because it's warmer!
Now that I live further south? I shave so my armpits won't sweat. I'm lucky in that my hair is blond, so I can forgo the leg-shaving for quite a few weeks, but I still shave my armpits because if I don't they sweat and then they smell. Yes, my armpits smell worse if I don't shave. So really, I don't shave if I don't want to and I do when I do want to.
Also, shaving my downstairs? Doesn't happen because I get razor burn no matter *what* I do.
I think this commercial is moronic because unless they're a swimmer I've never seen a man shave his legs. The guy in this commercial needs to learn to suck it up, I'm sure his legs are worse.
Also, he needs to stop groping his, obviously unwilling, girlfriend. That was disturbing and gross to watch, I feel bad for the girl. She should learn to tell him to bugger off though. Obviously he doesn't understand 'subtle' hints.
Well, she's socialized the same way most women in our society are: to be accommodating of men, not to a 'bitch' by asserting herself, etc. Yes, she could very much benefit from a lesson/article/book about setting boundaries and clearly telling others what those boundaries are, but the true blame here is on the guy, who hasn't learned that he should respect her boundaries at all - there's no way he hasn't noticed that she MOVED HIS HAND AWAY.
Basically, the onus shouldn't be entirely on women as far as preventing unwanted touching/sexual behavior/rape. This dude, fictional as he is, needs to get a clue. Moving his hand away is in no way subtle, and he's an ass for not respecting that.
Has anyone complained to Wilkinson Sword or an advertising complaints commission?
Here's the link to contact Wilkinson Sword: http://www.wilkinsonsword.co.uk/men/contact_us
so long as we have so called "feminists" calling hairy legs "ugly", and claiming that they do not match whatever style of shoe, i think we have a problem.
I understand that many young women do not have the confidence to let their hair grow, but say that you like cutting/pulling it out is something i don't understand. Even if you did enjoy the smooth child-leg feeling initially, what about the regrowth? the constant maintenance? And most importantly, the fact that you are supporting this myth that women should not feel physically acceptable without devoting significant time and money to this preening?
I don't want my sexual confidence based on a myth that represses women, and i think my friends and partners have all had a lot of respect for that. The good guys and girls don't care about your hair. In fact, the confidence it takes to go without hair removal is a total turn on.
When i was just reaching puberty there were very few women around to let me know that my body was ok. i want to be one of those women, i don't want to be one of the people telling 12 year olds to hate their hair.
On another note: If you remove the hair from your labia your hot bearded friends can't go down on you without creating a rash. I have a theory that this is the main reason we have public hair.
I love that theory.
i like shaving and waxing because i live in phoenix fucking arizona, where the temperature routinely exceeds 120 degrees. feeling body hair makes me feel hotter.
i enjoy taking the time in the shower that is all mine, letting the water roll over my body, smelling my soap, shaving my skin and then applying body oil that smells like tangerines, and just in general having a few private moments to myself every day. (and i don't get razor burn and it doesn't itch in the slightest. and i don't cut myself either.) it feels *good* to me to shave. if i want to skip a day, i do, but for the most part, i like doing it.
i enjoy being able to feel and see all of my self in my glory when i masturbate. (it doesn't look like a little girl's. promise.) i also enjoy when my fiancé trims himself down there so i don't get pubes in my teeth.
i'm not supporting *any* myth. do whatever the hell you want with your body hair. some of my friends don't shave, and guess what? *we don't talk about it.* not because we'll fight, but because *it is not important*. we don't shame each other or question each other's motivations.
if someone wants to look at me and assume that i don't support feminist ideals because i shave my legs, THAT IS NOT MY PROBLEM, and it is their loss for doing so. i rebel against the notion that my outward appearance is any indicator of the intelligent, funny, loving, complex person that i am. that, i thought, was part of the whole point of this movement.
I don't think anyone supposes that women who shave or wax don't support feminist ideals, for example, I think that nearly everyone in my gender class removes their body hair, and I have no doubt about their commitment to feminism. I hope you aren't getting personally upset by this exchange, it is in no way an attack upon your feminism :-)
I actually (and presumably most of the people commenting on this advertisement) think that body hair *is* a feminist issue, and an important one! I believe that shaving is not a politically neutral act (see my post above) and that women in our culture are shamed for having visible body hair. This ad is an example of shaming women for perfectly natural body hair.
You are right in that your outward appearance should have no implication on your personality or intelligence, and women who don't shave or wax deserve the same. We are fighting for the same thing :-)
I found a gem: http://tinyurl.com/c82lak
"The CAP Code - Rules
FEAR AND DISTRESS
9.1 No marketing communication should cause fear or distress without good reason. Marketers should not use shocking claims or images merely to attract attention."
Complain to the Advertising Standards Authority:
http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/how_to_complain/complaints_form/
I hate this. Its just cruel, blatant, unashamed body shaming. And the worst thing is I just got a wilkison sword razor yesterday.
Shaving legs is a factor of body shaming, pure and simple.
One of the reasons I love to travel is that I get a real perspective on how other cultures don't even notice things we accept as normal. When I was an exchange student, some of the young women in my form found my razor when I left it in the shower and were baffled by it. What's it for? To shave my legs. Why?? Because ....I couldn't come up with a good reason.
If you like the feel of shaved legs, not stubble, I recommend you go unshaven long enough for the hair to get smooth. That feels pretty good.
"If you like the feel of shaved legs, not stubble, I recommend you go unshaven long enough for the hair to get smooth. That feels pretty good."
I think this a great point to make. Also, I'll just point out that the longer body hair stays on your body, the softer it becomes. Leg hair, for example, is worn down and softened by contact with clothing.
My girlfriend has very sexy unshaven legs, underarms and pubic hair. I think all of the troubling feminist aspects of this commercial have been clearly pointed out, but I'll add this.
Watching from a male perspective, I was really disturbed by the male character in this commercial. While this is obviously an add aimed at women (negatively) I really resent the depiction that a guy should be automatically disgusted as soon as he feels a hairy leg.
The artificial standards of sexuality and gender identify foisted upon us all by the patriarchy are bad for everyone, irrespective of our sex. Sometimes, I think it can be harder for men to see this, because both the manipulation and the ill-effects can be harder to pick out.
But what do I know. After all, what kind of man am I? I'm attracted to women with body hair! For shame!
Hair is such a complex topic!!! This ad made me angry, but I'm really not surprised. It seems like female razor commercials are getting worse and worse...
I also refuse to shave my vag, and have only recently decided not to shave my legs. I can't lie, though, armpit hair is quite itchy and obnoxious. I guess I have more a question about that...do those of you who don't shave the pits let it grow, or keep it trimmed? How do you combat itchyness??
In other hair-related news, American viewers of tonight's NIGHTLINE (ABC) might have been as appalled as I was to see Steve woman-"expert" Harvey dispensing advice about What Men Really Want (TM) in a woman.
Amongst his pearls of wisdom ("strappy sandals and sundresses blowing in the breeze...full-on makeup, lip liner, eyeliner, rouge--the works") was the assertion that "men" (as in, generally, universally) want women whose armpits are shaved.
Um, that's news to a few hundred distinct societies around the world, to say nothing of the many men in the West who either are indifferent to or prefer armpit hair. Are they not men, now?
Why is Steve Harvey's relationship advice being given so much attention by the mainstream media? What qualifies him--anybody!--to speak for all men and all women?
I have recently grown to have a measure of respect for Oprah in some capacities, so her continual promotion of Harvey's absurdly male-privilege-saturated "relationship advice" is all that much more disappointing to me.
What bothered me about this commercial--besides the hair-shaming of course--was the ending statement, "Free your skin." I mean, sure, I shave, but it's a (very misogynist) chore, and I am offended that someone in that marketing department actually thought I'd be convinced it's an act of fucking freedom. Please.
Am I the only one who used the customize feature to make the commercial make fun of itself?
I thought the add was kinda funny until the end where she is all ashamed. My ex used to react in a manner very similar to the guy in the add if my facial hair was at a stubbly length. We would be kissing and she would suddenly jump up like she had been shocked.
Seeking Advice
So I just started dating a guy a few months ago and am really into him, but he has these stereotypical ideas in his head of what a women should be like. Its so frustrating to me, because other than that we have a lot in common and really get along. He doesn't shave his face very often so I always kid and say I'm not going to shave my legs for as long as he doesn't shave, but he insists its not the same. I tell him he's being hypocritical but he says he just likes it better when I shave. My hair grow really fast and is kind of prickly and dark, so if I don't shave everyday it's pretty noticeable. I guess I can understand feeling smooth legs against your body probably does feel better than prickly legs, but I don't want to feel like I'm less attractive to him when I don't have time to shave or just don't feel like it. I don't want to fight with him about it but just wish he could see my point of view. Any one had any similar experiences? Is there any hope for him?
What I think is even more disgusting and terrible, more than the body shaming and the unnecessary freak out about stubble, is the fact that this girl continually says no to her apparent boyfriend and yet he still reaches down and touches her legs. SHE SAID NO!! and yet she is the one who is shamed at the end, she is at fault, and if she'd just let her boyfriend have her when and how he wanted we would not have to worry about bus crashes.
it's this kind of normalized mysogony we have to watch out for, not fighting amongst ourselves about what is feminist and what is not, what shaving means, etc.