Let's stop a minute and look back at the whole idea of women shaving their armpits and why we do it. Do you know why we do it? I sure as hell didn't so I googled it (what did we do before Google? I don't think my Encyclopaedia Britannica would have helped me with this query). According to my research (aka Wikipedia) women's armpits began going bare after several magazines had ads with models sans armpit hair circa 1915. This coupled with the invention on the safety razor apparently sparked a trend throughout the English speaking world.
So I only lasted a week with my fuzzy pits and if I'm honest I'm blonde and not very hairy so it's not even like very much was there. So why did I shave? Well I was going for afternoon tea at a very fancy hotel to celebrate Blondie Boy's Great Grandma's 80th Birthday in a sleeveless dress and I didn't want to do anything that could irk BB's GG on her big day.
Personally I do normally shave my armpits but not so much because I'm worried other people will see my hairy pits, but just I don't like the feeling of hair there. If I want to get all analytical I could say if I never once shaved my armpits to begin with maybe I wouldn't feel that way and you'd probably be right. I think if you want to shave your pits or if you don't that should be your decision, but I do think women shaving their armpits is patriarchally influenced.
Why? Well do men shave their armpits? No. Do men get called dirty or gross for having hairy armpits? No. Do you see the inequality here? I could take this argument even further and say that society's current infatuation with hair removal is patriarchy's attempt to make us all powerless little girls, but I won't digress. I think there is a fine line between hair removal for hygienic purposes and hair removal to adhere to cultural "standards." Don't even get me started on vajazzling or I'll be here all week.
So to shave or not to shave?
Feminist Friday XII
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38 comments:
"So to shave or not to shave?"
Hygienically speaking, it is better to shave, and I guess we all grow up to the culture that hair on armpits of women are gross. Though, I didn't consider this as a gender bias, since it is amoral. We the have the choice, eh.
ooh, I remember looking into this a while ago... the Ancient Egyptians used to remove body hair (men & women)...
Interesting topic. I'm basically too lazy to shave, so I'm hairy I'm afraid, and it very rarely bothers me at all.
You can tell I didn't do proper research ::cough::Wikipedia::cough:: but it looks like in Islam both men and women do it for religious reasons?
That's good! I think I'm trying to question if I do things because it is my choice or if it's society's choice if that makes sense? Even if it is my choice, how much of that is subconsciously influenced by patriarchal norms?
I go through phases.
Oops. Meant to say I go through phases - sometimes I go long periods of time without shaving (usually when I'm single and can't be bothered). I have little patience for people - both men and women - who scrunch up their faces in disgust at the prospect of *GASP* body hair. UGH
have posted. great topic! made me laugh.
So when you do shave it's only for partners or only because you can't handle people getting grossed out?
Interesting topic. I shave my armpits regularly, also because I like how it feels, but I haven't shaved my legs in years. I was never a big fan of shaving them, or of the final product, and I realized there was no reason to continue shaving if I wasn't doing it for me.
both.
I shave my armpits, just because I like it like that. I shave my legs too, but not very frequently because there isn't much hair there. As for my down under - trimming it is as far as I go - I would never go near it with hot wax or a razor :| As for guys, everything should be trimmed a bit as well, armpits too!
I definitely acknowledge that I don't HAVE to shave, but I like to. It feels better, and my hair grows very long, and very fast. :/
It was an open theme this week my dear so no rules have been broken :)
Sometimes I feel like I can go ages without shaving legs and pits but then I literally *have* to - but it's like you say; it's because it is what is either expected of us or what we were exposed to when we were younger.
I remember being mortally embarrassed when I was 14 because I believed I had hairy arms. I shaved them with one of my dads disposable Bic razors and loved the smoothness. I still have a vivid memory of discovering the perils of stubble whilst sat in a Geography lesson two days later. I covered up for about 3 months and let it all grow back. For the first time this year I went and had a holiday bikini wax (sides and top) - not for sexual reasons but because last year on holiday I seemed to be "sprouting" and a quick tidy-up hadn't really done the trick. I'm not really sure how I felt about it. I know I felt exposed in the beauty salon but at least I could relax on holiday without having to tuck any little runaways back in again!
How many men do you know that do that sort of grooming?
PS - I know I've linked in but I've not followed the theme - sorry for breaking the rules on the first week.
I think shaving because you don't want people to see you have hair is a totally different thing to shaving for your own preference. I do wonder though if you'd never shaved ever if you'd have that preference, you know?
I think shaving/waxing so you don't have pubes sticking out your bathing suit is totally different to shaving/waxing because men expect a Brazilian, you know? I first shaved my legs when I was 10 at summer camp because the other girls were doing it. WTF! A ten year old shouldn't be shaving their legs and I'm so blonde it's not like anyone could see my leg hair anyway!
Good for you! See you've got it. I'm not against hair removal as long as you are doing it for the right reasons :)
I mostly don't shave. In summer I shave my pits more often because I find my deodorant slightly more effective that way (only slightly, though - I really don't buy the idea that hair is unhygienic!). And I shave my legs if I think my outfit requires that kind of look, but that doesn't mean I do it every time I get my legs out. Just if I'm wearing something pretty and femme and I feel like shaving. Another day I might wear the same skirt with hairy legs - it all depends on my mood and how I feel like presenting myself. I used to shave all the time, but found the upkeep such a total pain that a few years ago I gave up with relief and never looked back.
That said, I'm not one to claim that feminism is All About Choice and that therefore our choices are above being examined. I think it's important not to vilify individual women for how they personally navigate patriarchal pressures, but that doesn't mean that every choice a woman makes is a feminist act. It's all stuff to keep thinking about and discussing.
To me choice is essential to feminism; if we don't have the right to choose what we do and who we are what do we have? Of course this choices are going to be influence by culture, family and friends but that doesn't mean we are caving to patriarchal pressure necessarily.
You know why women wax/shave in porn? It's so there are "better" views/shots of penetration. So when the trend for Brazilians comes from porn it sort of cancels out the idea that waxing is to make women more childlike. Hair removal is very complex isn't it?
I am not so sure armpit shaving in principle is so patriarchally influenced but it has become so. I do shave mine, but not obsessively often, but nor do I wear sleeveless tops, ever.
I am more concerned about the trend to get rid of pubic hair which comes straight out of porn. It leads to some men expecting women to look & behave like porn stars which has huge implications for the power balance in relationships & self esteem of women.
I wax under my arms, I have very fair skin and dark hair and I think it looks better. Also I get ingrown hairs from shaving.
I also had my first Brazilian last year after talking smack against them for years. I too, thought they were child like I LOVE them now. It's the feeling for me more than anything, I'll leave it there.
I agree with you an feminism being the choice for a woman (or man).
I do not personally like hairy backs on men, which I think is similar to the feels evoked from hair armpits on women of that makes sense.
Personally I groom my lady garden, if you will, but it's for personal hygiene and not for a man's approval. Nothing grosses me out more than seeing pubes sticking out of someone's swimsuit--is that a patriarchally constructed disgust? Maybe, but also I just don't like hair in general. The feeling of a strand of my own wet hair on my arm after a shower sends shivers up my spine. I'm weird.
I don't know why men don't shave under their arms, but I feel like they should. I always think I stink when I have arm pit hair.
I shave because I feel I ought. For a couple of years in my 20s I went hairy. It was partly because I was making a statement and partly because I enjoyed the shock factor. You could hear the sharp intake of breath when people spotted.
Stubble isn't very attractive at all, but once you get past that stage, I think pit hair looks fine. So why don't I let it grow? Good question? One I'll have to think about...
See I did think that the stink particles possibly clung more to hair than to arm skin but I can't find any scientific evidence of that from my research (aka looking at wikipedia).
"Do men get called dirty or gross for having hairy armpits? No."It works both ways. Do women have their womanhood brought into question if they are seen with shaved oxsters? No. Do men have their manhood brought into question if they are seen with shaved oxsters? Yes.That example aside, body hair removal is becoming more prevalent in males. You'd be surprised at the number of men who shave or at least trim their nether regions (I certainly was when two of my mates expressed disbelief that I didn't trim myself down there). Hairy chests may still be regarded sexy in some quarters, but the number of men who remove their chest hair is increasing. There's back waxing as well, which women generally don't have to worry about.Male grooming is on the increase. It wouldn't surprise me if in a couple of decades' time men and women are equally body-hairless. On the other hand, it's just a fact of male/female physiology that hairiness is associated with males - men can grow beards, women generally can't. It's just one of the things that divides the two sexes. Perhaps evolution is sexist?
For me shaving my armpits was my way to shock. I got asked so often "do you shave your armpits" if I had a feminist button or top on and I just hated the stereotype.
When you say a man's manhood you really mean they get called "gay" right? Well the same is for women; hairy-armpitted women are regularly called lesbians even though every lesbian I've ever known shaved her pits.
I do think male grooming is on the increase but I don't think that cancels out sexism if that makes sense?
Hi this is my first time posting a link and I just wanted to say I love reading the feminist friday posts and I hope the blog badge is on my submission now.
I wrote a post looking at why I need feminism as there is always lots of food for thought on here.
Just take this week and the whole hair issue, my 5 y/o son recently had his head shaved 'just like daddy' and I found myself upset to see his long 'hans solo' inspired locks fall to the floor. He wanted it done and so that was that.
It seemed more important than just a style issue to me somehow. Like it was almost a ritual of becoming an older boy. I know he will wear his hair many different ways as he grows and I'm sure longer locks will return, but it still felt more than that somehow and I didn't want it to happen.
Welcome to the Feminist Friday Fold! Have you seen Blondie Boy's hair? It's super long and curly and I love it. The more people say he needs to have it cut the more I don't even want to trim it. Who says boys can't have long hair? Obviously your son wanted it done which is fine, but I know what you mean :)
"every lesbian I've ever known shaved her pits"
Patriarchy at work? I don't think so - even you admit you shaved so as not to offend your son's great grandMOTHER. Not getting why this one is seen as a symptom of any gender power struggle tbh - back, crack and sac anyone?
None :( One is 99% there though :)
The arm shaving issue is nuts. I made a video on YouTube once where I didn't shave my pits and it got 2000 hits. You can now find it on fetish sites.
Like the feminist friday theme, nice blog.
I can see why the invention of the safety razor had an impact. Imagine shaving there with an old cut-throat razor...
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