There's a fairly interesting discussion on This Morning at the moment (bit of daytime tv when I should be working...) - they're talking about women and body hair. There's a woman who hasn't shaved/waxed/etc. for 18 months - hairy legs, arm pits, etc. She's making some interesting points about how women are conditioned to want to remove body hair, how smooth legs, etc. are associated with feminity/beauty, and how these attitudes are usually driven by other women.
She mentioned that as a young teen she remembers shaving without really giving any thought as to whether she wanted to or not. She just knew it was the 'normal' thing to do.
Any thoughts?
Comments
I'm not sure it's totally driven by women - any time this has come up on the forum before, most of the blokes say that they prefer women with smooth bits.
I think (like with so much else) we are conditioned to believe that women looking pre-pubescent is better, nicer, sexier - even "cleaner"!
It keeps Veet in business.
It's very difficult to go against the flow, especially when the media bombards women with the hairless-is-beautiful message. Women become conditioned to it and so do men, and then because men expect it all the magazines simply reinforce the fact in their constant 'how to win your man' articles. The media are starting to put pressure on the men to be hairless as well now, no doubt partically driven by the various grooming companies looking to make a market and hence money. It probably won't be long before some of the men's magazines start to push it as what women want, if they haven't already (don't know, I don't read them).
And on that note - the reviews are hilarious
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B000KKNQBK
That's brilliant, tea everywhere.... thanks for the laugh sarah
That first review is just brilliant!
That is priceless. There is no way i am letting the wife know about this.
Hairy women i am sorry to say is wrong.
I think it has become just 'seomthing we do' without thinking, in many respects. Mind you, I think if magazines were adorned with women with hairy legs/armpits etc etc, it would put me off slightly. I think women do look better with less body hair. Some women have such light coloured body hair you can't really see it though...lucky bastards!
Thanks for that, glad I wasn't drinking anything.
I've stopped reading the reviews after the first page before the I end up with tears of laughter streaming down my face.
Going to have to resume reading at home tonight
Sarah the Bookworm - Thanks - thats my afternoon sorted
But it is how nature intended us to be. Anyone know what women in other cultures do?
Assume it was the same woman from this Guardian article.
I think you should do what you like with your body, although personally I find a lot of body hair on a woman a bit of a turn-off.
lovely...i will spend the rest of the afternoon forward this review...
Google "men who like hairy women" at your peril
no clithes required
I noticed Cake, sitting in the corner, looking rather worried.
reminds me of the time that my leg finally came out of plaster, after having been encased in it for nearly 3 months.
Best reviews I've read in a long time.
Jeepers! Hope you're ok
I had both legs in plaster many moons ago, I know what you mean!
I have to admit that I feel cleaner sans leg hair, etc. No idea why, there's no sense in it really. It is very much socially conditioned.
Rubbish. It's natural. That's not wrong. Only thing wrong here is your perspective.
Chewy's lost weight!
Love those reviews
I am a bit hit and miss on this one - but find myself increasingly resisting the urge simply because I often hang around with keen male cyclists and hairy legs allows me to differentiate myself
I knew I was spending too long with them when I went off a very cute marine whos tight butt I had been following for two hours after I noticed his 'unusual' and 'untidy' hairy legs
no, women feeling like they have to make themselves look like children in order to attract men is wrong.
Smooth legs and armpits definitely but I don't think I'd ever go for the ladybits permasmooth.
Amazon reviews are amazing - I hope I never meet some!
I remember as a kid going to France on an exchange and going to the beach with the local girls, none of whom had shaved their armpits. They still looked pretty hot to me. They might have been topless too (just a detail)
I See the old Veet Amazon review has reached the forum. That thing has got EVERYWHERE! v. funny tho
Smooth' women is not a recent thing generated by the media... look back through the history of art and women have been removing their hair for many centuries... where or why it started is probably unknown now...
I don't think it has anything at all to do with pre-pubescent images... its probably just simply because it looks better.
In some modern cultures there are still women who don't remove hair from their legs, arm pits, pubes etc.... personally, I think that's a bit...
What do the women here think..? Can you imagine yourself going out in a nice dress with hairy legs and arm pits...? I suspect most women like the look and feel too...
Are you saying Duck Abides that men who shave their beards are trying to look like children to appeal to peadophile women?
no
Frank Lampard shaves his pits.
Going back to the amazon review thing... on the right hand side of the page...people who viewed this product also viewed these too... Nads hair removal for men... Teeheehee.
Lol Caz!
I've just read the Amazon reviews and am having to try to explain to my six year-old what's so funny.