Hairy Women of the World, Unite!
Mar. 29th, 2007 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teylaminhI just watched F*** Off, I'm a Hairy Woman on BBC3, wherein comedienne Shazia Mirza decided to grow all of her body hair out for six months, pretty much as a social experiment.
My main conclusion from watching this programme is that All Men Are Bastards. Moreover, All Men have been Bastards apparently since the dawn of time, as hairless women seem to be entirely a male construct. There are paintings as far back as Ancient Greek times where women are depicted as completely hairless other than that on their heads.
In the show, Shazia went to various places to do her research, and then decided, with the help of a London artist, to put on a fashion show in the middle of London Fashion Week of lingerie partly made using real, human body hair, modelled by hairy women. 99% of the models they asked to do the show point blank refused because it was 'weird', and they didn't want to grow their body hair out. One agreed. "It saves shaving it, doesn't it?" Quite.
Shazia went to Loaded magazine to try and get them to sponsor her fashion show, and the editor plainly refused. "We think our readers might be quite disgusted to see that". Well, yes, if you're going to show photos of hairless, shiny women. The most disturbing thing in this was an 11-year-old girl getting her first legwax, as though it was an important rite of passage. Apart from being unhealthily skinny, one also has to be brown and shiny to be beautiful these days, and unfortunately it's even getting into the minds of pre-pubescents.
She also mocked some women up with fake facial and body hair, and sent them speed dating with some rugby players. Unsurprisingly, none of them got a date. All Men Are (Apparently) Superficial, also. What was really rich was a stubbly Italian man saying he was put off by facial hair (in this case, a moustache) because of the "friction" when kissing a woman. Hypocritical, much? They were all disgusted and freaked out by the concept of bodily hair on women. A popular concept was that it was part of a woman's daily routine, and that hairy women "don't take care of themselves". Hairy = filthy, in these men's minds.
And then, she went on BBC Five Live to advertise her fashion show there, and the first influx of callers - of course - were from men saying how wrong it was. Then she got some calls of solidarity from hairy ladies who hadn't shaved in years, or ever, and were perfectly happy with their hairy bodies. She met up with women with problem, fast-growing facial hair; she met a beautiful woman with a beard. She had an influx of emails from hairy ladies who said they would do her fashion show (although at that point they didn't know what they'd be modelling), and appeared on Richard & Judy to promote it again. Richard Madeley is also A Bastard. ;)
The fashion show was a complete success and ended on a very high point of euphoria for all involved (lovely to watch), with a whole catwalk of 32 models plus audience members flicking Vs at the camera and chanting "FUCK OFF! I'M A HAIRY WOMAN!" with great authority.
I found myself getting incredibly annoyed by the opinions and attitudes of all of the men Shazia encountered in her investigations. All of them thought that body hair on women was the biggest social taboo in the universe. A lot felt physically sick at the sight of female body hair. Anyone would think she was asking them to eat their own excrement. I don't consider myself a feminist, as such, but it's things like this which really get my goat and makes me wholly understand why some women are. I get annoyed at Paul, even, because he demands I shave my legs regularly because he's weirded out otherwise. But obviously, it's okay for his face to look like a a porcupine. That's socially acceptable, and I think that looks far worse than a few stray leg hairs.
The fact is, if none of us ever shaved to start with, nobody would notice. Our hair would not have to grow back thicker than when it started, and hence we wouldn't have to keep shaving it off.
If I didn't have to shave, I wouldn't - by which I mean, if SOCIETY didn't expect me to shave, I wouldn't. As it stands I only shave my armpits regularly and my legs when I absolutely have to (and then regret it two days later when the g'damned itching starts up as the hair comes back), and that's just because I'm more comfortable with bare 'pits. If you ask me to shave anything else, the hair won't be the only thing I'm shaving...
So. A poll, if you will. There aren't many men on my f-list (and most of them have probably already run for the hills at the sight of the subject alone :P) so this is for the women on there, hairy, bald or otherwise. :)
[Poll #956609]
Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sit here and BE HAIRY and therefore a wholly UNSUITABLE WOMAN.Unclean! Unclean!
My main conclusion from watching this programme is that All Men Are Bastards. Moreover, All Men have been Bastards apparently since the dawn of time, as hairless women seem to be entirely a male construct. There are paintings as far back as Ancient Greek times where women are depicted as completely hairless other than that on their heads.
In the show, Shazia went to various places to do her research, and then decided, with the help of a London artist, to put on a fashion show in the middle of London Fashion Week of lingerie partly made using real, human body hair, modelled by hairy women. 99% of the models they asked to do the show point blank refused because it was 'weird', and they didn't want to grow their body hair out. One agreed. "It saves shaving it, doesn't it?" Quite.
Shazia went to Loaded magazine to try and get them to sponsor her fashion show, and the editor plainly refused. "We think our readers might be quite disgusted to see that". Well, yes, if you're going to show photos of hairless, shiny women. The most disturbing thing in this was an 11-year-old girl getting her first legwax, as though it was an important rite of passage. Apart from being unhealthily skinny, one also has to be brown and shiny to be beautiful these days, and unfortunately it's even getting into the minds of pre-pubescents.
She also mocked some women up with fake facial and body hair, and sent them speed dating with some rugby players. Unsurprisingly, none of them got a date. All Men Are (Apparently) Superficial, also. What was really rich was a stubbly Italian man saying he was put off by facial hair (in this case, a moustache) because of the "friction" when kissing a woman. Hypocritical, much? They were all disgusted and freaked out by the concept of bodily hair on women. A popular concept was that it was part of a woman's daily routine, and that hairy women "don't take care of themselves". Hairy = filthy, in these men's minds.
And then, she went on BBC Five Live to advertise her fashion show there, and the first influx of callers - of course - were from men saying how wrong it was. Then she got some calls of solidarity from hairy ladies who hadn't shaved in years, or ever, and were perfectly happy with their hairy bodies. She met up with women with problem, fast-growing facial hair; she met a beautiful woman with a beard. She had an influx of emails from hairy ladies who said they would do her fashion show (although at that point they didn't know what they'd be modelling), and appeared on Richard & Judy to promote it again. Richard Madeley is also A Bastard. ;)
The fashion show was a complete success and ended on a very high point of euphoria for all involved (lovely to watch), with a whole catwalk of 32 models plus audience members flicking Vs at the camera and chanting "FUCK OFF! I'M A HAIRY WOMAN!" with great authority.
I found myself getting incredibly annoyed by the opinions and attitudes of all of the men Shazia encountered in her investigations. All of them thought that body hair on women was the biggest social taboo in the universe. A lot felt physically sick at the sight of female body hair. Anyone would think she was asking them to eat their own excrement. I don't consider myself a feminist, as such, but it's things like this which really get my goat and makes me wholly understand why some women are. I get annoyed at Paul, even, because he demands I shave my legs regularly because he's weirded out otherwise. But obviously, it's okay for his face to look like a a porcupine. That's socially acceptable, and I think that looks far worse than a few stray leg hairs.
The fact is, if none of us ever shaved to start with, nobody would notice. Our hair would not have to grow back thicker than when it started, and hence we wouldn't have to keep shaving it off.
If I didn't have to shave, I wouldn't - by which I mean, if SOCIETY didn't expect me to shave, I wouldn't. As it stands I only shave my armpits regularly and my legs when I absolutely have to (and then regret it two days later when the g'damned itching starts up as the hair comes back), and that's just because I'm more comfortable with bare 'pits. If you ask me to shave anything else, the hair won't be the only thing I'm shaving...
So. A poll, if you will. There aren't many men on my f-list (and most of them have probably already run for the hills at the sight of the subject alone :P) so this is for the women on there, hairy, bald or otherwise. :)
[Poll #956609]
Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sit here and BE HAIRY and therefore a wholly UNSUITABLE WOMAN.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-30 07:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-30 11:29 am (UTC)On thinking about it later, of course they were only going to show the absolute worst examples of male opinions, but I think it's fairly universal anyway, to be honest...
My excuse for not shaving my legs is because it's warmer in winter. Extra insulation. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-30 10:57 am (UTC)I remember an event a few years ago where a famous lady film star had an award given to her, but she collected and waved to crowds while wearing a sleeveless gown and her under arms were very hairy. Of course the fashion world were up in arms the morning after saying 'omg omg she is hairy'!!!!
I think there is a lot of peer pressure among women too, anything from your mother saying 'you must shave to get a man' to schoolgirls making snide remarks about the hairiest of their group.
Now, imagine due to no electricity we didn't have hot water, foam, razor blades and the like, for whatever reason (war?). We'd all be hairy, even men. Our hair would keep is a bit warmer and also protect us from the sun a bit.
It all comes down to just being yourself, it's your choice to shave or not, and not listening to what tother people are saying about you.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-30 11:32 am (UTC)Out of interest, if Jeanette were to be a hairy lady, would you recoil with horror and demand she shave? Or would you accept her as she was? (Jeanette can reply, too. :P)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-30 12:22 pm (UTC)Oh no. I've already said she needent shave for me, she does it for herself. I'd prefer nice soft hair on legs rather than stubble after a couple of days between a shave. As the lady she's always right no matter what :) I'd never _demand_ she shave.
btw she prefers me smooth.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-30 01:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-30 02:06 pm (UTC)What I find most bizarre is this idea that it's somehow dirty to have hair. As though there is an objective fact that this entirely natural phenomena is unhygienic, but only on girls. Like, it's not just a taboo, it's important to stop the spread of disease or something. I mean, yeah sure, if you want women to look prepubescent, whatever, it's your choice (just don't come anywhere near my sisters :-P) and you can choose to go out with smooth hairless ladies. But whyyyy shout abuse at me in the street? Am I really that threatening to your ideology?
Mind you, I sm often surprised at how stupid people are in all kinds of ways.
p.s. *Is a raving feminist* :-)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-30 05:19 pm (UTC)Same here. What with the "Is you a goff?!" and all...
What is also ironic is that it's considered more feminine to have long hair on your head. All women should shave themselves completely bald and reverse the stereotype on itself...
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-31 10:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-04-02 08:31 pm (UTC)