alexisp@ihuxk.UUCP (08/27/83)
ginger brought up a question that has always bothered me: why is it that in the US, women have to shave legs and armpits? I reject the theory that armpits should be shaved for hygiene reasons: almost everyone showers daily anyway, and uses deodorant; in particular, no one has ever suggested that men (who sweat more !) should shave theirs! legs: that's even worse! we all know what a pleasure it is to feel the itchy stubble that grows back sooner or later...hair that is not shaved does not get hard and stubbly. women in most other countries do not shave, although the influence of American culture, through films, TV, etc., is changing that. I feel that women should at least feel they have the option to shave or not, but at present, the reaction from men (american) is :"gross! yucchh!", etc... let's hear some other opinions. not flames. please try to explain where your feelings (either way) come from. Mine come from having lived abroad most of my life. My mother doesn't shave, and neither do any of my (female) relatives. alexis
ka@spanky.UUCP (08/29/83)
I was rather surprised when I discovered a few years ago that I reacted
negatively to women who didn't shave. This sort of cultural indoctrination
is insidious: of course I don't think that women should be required to
shave, but growing up in a society surrounded by women with hareless legs
and underarms makes that seem like the natural order of things. So I am
afraid that an *initial* negative reaction is more or less inevitable. On
the other hand, a man who can't adjust to new things is probably a lost
cause anyway; if he's not wondering about your hairy underarms he will be
wondering why you have a job instead of staying in the home where you belong.
Kenneth Almquist
PS. To anybody who doesn't want men submitting to this group: too bad.
The only way to keep men out of this group is to limit the discussion
to panyhose. The moment you start talking about men...rcj@burl.UUCP (08/30/83)
As one of those "American men" (and one raised by a Southern family in the heart of the Old South), I don't give a damn whether or not a woman shaves her underarms -- in fact, the nubs can be quite painful. As for legs, I prefer shaved legs because they feel better -- smooth, supple, mmmmm!! BUT, I have a beard (neatly trimmed) because I am too lazy to shave my entire face every day; why should I expect a woman to do the same? BUT (again) just as my girlfriend all through college always told me -- "I love you with or without a beard [even though she preferred the beard], but you WILL stop this 'grow the beard for two weeks and then shave it off' routine. Either grow it and keep it trimmed or don't grow ANY at all." I feel that asking a woman to make the same decision is only fair. -- The MAD Programmer -- 919-228-3814 (Cornet 291) alias: Curtis Jackson ...![ floyd sb1 mhuxv ]!burl!rcj
ariels@tekecs.UUCP (Ariel Shattan) (08/30/83)
What about men who wear pantyhose ?? (8^) ) but seriously, I don't think the objection is to men, per se, but to men taking over the discussion where it isn't their business. I, myself, am mildly curious as to what guys think when they see my fuzzy legs. I don't like to shave, because a razor in the hands of a sensitive-skinned clutz is just asking for trouble. Depilitories are also out, due to chemical intolerance. Besides, it's too much of a hassle. I haven't shaved my underarms in about 5 years, and it looks like about two weeks growth. Once these things reach a certain length, they stop growing. Would I shave if my body hair was thick, dark, and long? I don't know. It sure hasn't seemed to bother any of the men I've gone out with. When I go out on interviews, I feel that I have to wear patterned or opaque hose, so as to hide the fact that my legs are *gasp* hairy. If, however, I get the job, they will eventually see the hair, since I occaisionally wear skirts, and I hate nylons of any sort. But by then, I don't have to make a good first impression, I just have to do a good job. Interested in knowing how many other fuzzy legs are out there in net land. Also, do your feelings about your own hair carry over to your feelings about what other women do? about the amount of hair on your men friends? Ariel Shattan decvax!tektronix!tekecs!orca!ariels P.S. -- an example of a "bad" contribution by men would be if some guy decided to discuss HIS hairy legs, belittling this discussion by mockery.
ariels@tekecs.UUCP (Ariel Shattan) (08/30/83)
Trying again... What about men who wear pantyhose ?? (8^) ) but seriously, I don't think the objection is to men, per se, but to men taking over the discussion where it isn't their business. I, myself, am mildly curious as to what guys think when they see my fuzzy legs. I don't like to shave, because a razor in the hands of a sensitive-skinned clutz is just asking for trouble. Depilitories are also out, due to chemical intolerance. Besides, it's too much of a hassle. I haven't shaved my underarms in about 5 years, and it looks like about two weeks growth. Once these things reach a certain length, they stop growing. Would I shave if my body hair was thick, dark, and long? I don't know. It sure hasn't seemed to bother any of the men I've gone out with. When I go out on interviews, I feel that I have to wear patterned or opaque hose, so as to hide the fact that my legs are *gasp* hairy. If, however, I get the job, they will eventually see the hair, since I occaisionally wear skirts, and I hate nylons of any sort. But by then, I don't have to make a good first impression, I just have to do a good job. Interested in knowing how many other fuzzy legs are out there in net land. Also, do your feelings about your own hair carry over to your feelings about what other women do? about the amount of hair on your men friends? Ariel Shattan decvax!tektronix!tekecs!orca!ariels P.S. -- an example of a "bad" contribution by men would be if some guy decided to discuss HIS hairy legs, belittling this discussion by mockery.
mbr@fortune.UUCP (Mark Rosenthal) (08/30/83)
In most of the social circles I find myself in, women who shave appear to be the exception rather than the rule. The men I know aren't at all bothered, and many (myself included) prefer it this way. But then the places I've lived (Boston/Cambridge, SF/Berkeley) are not exactly typical representatives of mid-America. Mark Rosenthal
jamcmullan@watmath.UUCP (Judy McMullan) (09/01/83)
I used to fret about whether my legs/armpits were shaved or not. The advertisers must have had me mesmerized. Then I noticed other women who ignored all the nonsense and I tried it. No one in real life (except my mother) seemed to care whether I was shaved or not. Now, I just go hairless or hairy depending on my whim of the moment and the amount of spare time I have for such nonsense. Don't worry about other people's reactions. Just take matters into your own hands and create your own standards. --Judy McMullan
usher@mhuxt.UUCP (09/02/83)
Newsgroups: net.women.only Subject: Re: shaving... why? References: <5681@watmath.UUCP>