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Can a woman shave her armpits and still call herself a feminist? Can a woman shave her armpits and still call herself a feminist?
(about 4 hours later)
Now that summer has finally arrived in Britain it has struck me how long it has been since I've seen a woman with an ushaven armpit. Are they now verboten? Now that summer has finally arrived in Britain it has struck me how long it has been since I've seen a woman with an unshaven armpit. Are they now verboten?
Jill, by emailJill, by email
It is an odd thing, isn't it, Jill? Feminism is now in its third or perhaps third and a half (it's hard to keep up) wave and while it has firmly made the transition from the theoretical to the practical, with women young and old defiantly calling sexism out where they see it, this attitude has not, in my observation, translated into the personal issue of body hair. Feminism is, I was recently assured by a book publisher, "very trendy", and yet you know what else is trendy? Hairless arms, legs and goodness knows what else among the ladies. In fact, let's take the example of one particular lady: my own good self. I waggle my fist with fury at the sexist bile spewed by idiots such as, say, Nick "ladies are basically laptops" Ross and Charles "I can't believe Nigella didn't defend me when I was photographed throttling her and that is why I'm divorcing her via the medium of the Mail on Sunday" Saatchi. And yet, I would no sooner go out with au naturel armpits than I would walk on my head. It is an odd thing, isn't it, Jill? Feminism is now in its third or perhaps third and a half (it's hard to keep up) wave and while it has firmly made the transition from the theoretical to the practical, with women young and old defiantly calling sexism out where they see it, this attitude has not, in my observation, translated into the personal issue of body hair. Feminism is, I was recently assured by a book publisher, "very trendy", and yet you know what else is trendy? Hairless arms, legs and goodness knows what else among the ladies. In fact, let's take the example of one particular lady: my own good self. I waggle my fist with fury at the sexist bile spewed by idiots such as, say, Nick "ladies are basically laptops" Ross and Charles "I can't believe Nigella didn't defend me when I was photographed throttling her and that is why I'm divorcing her via the medium of the Mail on Sunday" Saatchi. And yet, I would no sooner go out with au naturel armpits than I would walk on my head.
This seems, if not a tragic state of affairs, arguably a hypocritical one. Why kowtow to a weird social message that abhors female body hair, which is essentially a message that is expressing disgust about adult women? I've tried to justify it to myself by saying that while I applaud any woman who doesn't succumb to the underarm razor, I don't like the look of it on myself (nonsense: this is just social conditioning), or that I do it for the sake of hygiene (again, nonsense, and this seems something of a slur on unshaven men). The truth is, there is no real justification beyond peer pressure that stems from a sexist source. This seems, if not a tragic state of affairs, arguably a hypocritical one. Why kowtow to a weird social message that abhors female body hair, which is essentially a message that is expressing disgust about adult women? I've tried to justify it to myself by saying that while I applaud any woman who doesn't succumb to the underarm razor, I don't like the look of it on myself (nonsense: this is just social conditioning), or that I do it for the sake of hygiene (again, nonsense, and this seems something of a slur on unshaven men). The truth is, there is no real justification beyond peer pressure that stems from a sexist source.
As I was pondering this issue this week I came across an article in a junky American magazine (and that's how I utilise my education – you're welcome, Mum and Dad) that claimed a new plastic surgery "craze" was veritably "sweeping" LA. This craze, which the article said was mainly popular among young gay men but was spreading "among the Hollywood heterosexual A-list", involves men having the skin around their testicles ironed out so as to remove any dreaded wrinkles around their precious cargo.As I was pondering this issue this week I came across an article in a junky American magazine (and that's how I utilise my education – you're welcome, Mum and Dad) that claimed a new plastic surgery "craze" was veritably "sweeping" LA. This craze, which the article said was mainly popular among young gay men but was spreading "among the Hollywood heterosexual A-list", involves men having the skin around their testicles ironed out so as to remove any dreaded wrinkles around their precious cargo.
Now, when a magazine story claims to discover a "plastic surgery craze", it generally means that one salon is offering this procedure and it has recently hired a PR. But even if, as I hope and suspect, no one even in LA is having their testicles ironed, the fact that someone, somewhere, even thought of doing this, and a journalist believed it had just enough of a smack of credibility, tells us quite a lot about a certain attitude towards the human body, an attitude that plays a very large part in the issue of women's armpits. Now, when a magazine story claims to discover a "plastic surgery craze", it generally means that one salon is offering this procedure and it has recently hired a PR. But even if, as I hope and suspect, no one even in LA is having their testicles ironed, the fact that someone, somewhere, even thought of doing this, and a journalist believed it had just enough of a smack of credibility, tells us quite a lot about a certain attitude towards the human body, an attitude that plays a very large part in the issue of women's armpits.
Elective plastic surgery – by which I mean facelifts, breast enlargements and testicle ironing as opposed to reconstructive surgery after an operation – is entirely about two things: a fear of mortality and a fear of humanity. Plastic surgery fans always claim that it is about making themselves happy but never seem to question why having a body that reflects their actual age makes them so unhappy – unless perhaps they are scared of death. Testicle ironing feels like the natural endpoint of an industry that has long been predicated on making human beings resemble plastic dolls and, while it is generally women who are the target of its Barbie-fication of the human race, no one is exempt, as anyone who has ever seen a Botoxed man can verify. The only way a man could get more Ken-like than ironing his testicles would be full-on castration. Elective plastic surgery – by which I mean facelifts, breast enlargements and testicle ironing as opposed to reconstructive surgery after an operation – is entirely about two things: a fear of mortality and a fear of humanity. Plastic surgery fans always claim that it is about making themselves happy but never seem to question why having a body that reflects their actual age makes them so unhappy – unless perhaps they are scared of death. Testicle ironing feels like the natural endpoint of an industry that has long been predicated on making human beings resemble plastic dolls and, while it is generally women who are the target of its Barbie-fication of the human race, no one is exempt, as anyone who has ever seen a Botoxed man can verify. The only way a man could get more Ken-like than ironing his testicles would be full-on castration.
Which brings me back to the hairy armpits issue. When women shave off their body hair, they are, in a very low-fi way, trying to make themselves look like a plastic doll. They are apologising for displaying signs of being an adult woman besides their breasts. Because a very important part of feminism is giving women choice, it would be ridiculous – and pointless – to say that feminists should as one throw out the razor. We do, after all, have the choice, and that's great, even if, as Jill's question indicates, it doesn't feel so much like a choice as an obligation. But when we shave in the mornings, we feminist ladies shouldn't kid ourselves as to why we are doing what we are doing. Feminism may be about choice, but it's also about treating women fairly and one woman you definitely have to treat fairly is yourself, and an important part of that is being honest with yourself. And men, if any of you are really thinking of ironing your testicles, I think you need more than self-honesty. I think you may need professional help beyond the plastic surgeon's office. Which brings me back to the hairy armpits issue. When women shave off their body hair, they are, in a very low-fi way, trying to make themselves look like a plastic doll. They are apologising for displaying signs of being an adult woman besides their breasts. Because a very important part of feminism is giving women choice, it would be ridiculous – and pointless – to say that feminists should as one throw out the razor. We do, after all, have the choice, and that's great, even if, as Jill's question indicates, it doesn't feel so much like a choice as an obligation. But when we shave in the mornings, we feminist ladies shouldn't kid ourselves as to why we are doing what we are doing. Feminism may be about choice, but it's also about treating women fairly and one woman you definitely have to treat fairly is yourself, and an important part of that is being honest with yourself. And men, if any of you are really thinking of ironing your testicles, I think you need more than self-honesty. I think you may need professional help beyond the plastic surgeon's office.
• Post your questions to Hadley Freeman, Ask Hadley, The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Email ask.hadley@guardian.co.uk• Post your questions to Hadley Freeman, Ask Hadley, The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Email ask.hadley@guardian.co.uk