If your response to that comment was somewhere between your stomach and gag reflex, you're in the company of many others who share your cultural expectation that female legs should be shaven.
But it's No-Shave November! The only time of year that applauds men for facial laxity. It coincides with the changing season, when the whipping wind increasingly chaps faces everywhere, and the extra layer of fur is a natural shield against the elements. It's nice to have that bonus protection. It's a built-in face fleece.
Do women participate in this? I know some have. Do many? As soon as temperatures drop, and wedding season is over, it's time for long pants for at least 6 months in the Northern states. Some guys would have a problem with this. Why? I'm not sure. Guys are encouraged to look unkempt and generally unappealing, while the expectation is that women will maintain year-round grooming patterns regardless of audience. Silly? I think so.
If you look at the animal kingdom, it's the male of the species that is typically brighter and shinier. Peacocks, pretty much all birds, lions, tons of male animals are genetically designed to attract mates based on appearance. But humans? Nope. Human males are lazy. We expect the women to dress for us. We've evolved. Or something. Is No-Shave November just another way to exercise sexism?
You decide!
I will not be a participant in the event. No, it's not a moral response. My job requires me to keep the sides of my face cleanly shaven. (You thought the goatee was voluntary?) I would totally participate. For irony, maybe I'll shave my legs instead.
You decide!
11 comments:
Are you willing to go as far as female arm pit hair?
Lee - I'm willing to go as far as they take it, I guess.
I'm adding your Oct 31st post as an edit! I couldn't find anything to back up what I was saying aside from a faint memory. I'm glad you wrote up on that!
PS - Incredibly creative name. I love it.
I will respectfully decline the free pass not to shave. I much prefer my smoothness. With or without an audience. Too bad evolving doesn't involve losing the leg hair all together. And in all fairness, some guys are peacocks. The irony is that most of them don't get the girls. Or aren't looking for girls ...
:) <- this girl is still shaving in November.
So thats why my friend's girlfriend has allowed her mustache an unibrow to get a little longer?!
Erin - hey, you do what you want. :) I'm not changing your mind.
And I LOVE how you said some guys are peacocks, lol. It's true. They're usually really full of themselves.
Anon - lol. yep.
Hmmm, I'm guessing more girls will participate than admit to participating, haha.
I think this topic came up at the cafeteria table a few times in college, but I remember one in particular. My freshman year, the girls at the table were all comparing how long they went in the winter months without shaving, as a sort of weird contest, but the guys' immediate reaction of disgust was so strong that all the girls stopped talking, feeling suddenly shamed. I remember leaving that table pretty mad - were those specific guys having to look at our hairy legs? Were we their girlfriends? No, but because we didn't feel like scraping a sharp piece of metal across our dry skin in the winter for the sake of American beauty, we were belittled.
And that's the day I became a feminist (who still shaves her legs and lets the guy pay if he wants, since she likes to wear ankle socks and is usually broke)! :D
Kristen - Nice! That's the kind of feminism I can deal with, lol. Actually I don't care if women shave. I'm not touching it. If I could get away with not shaving, ever, I'd totally stick with that.
You know how I feel about this, but I'll comment anyways :o) Shaving was made the "norm" by Hugh Hefner (or how ever you spell it) and playboy magazine. I am not letting some perv decide what I need to do to be "beautiful."
America's - maybe even the world's - idea of beauty is incredibly limited and very shaming for women. It's sad.
I shave often times, but "Shave Tonight" was inspired by some not-so-shaven days, ay?
Man or woman, I say God made us all perfect and He didn't mess up one bit. Does that mean we shouldn't shave? Nah. Just that we should be free to be ourselves. Natural. or Not.
Vero - Hugh Hefner, eh? I've never heard that. After a bit of research on the interwebs, I see something pointing to that, though not exactly what you're saying. Still, I'll take your word for it.
It is strange that something so natural can be considered less beautiful, or desirable. I'm not saying I don't desire a woman with shaved legs. I just think it's weird that's what I want. Thank you, culture.
DAN! I'm so so so happy to see this posted! If you haven't realized yet, I am a dirty, peace-lovin' hippie from the wilderness in Minnesota. I get so much crap because back home I work at a co-op (the motto is: "Eat Well, Be Healthy, Live Simply") and it is MARVELOUS.
Anyways, that was a bunny trail, but this is real life. Some females from my high school basketball team were grossed out that in the winter I didn't shave my legs often because I wanted warmth and didn't really have a reason/guy/drive to shave. When they heard that it had been a month, so many of the girls gasped and found it so nasty. The moment that I asked them why, the best they could come up with was: "Well, that's just not the way it's supposed to be." That wasn't good enough for me. They said that the winters in MN are bad enough that of course we don't want to shave, but come summer I would feel differently. Especially in order to wear summer skirts and dresses. I challenged them that the coming "No-Shave November" (which was last year November) I would not only not shave for that month, but I would survive a whole year without shaving my legs. They all didn't believe it (even of a dirty hippie like myself).
Here I am, it's November 10, 2010, and I have not shaved from November 1, 2009. I figured since I have made it a year, I might as well make it through this No-Shave November! Thanks for supporting us while being part of a gender population that normally is so stereotypically against us exercising our freedom. I really appreciate it!
Leah - Wow! Thanks so much for that input/insight/experience! I love that response, "Well, that's just not the way it's supposed to be." lol. Yea, that's a good reason to do anything. :)
Congrats on your victory, from part of a gender population that normally is so stereotypically against you exercising your freedom.
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