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Wow pointing out the obvious Pepper... Congratulations. You get a medal...
I'm not wrong though. I'm also writing it out because my legs aren't shaved and I've had strangely enough, especially women point out that it's not womanly of me to keep my leg hair. (Likely through the influence of misogyny honestly)
Why is shaving or lasering or whatever elseing your hair considered a part of growing up? WHY do people perceive women's body hair as incredibly unhygienic when washing it really isn't that hard? Last time i checked, body hair on it's own doesn't secrete body odor. humans have SWEAT glands that smell because of bacteria and genetics,which you can wash off and just use deodorant,not STINK glands.
It gets weird and itchy when i shave and i don't want to laser it off. One of my family members made me buy one of those weird laser machines. I still haven't touched it. You gotta wear a filmsy plastic to block the laser beams off,and IDK if that's healthy! At most I'll just shave my own pits because they also get uncomfortable when the hair is too long. That's simply my own personal preference though.
I feel like it's a little bit of everything to contribute to women's insecurities. Because what else are you if you're not pretty for the male gaze? You're not worth anything if you're NOT pretty. Be pretty. Conform. Conform. Conform some more. Be who we tell you to be. Have flawless skin. Have not a single pimple. Have the perfect body. Starve if you have to. You're nothing if you don't conform. "You're too stupid to think, you're just a woman!"
That's sarcasm for those who missed my point.
Edit: Again, pointing it out a SECOND time for those who are going to misunderstand this paragraph above or just refuse to understand, it's SARCASM. Still putting it in quotes. People did and still do geniunely think about women like this though: Like we're lesser. We're not that far away from the age where hysteria was a thing and women's emotions were to be treated like a disease to be cured, because of the thought that women should only be "happy and submissive and nothing else". We still don't have enough research done on women's general and reproductive health. Men whine about being lonely when they're the source of their own fucking loneliness AND the source of abuse and pain for lots of AFAB's and women. The system is designed against women.
There are still a lot of things that need to be adressed and women's looks and beauty standards are just one single part of it.
UGHHH it's just annoying okay? And people have the gall to suggest that feminism is STILL not needed (It is needed,surprise),when women are still absolutely not on equal grounds with men! There are still a lot of women who become victims to men, misogyny or both in a lot of ways! "you can vote what more do you want" you really think that's the only problem? i could go on and on and this paragraph would be a three hour read in that case.
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i ☆
Very well said! When I was ~16, I stopped shaving my legs because my skin was always irritated afterward and my mom used to bully me into shaving them. She told me it wasn't womanly, people would make fun of me at school, it was ugly, and that no one would think I was pretty. I do shave my legs to this day, but I don't shave my armpits (going on ~5 years), and I have gotten multiple comments from my family members about it. It's such a weird thing to mention too, like why are they so disturbed by my armpits lmao it doesn't impact their lives in any way.
I think a lot of times when it comes from women, it is internalized misogyny. A lot of women equate value with beauty as a result of our patriarchal society which, unfortunately, gets passed down from mother to daughter. I only learned how to shave because my mom said it was her "duty" as my mother to teach me because it was part of becoming a woman. I didn't get a choice and, from that point on, it was just expected of me to do it. It's very sad. Also, like you said, I can't stand when people think body hair = unhygienic. As long as you clean yourself, you're hygienic. Body hair doesn't immediately mean a woman is dirty or "letting herself go"
ConcertZombie
Body hair is natural. I hate that social norms say that women shouldn't have hairy legs or armpit hair; that it is somehow gross and unbecoming. As long as we clean ourselves, everything is hygienic. I could say that men shouldn't have it, honestly, with the number of times I've walked by a man who just smelled entirely of B.O the moment they raised their arms. They smell like it anyway around here.
I was just lazy as a younger teen and never felt the need to shave if no one was going to see my legs/pits, but it became normal for me. I felt more comfortable in my own skin. The only times I shave now are when I want to wear a dress/skirt or tank-top, just because I feel better when I do.
It's a weird double standard, really! somehow women get the short end of the stick. I don't get it at all.
also yeah,i can say the same for myself,except i don't wear shorter skirts or shorts often, so i never feel the need to do it. I don't wanna get rid of it entirely either though.
by Pepper; ; Report
Hyacinthyne
Yeah I'm ftm and autistic and my mom used to bully me into shaving or me just wearing long sleeve shirts because I hated shaving, but my mom has grown a lot as a person and is really supportive now. I honestly will never understand why people care about other people shaving so much, like we're mammals, we have body hair.
I'm happy to hear that your mom's more supportive now :) Also yes,in the end we are all as animal as other animals out there.
We're bound to grow body hair and that hair is just a part of our bodies. Simple as that.
by Pepper; ; Report
ASHLEY :o
Youre fucking disgusting
and you missed my point entirely! maybe read the whole text again?
by Pepper; ; Report
ASHLEY :o
No you're fucking disgusting for being a misogynistic piece of shit. Grow up.
by Hyacinthyne; ; Report
I already pointed out that the paragraph at the end is sarcasm. I am not a misogynist. I'm AFAB and a feminist myself. You focused on that spesific paragraph and didn't read anything else.
by Pepper; ; Report
Wait no I agree with you, I was trying to respond to Ashley's unnecessary comment ;-;
by Hyacinthyne; ; Report
Sorry, i thought that was the same person since their username was up there!
by Pepper; ; Report