Comments on The Feminine Mystique of Shaved Legs

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01/25/10--08:25: Brianna Popsickle commented on 'The Feminine Mystique of Shaved Legs' (chan 1387230)

I have to have clean shaven legs,it's a thing with me. The other day I quickly ran a bic over my calves (without stopping to use cream), before heading to the gym. After I showered, I put lotion on and let's just say I felt the burn more than once that day at the gym. Or should I say 'sting'. Ouch!




01/25/10--13:56: Angie B commented on 'The Feminine Mystique of Shaved Legs' (chan 1387230)

Wow--shaved legs used to indicate that a woman was a prostitute? I did not know that. I do shave, but I admit I am much more diligent about it in the summer time when my legs are on display. I have very dark hair and very fair skin, I just don't like the way it looks. (My husband has told me he doesn't really mind the hair on my legs though so in the winter, when they are always covered, I definitely go longer between shaves.) As for what other women choose to do or not do, to me it's like wearing make-up, why would I care?




01/26/10--18:50: gurukarm (@karma_musings) commented on 'The Feminine Mystique of Shaved Legs' (chan 1387230)

I have to wonder why you felt it necessary to reiterate several times that "it's not a feminist statement"? I rather think it IS a feminist statement, in the sense that several decades of feminism have made it possible for you to have the ease of mind to choose not to shave, and feel comfortable with it.

I wish more women would proudly claim to BE feminists - to believe in equal rights for women; the right to make our own choices for our bodies; all the other positive things feminism stands for, instead of feeling it necessary to disavow it.

Just my 2 cents...




01/26/10--19:04: annie commented on 'The Feminine Mystique of Shaved Legs' (chan 1387230)

Whether I shave my legs or not has nothing to do with feminism. Shaved legs, once upon a not so long time ago, was not the norm at all. Feminism did not empower me to be hairy. That's nonsense. The problem is we allow ourselves to believe that whether we follow beauty norms of the day, or not, is a reflection on our femininity and attractiveness.

They are just legs. Women who seize upon the hairy as a badge of feminist are taking a shallow view.

As for women proudly donning the feminist mantle, the movement has been judgmental of women who didn't buy into every notion it offered. It is one thing to support equal rights and another to be denigrated for exercising the right to be career minded, mother-minded or a mix, and I am way simplifying, I know, which is the problem with the whole feminist movement. It cannot seem to fit the infinite diversity that is female comfortably under its roof. If women resist the label, it is likely they were made to feel they fall short of the ideal because they have exercised their right to choose.




01/27/10--17:34: gurukarm (@karma_musings) commented on 'The Feminine Mystique of Shaved Legs' (chan 1387230)

I really feel you're taking a bit of a shallow reading of my comment, or I just wasn't very clear. I wasn't trying to say that "hairy [is] a badge of feminis[m]" but rather that the feminist movement opened up the way for legs to BE "just legs", as you say.

And, if some women who do proclaim themselves feminists have judged other women harshly or unfairly for not "buy[ing] into every notion", it doesn't mean (to me) that it's wrong, bad, or useless to identify oneself (myself) as a feminist. It is those who judge who are in the wrong, not the whole concept. The "movement" is not one single, simplified, one-size-fits-all, idea. Or it shouldn't be.




02/05/10--12:07: Moderate Mouse commented on 'The Feminine Mystique of Shaved Legs' (chan 1387230)

Just stumbled upon your article.

I'll admit, I don't like to have hair (at least not visible hair) anywhere on me other than the top of my head if I can avoid it. When I shower, I'll generally shave my underarms as well as my legs, at least to the knees. If my underarms aren't shaved, I won't wear anything sleeveless or "cap-sleeved". If my legs aren't shaved, I'll try not to wear anything that shows them. (Sometimes, though, I get marching orders to wear shorts regardless.) I'm also one of those females who struggles with facial hair, which I also try to keep under control.

For a short while, I was living with my dad, and at some point, he took it upon himself to be involved with my facial hair control (much to my annoyance, but as his daughter I feel like asking him to butt out of stuff like that is a sign of disloyalty to him). We tried a certain cream; it didn't work. Then he got me a wax. I used it once, and it didn't work so well. He insisted that the next time I use it, that I let him help me. (Despite the efforts of his "I changed your diapers card," his involvement was against my better wishes.) I have yet to use that wax again a second time. As a result, the facial hair grew out after a week or so (though I was able to get occasional permission to shave it off).

One Sunday, it just so happened that my dad wasn't able to make it to church or Sunday school, but I was. Not only was it during the time that I had let the facial hair control slide, but I happened to be wearing a skirt that was slit high enough to show thigh, and since I maybe shave up to the knee, whatever hair on the thigh was showing, at least to someone who I met there. I eventually found out that, if anything he is actually one of those guys who is turned ON by facial and body hair on a female, and the amount of it that he saw on me attracted him to me. Well, 1) any hair that is on my body or face bothers me, especially if it's on an exposed area and 2) due to a family situation, I'm not sure if I can consider myself in a position to date anytime soon and 3) even if I was, the particular connection that I feel with this particular guy is a friendship connection at best (plus there's someone else I'm more interested in).

I'll be helping this guy with a project he's doing for a class (even though it'll involve doing some things outside of my comfort zone), but the last thing I want to do is lead him on. Besides which, because of a situation in my family I may/may not be seeing him in person anytime soon. So I figure, maybe after helping him with the project, I could maybe see about setting him up with a woman who is perfectly content to have facial hair and/or body hair all the time. Do you think I'd be able to find such a woman?