Lets Discuss: Society, Gender and Hair.
Fact: Humans are mammals.
Despite this fact, our modern culture seems to feel that we (as a species, and especially the female members of the species) must remove some of the evidence that we are. I am talking about hair. I find it interesting that we have such different "rules" for men and women regarding body hair. I realize that the cosmetics and personal products industry makes billions a year on hair removal for women (and some men), but is there another reason behind this obsession with hairless bodies?
First of all, a woman is expected to have thick, shiny, beautiful hair on top of her head. She is expected to have long eyelashes and perfectly-shaped eyebrows. She is supposed to have a small amount of very neatly trimmed and well-groomed and shaped nether hair, and there is not supposed to be any other hair at all whatsoever. Whether you shave it, wax it, buff it off, sugar it, pluck it, epilate it, dissolve it with chemicals or have it removed with lasers or electrolysis, you are not supposed to have any other hair. Your most visible sign of mammalhood should be your breasts. Long hair on your head comes next. Signs of being warm blooded are okay - you can have full rosy lips, for example. You just cannot have body hair.
Men? You may be encouraged to "manscape" but you aren't required. People might think you look a bit disheveled if you don't keep your hair and beard trim, and some people might comment on back hair if you're shirtless at the beach, but for the most part, you will be left alone. It is okay for men to be covered in hair. Yes, I know that genetically you are inclined to have more than women, and that you grow beards and have thicker body hair than females. There's an evolutionary reason for it, but the reasons aren't necessary for survival as a species anymore... Still, it is okay for you to have fur. Certainly, manscaping is becoming popular, and the perfect line of hair from navel to groin (the "love trail" can be rather enticing, but you aren't required by society to do these things. The term "It will put hair on your chest" was created for males.
I do remember a time when I thought any body hair on a man was rather revolting (I was in Jr. High in the 80's, after all) and I did meet a few hairy guys who were pretty gross. Then I realized that the gross factor was all about personal hygiene and not the hair. Some people think that the removal of hair is necessary for personal cleanliness. This may have been true back in the day when people lived in much more primitive conditions (ie the Middle Ages) because body lice would certainly have thrived (ick!) but it isn't really necessary today. If you meet a guy with a lot of body hair and that guy smells bad? It's not because of the hair. I know plenty of men who have a lot of fur and who smell quite clean and lovely.
There is, however, this idea that men MUST have a full head of hair. That hair is supposed to be full and thick and shiny. If the personal products industry makes a lot on having women remove hair, they also make a lot on men who are worried that theirs will fall out. Guess what? Bald men can be sexy! Tons of bald men are sexy! Don't believe me? Look at this. Or This. Or this one! Woo!. And we all know of many more! Actually, after Googling sexy bald men, I could have been lost online all day. ;)
But it is so curious - why do we as a species constantly try to regulate what is and isn't attractive like that? I mean, I can see that a lot of it is that whatever is the most expensive is supposed to be the most attractive. Guess what, people? In many early cultures, and many cultures from "undeveloped" countries? What is healthiest is the most attractive. And before you bring up cultures that do things which are not healthy: that's not my point. My point is about how our culture focuses on the most expensive thing.
Interestingly, this reflection on our society isn't going to inspire me to stop obsessing over my own body hair. I personally cannot stand having any (even though I don't have a lot to begin with). I think this also goes back to the whole Junior High in the 80's thing. I'll never forget the teen fashion magazine my best friend and I were reading in the 9th grade that said "If the boys aren't noticing you, then you probably aren't willing to go through enough pain to get noticed." and then went on about epilating, plucking, waxing... and assured you that if you did enough of this, wore the right clothes and makeup, did your haie a certain way, and had flawless skin and perfect teeth, you would be the most popular girl in school and you would be able to date whomever you wanted. (keeping in mind that they meant only boys. Certainly, if a girl wished to date the head cheerleader, that wasn't going to be mentioned in 1988.)
Anyway! Discuss! Share your comments, observations, reactions... pictures of sexy bald men...
Feel free to pimp this one if you like. I've left it public so we can get a good discussion going. :)
Despite this fact, our modern culture seems to feel that we (as a species, and especially the female members of the species) must remove some of the evidence that we are. I am talking about hair. I find it interesting that we have such different "rules" for men and women regarding body hair. I realize that the cosmetics and personal products industry makes billions a year on hair removal for women (and some men), but is there another reason behind this obsession with hairless bodies?
First of all, a woman is expected to have thick, shiny, beautiful hair on top of her head. She is expected to have long eyelashes and perfectly-shaped eyebrows. She is supposed to have a small amount of very neatly trimmed and well-groomed and shaped nether hair, and there is not supposed to be any other hair at all whatsoever. Whether you shave it, wax it, buff it off, sugar it, pluck it, epilate it, dissolve it with chemicals or have it removed with lasers or electrolysis, you are not supposed to have any other hair. Your most visible sign of mammalhood should be your breasts. Long hair on your head comes next. Signs of being warm blooded are okay - you can have full rosy lips, for example. You just cannot have body hair.
Men? You may be encouraged to "manscape" but you aren't required. People might think you look a bit disheveled if you don't keep your hair and beard trim, and some people might comment on back hair if you're shirtless at the beach, but for the most part, you will be left alone. It is okay for men to be covered in hair. Yes, I know that genetically you are inclined to have more than women, and that you grow beards and have thicker body hair than females. There's an evolutionary reason for it, but the reasons aren't necessary for survival as a species anymore... Still, it is okay for you to have fur. Certainly, manscaping is becoming popular, and the perfect line of hair from navel to groin (the "love trail" can be rather enticing, but you aren't required by society to do these things. The term "It will put hair on your chest" was created for males.
I do remember a time when I thought any body hair on a man was rather revolting (I was in Jr. High in the 80's, after all) and I did meet a few hairy guys who were pretty gross. Then I realized that the gross factor was all about personal hygiene and not the hair. Some people think that the removal of hair is necessary for personal cleanliness. This may have been true back in the day when people lived in much more primitive conditions (ie the Middle Ages) because body lice would certainly have thrived (ick!) but it isn't really necessary today. If you meet a guy with a lot of body hair and that guy smells bad? It's not because of the hair. I know plenty of men who have a lot of fur and who smell quite clean and lovely.
There is, however, this idea that men MUST have a full head of hair. That hair is supposed to be full and thick and shiny. If the personal products industry makes a lot on having women remove hair, they also make a lot on men who are worried that theirs will fall out. Guess what? Bald men can be sexy! Tons of bald men are sexy! Don't believe me? Look at this. Or This. Or this one! Woo!. And we all know of many more! Actually, after Googling sexy bald men, I could have been lost online all day. ;)
But it is so curious - why do we as a species constantly try to regulate what is and isn't attractive like that? I mean, I can see that a lot of it is that whatever is the most expensive is supposed to be the most attractive. Guess what, people? In many early cultures, and many cultures from "undeveloped" countries? What is healthiest is the most attractive. And before you bring up cultures that do things which are not healthy: that's not my point. My point is about how our culture focuses on the most expensive thing.
Interestingly, this reflection on our society isn't going to inspire me to stop obsessing over my own body hair. I personally cannot stand having any (even though I don't have a lot to begin with). I think this also goes back to the whole Junior High in the 80's thing. I'll never forget the teen fashion magazine my best friend and I were reading in the 9th grade that said "If the boys aren't noticing you, then you probably aren't willing to go through enough pain to get noticed." and then went on about epilating, plucking, waxing... and assured you that if you did enough of this, wore the right clothes and makeup, did your haie a certain way, and had flawless skin and perfect teeth, you would be the most popular girl in school and you would be able to date whomever you wanted. (keeping in mind that they meant only boys. Certainly, if a girl wished to date the head cheerleader, that wasn't going to be mentioned in 1988.)
Anyway! Discuss! Share your comments, observations, reactions... pictures of sexy bald men...
Feel free to pimp this one if you like. I've left it public so we can get a good discussion going. :)