Mrs Twit?
Posted by Anna Bull on February 6th, 2007
As I was shaving under my arms this morning, I thought of comedian Shazia Mirza. According to her, ‘hairy is the new black’, and it is still possible for someone to be hairy and sexy (well, look at Karl Marx!) - she has decided to desist from depilation.
This statement was so earth-shattering that Women’s Hour had to interview her about it. After being initially appalled that this was a newsworthy item, I realised that what was bothering me was the fact that it is newsworthy. It is still socially unacceptable for women to display hair on their legs, underarms or (euphemistically) bikini lines. Yes, yes, I know men spend a lot of time shaving too, and for some jobs it might be unacceptable to have a beard, but you wouldn’t be socially ostracised if you appeared on the beach with it all straggling out, would you?
I notice that most of the people who hang out on these talkboards are men, apart from me and Liz, so if there are any other women out there, give us your vote on whether hairy is the new black.
Filed under: society on February 6th, 2007
‘Still unacceptable’? What’s depressing to me is that the natural form of female bodies is perhaps less acceptable than it was 20 or 30 years ago, when ‘feminism’ still had the potential to be more than a political insult.
It seems like each year an extra part of the body needs to be plucked, tweaked or reshaped before one’s identity as a woman is constructed in a socially acceptable manner and one can walk down the street without ridicule. In the 21st century, it’s hardly possible to conform to the ideal of womanhood or beauty without unnecessary surgery, or at least the professional attentions of a beautician. So forget about self-determination and independence…
I’m amazed that we ever manage to get out of the bathroom, let alone the house - or is all this some kind of agenda to keep us secluded in the beauty parlour? And who decided that the porn industry was going to set the standards for female grooming? Did I get to vote on that?