By: TeriFor the record, I shave. Occasionally, I find liberation in not having to fight the Schick fight everyday – I have better things to do. Why is it so offensive if women do not shave? I came across this video clip…so many emotions/reactions… what is the offense of body hair? As a western construct, it is embedded in our psyche that women should not have body hair. If you see the other video, you will see the message that “if we don’t shave, chaos will ensue”. What is truly fearful of body hair?
[ it is also on feministing.com HERE ]
Case in point – a few years back I attended a concert. Standing in the bathroom line, the woman in front was going on a tirade about the opening singer’s armpit hair. “OH MY GAWD…I can’t believe she doesn’t shave. I mean, really!! We are in AMERICA”. Is it in the Declaration of Independence that thouset must shavest?
Does it make us less feminine if we sprout hair? Do we have to turn in our Chick Card if our legs/armpit/yonis are not follicle free? Alix Olson eloquently speaks of this in Armpit Hair though this is only part of the whole song.
This is only a fraction of the dictates that women are subject to, all aspects of their life under a microscope…so one atom at a time we shall deconstruct these rigid ideologies. Ask yourself…if you are walking down the street, what would your reaction be if the female coming towards you proudly wears a tank and shorts shave free.
[armpit hair]
(mammally factual)
©2001 Alix Olson.
There were no seats on the subway so I had to grab a strap
As I lifted up my arm I heard a scream "what’s that?"
I took a look around: I thought "there must be something scary".
Like a lion or a tiger or the Virgin Mary?
But then, I noticed they were looking at me.
......
I heard "oh my gawd! They’re hairy!" Well, I hear that the Senate is planning a convention
to pass an amendment on body hair prevention. I’m planning on attending,
I’ll be sitting in the front row. I’ll have chains on my pits screaming
"Hell no, it won’t go!"
.....
They say, "cut your clits and shave your pits, and cover your tits!"
We say- bullshit. Cause I use my curls to be at one with the world
like when I’m out camping. And I lay myself to rest
I sleep with my arms up so the birdies can nest.
So stop and reconsider just what they consider natural
Cause armpit hair is simply
Mammally Factual.
Full Lyrics HERE
©2001 Alix Olson.
There were no seats on the subway so I had to grab a strap
As I lifted up my arm I heard a scream "what’s that?"
I took a look around: I thought "there must be something scary".
Like a lion or a tiger or the Virgin Mary?
But then, I noticed they were looking at me.
......
I heard "oh my gawd! They’re hairy!" Well, I hear that the Senate is planning a convention
to pass an amendment on body hair prevention. I’m planning on attending,
I’ll be sitting in the front row. I’ll have chains on my pits screaming
"Hell no, it won’t go!"
.....
They say, "cut your clits and shave your pits, and cover your tits!"
We say- bullshit. Cause I use my curls to be at one with the world
like when I’m out camping. And I lay myself to rest
I sleep with my arms up so the birdies can nest.
So stop and reconsider just what they consider natural
Cause armpit hair is simply
Mammally Factual.
Full Lyrics HERE
1 comments:
yeah I had an experience at work last year. I was wearing a short sleeve shirt that I thought covered my arm pits but apparently it didn't. I hadn't shaved in like a week because I AM BUSY AND HAVE A LIFE.
so I'm talking to a regular customer about something and he keeps staring at my arms.. then i froze. realized what he was staring at and I was like "what's your problem? are you listening to me?" (trying to ignore it) and he's like "well I guess it's natural right?" and so I got defensive and mortified all at the same time. I haven't spoken to him since.
the point is this, men think they have free reign over our bodies. They can look wherever they want and some think they can touch whatever they want. I feel like he was probably more mortified than me. I still shave and now am extra careful as to what I wear when I don't shave. I really agree that we shouldn't have to do this but.... i'm not ready to take this big of a stand by not shaving.
maybe I will be in the future, everything's a process.
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