Objectionable Body Hair
Before 1915 most women did not shave their armpits. However in 1915 an advert appeared in Harpers Bazaar which would change all that. The advert featured a young woman in a sleeveless dress with shaven armpits.
The advert encouraged women to remove their "objectionable" body hair.
"Summer Dress and Modern Dancing combine to make necessary the removal of objectionable hair."
Both Wilkinson and Gilette quickly began campaigns to encourage this notion that women's body hair needed to be removed. In 1915, Gillette introduced Milady Décolletée, a razor created especially for women. Within two years sales of razors had doubled.
Now it is the norm within western society for women to shave not only their armpits but also their legs. Within the last few years there has also been a tendency towards shaving of the pubic hair.
The western world is full of images of half-naked women but none of these women have any body hair. The only women we see are completely smooth and hair free.
Anyone who dares to break this taboo will be villified by all and sunder. Julia Robert's appearance with armpit hair at a film premiere in London sparked an outcry. Any female celebrity who dares to appear unshaven is certain to be villified by the press and general public.
Within 100 years the power of advertising has created an environment where the display of any female body hair is practically taboo. The hair removal industry is big business, women in the UK spent 250 million pounds in 2005 on removing their body hair. Certainly it explains why hair removal companies will continue to relentlessly promote the image of hairless women.
This whole industry depends on women disliking their own bodies and they fill our television screens and magazines with silky smooth legs and shaven armpits. The power of advertising has turned what is in fact abnormal (removing all your body hair) into normal. Our society has been conditioned to view female body hair as abnormal and objectionable.
The hair removal industry have really played a trick on women!
posted by modestyrocks at Monday, August 28, 2006
4 Comments:
The google ads pairing is definitely quite interesting (a bit of an experiment for me). It has provided me with some entertainment to see what ads it pairs with the postings. The ads can sometimes be quite ironic.
I like your use of the word fluffy. It would be a good tagline for an anti-shaving advertising campaign :)
Let fluffiness rule! Think what the £250 could be used to do instead.
Sorry, couldn't do without the ads. It just doesn't feel like home without them. Not very PC but ah well!
Well, I am not comfortable with too much bodily hair too. Sometimes trim here and there. Some times shave as well. Hey Men like smooth silky skin to not just women. I kinda feel cleaner with no hair at all except a full set of hair on my head. Ahem
The issue is that a man can choose whether to shave his legs or not.
However there is an expectation within society that women must shave. It's not an issue of personal choice.
As a man you can go can out on a hot summer day without needing to worry about society disapproving of your hairy legs. Male bodily hair is acceptable. You can make a personal choice.
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