Last Wednesday, I met up with Logan Levkoff for drinks. Logan and I met at the BlogHer conference. We both attended the small workgroup on feminism, and then I heard her speak on a panel (with Susie Bright!) regarding blogging about sex. Since we both live in the big bad City, we decided to get together again upon our triumphant return. A month later, the meeting of the minds happened.
As we were leaving the bar, Logan asked me if I really was completely against Brazilian waxing. I was forced to admit that while I personally would find it uncomfortable in many ways, it is not that I think that no woman should have one. If its someone’s cup of tea – and I think Queen of Spain has made some very good points about this – what is it my business to yell at them and prevent them from having hot wax poured into their cooch and their hairs yanked out, if they like it and (more importantly) the long-term results?
What I do wholeheartedly oppose, however, is that it is a new fashion statement, a fad. There is this weird pressure out there for women to prove how hot, sexy, and feminine they are, and the latest way to do so is to have a Brazilian wax, or worse, go completely bare. At least a Brazilian wax leaves some hairy evidence that the waxee is a grown woman; bare is just too JonBenet. (OK, that was beyond inappropriatre.)
The Salon.com article reinforces my point on this: women who have no interest in violating Geneva Convention rules against torture are being asked point blank to do so by hoards of obnoxious men who think that they have some god-given right to fuck only super-groomed women. Women’s magazines, always semi-dubious sources of in the first place, are trying to spread this gospel around the nation. As Logan noted, who cares what grown women do about crotch hair? But she said she “dies a little inside” every time a 16 year old girl goes in for a Brazilian wax. I could not agree more, and I even drank half of a pint of beer to prove it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Its all about choice. You do what you want with your body - unless you were a child of mine and then no way would you be getting waxed at 16. In some wierd way, I am totally fine with a 16 year old getting an abortion but waxing is just offensive.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree. I personally find snatch waxing disturbing, but I don't like anyone telling me what I can and can't do with my snatch.
ReplyDeleteI have always believed that people are entitled to do whatever they want with their bodies. My concern about teenagers waxing it all off was that during adolescence you are still developing...and a teen who gets Brazilian waxes isn't giving herself an opportunity to love what is innately hers. She is getting rid of her hair because of the assumption that hair is bad and her genitals are innately ugly. And that's just sad!
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if I agree with the idea that a teenager who gets brazillians is "getting rid of her hair because of the assumption that hair is bad and her genitals are innately ugly." I think it is more along the lines of wanting to act the way you percieve grown-ups acting. The mentality is more "Big Sister wears heals so I want to" or "I want to be cool like those girls on Sex and the City." When I started waxing, it was because my big cousin did it and I wanted to be grown up like her. I never thought about my gentials or sex when thinking about waxing.
ReplyDeleteI guess we can be thankful that shows like America's Next Top Model are at least, while paying homage to the age old fable that if you're not the prettiest, you're a loser, is showing the world that bikini waxes HURT. Or at least that's what it looks like in the promos, where the gals are all shrieking their heads off. I guess we can take some solace in the fact that most of them appear to be first time waxers?
ReplyDeleteChildren should definitely not be getting any sort of wax. What other people do with their crotch hair, and their whole crotch, is none of my business. Even if it was, I would make it not.
ReplyDeleteThough I agree it's not a good trend / expectation.
Ok, I meant to comment on this last night and got totally sidetracked by that crazy Rabbi.
ReplyDeleteIt's known I like the wax. We know this. Affording the wax is an entirely different issue. So I don't get it often, if at all.
I'm 31. I know my body and know what I like. As for hoping it becomes a trend of if it is a trend in young girls....YIKES.
But I guess there will always be that segmant of girls who think they need to be doing what some women are doing. Be it waxing or puking up their lunch. Its sad.
Do I contribute to that image by advocating the wax. GOd, I hope not. I mean, I like it, so I do it...and I try to tell others (meaning other mature women-not teens) that it's great.
Once again-lots to think about! Damn you!