@BlondeGoddess: I had that when I waxed my arms, and I had similar reactions to shaving my pubes. Definitely not bothering with that again. That said, I've found those electric trimmers to be much more efficient than scissors.
@EdenMoore: Yes, I use electric trimmers too - much less rash prone.
And because I'm all for equal rights: some of my (ex)lovers should too. Feeling like you need a machette to cut through the bushes to find the peen can be a little off-putting.
I'm not asking for a full wax or anything. A little trim will do.
@BlondeGoddess: I am the opposite. Waxing is great for me. Shaving? Depilatories? Horrific. Terrible ingrowns, itching, and one infected ingrown so bad I developed a cyst and had to have it surgically removed. It's the only method I can use to insure I don't have those issues.
I just don't find pubic hair 'beautiful'
(btw: beauty!=sexual attraction)
I thought about this for a while, and these seem like the sort of reasons/prejudices I hold:
I like well ordered structures. I don't typically have to see the roots of the hair on people's head. Typically I find well organized coarse curls, loose curls, or straight hair beautiful. Body hair is unevenly distributed and doesn't have well defined borders like the hair on your head normally has. The fact that I can see the roots means that I can see the unsymmetrical, somewhat random orientation of body hair--in denser hair (like on the head), i can't see these ...imperfections.
There is something about smooth fluid shapes, or at least well organized geometric patterns, that I find beautiful. So, it's not strictly necessary that something is symmetrical, but if it isn't, it's got to be fluid or geometric.
For me:
1) When seen through a microscope, the lattice of a crystal is far more pleasant to look at than the coarse, porous structure of bone.
2) A poison dart frog is just more pleasing to look at than a Surinam toad (seriously, its babies live in *pores on its back*)
But, even though I don't think pubic hair is beautiful, I don't find it *sexually* unattractive. I don't find it sexually attractive either. I'm sort of neutral about it from a practical standpoint.
I'm a stright male, and I trim the weeds purely out of self-interest. I have found that woman are appreciative.
NOW, i understand that maybe these women who prefer some gardening should be made to understand that "HEY! untrimmed is nature's way and maybe you should get used to it," but why should it be my burden, at my cost, to fight this fight? The path of least resistence, and the path of greatest self-interest, is just to do the dunuding and enjoy the benefits.
Why can't a woman reach this same conclusion without being condemend as not being feminist? Seems to me that acting in your own self-interest to maximize pleasure is pretty feminist.
I don't shave, and it works for me. I shave nothing, I like it, wahoo for me. She shaves lots, it works for her, wahoo for her.
The Brazilian thing is a trend. It will go out of vogue in a while, and we will have something else in its place. I hate it when people are like, "That's how it is and it won't change,". Everything will change. It may not turn into something unrecognizable, but it will alter and different things will be considered "perfect". That's how it is, actually. Maybe 20 years from now, bushes will be in style, and people will be like, "This is natural and it will never change," and I will think it is funny then, too.
@Daveed: Yeah, hair in the mouth is probably the number one reason to shave/wax aside from personal preference.
And the only reason I'd not be offended if I didn't shave/wax and a guy asked me to. It isn't aesthetic, it's practical... getting pubes stuck in your teeth really takes you out of the moment, and they get up your nose & tickle you. Then you're sneezing all over your lover's junk and that's not very sexy. Or Hygienic.
But if a guy expects it of a girl, then he should do the same for her.
@prismatism: I'm with you on all counts.
I shave, everything, but I also appreciate when a man I'm with reciprocates.
Never understood why it should just be about the woman.
Wurtzel is so damn boring. I don't believe she writes her books and essays for any other reason than to remind us all of her hotness. I saw her speak at a writers' conference once and was stunned by her narcissism. She was not interested in anything but putting on the Elizabeth Wurtzel show for the adoring crowd. I pretty much discount everything she says about anything.
The thing that bugs me most about waxing is that compared to so many other types female grooming, this seems like a relatively new trend. Ever watch porn from the 1970s? It's full of bushy goodness (men and women alike). Compare that to make-up, high-heels, braziers, etc. Those all seem so established, that compared to them, the brazilian still feels like a fad. Time will tell if it is.
I tried having hair for the first time ever last year, because a guy asked me to. Gasp and shock everyone! The guy WANTED the hair!
Me? HATED it. The second we broke up it was all shaved off again.
It helps that I'm not at all hairy naturally though, so hair removal for me is quick and mostly painless
10/13/09
she says we have none
10/13/09
10/13/09
Really? So those people also think cleanshaven men look infantile? Weird.
10/13/09
Oh and also, no debate about the universality of pubic hair customs is complete without this.
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/13/09
I prefer my scissor trimmed pubes to red angry welts, thank you very much.
And to anyone who has any objections, I say: you watch too much internet porn, honey.
10/13/09
10/13/09
And because I'm all for equal rights: some of my (ex)lovers should too. Feeling like you need a machette to cut through the bushes to find the peen can be a little off-putting.
I'm not asking for a full wax or anything. A little trim will do.
10/14/09
10/13/09
(btw: beauty!=sexual attraction)
I thought about this for a while, and these seem like the sort of reasons/prejudices I hold:
I like well ordered structures. I don't typically have to see the roots of the hair on people's head. Typically I find well organized coarse curls, loose curls, or straight hair beautiful. Body hair is unevenly distributed and doesn't have well defined borders like the hair on your head normally has. The fact that I can see the roots means that I can see the unsymmetrical, somewhat random orientation of body hair--in denser hair (like on the head), i can't see these ...imperfections.
There is something about smooth fluid shapes, or at least well organized geometric patterns, that I find beautiful. So, it's not strictly necessary that something is symmetrical, but if it isn't, it's got to be fluid or geometric.
For me:
1) When seen through a microscope, the lattice of a crystal is far more pleasant to look at than the coarse, porous structure of bone.
2) A poison dart frog is just more pleasing to look at than a Surinam toad (seriously, its babies live in *pores on its back*)
But, even though I don't think pubic hair is beautiful, I don't find it *sexually* unattractive. I don't find it sexually attractive either. I'm sort of neutral about it from a practical standpoint.
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/13/09
NOW, i understand that maybe these women who prefer some gardening should be made to understand that "HEY! untrimmed is nature's way and maybe you should get used to it," but why should it be my burden, at my cost, to fight this fight? The path of least resistence, and the path of greatest self-interest, is just to do the dunuding and enjoy the benefits.
Why can't a woman reach this same conclusion without being condemend as not being feminist? Seems to me that acting in your own self-interest to maximize pleasure is pretty feminist.
10/13/09
The Brazilian thing is a trend. It will go out of vogue in a while, and we will have something else in its place. I hate it when people are like, "That's how it is and it won't change,". Everything will change. It may not turn into something unrecognizable, but it will alter and different things will be considered "perfect". That's how it is, actually. Maybe 20 years from now, bushes will be in style, and people will be like, "This is natural and it will never change," and I will think it is funny then, too.
10/13/09
10/13/09
"I'm the real deal, baby"
10/13/09
It's just the, not wanting hair in my mouth, that makes me fall on the bare side of the debate.
10/13/09
And the only reason I'd not be offended if I didn't shave/wax and a guy asked me to. It isn't aesthetic, it's practical... getting pubes stuck in your teeth really takes you out of the moment, and they get up your nose & tickle you. Then you're sneezing all over your lover's junk and that's not very sexy. Or Hygienic.
But if a guy expects it of a girl, then he should do the same for her.
10/13/09
I shave, everything, but I also appreciate when a man I'm with reciprocates.
Never understood why it should just be about the woman.
10/13/09
that said, fair enough - hair in teeth would be annoying
10/13/09
10/13/09
10/13/09
Me? HATED it. The second we broke up it was all shaved off again.
It helps that I'm not at all hairy naturally though, so hair removal for me is quick and mostly painless
10/13/09
Word. And I think Womanity should generally go by the rule: "If Elizabeth Wurtzel's selling it, I ain't buying." We'd all be a hell of a lot happier.