Femininity has been redefined and redefined throughout history. What women can wear, say, and be has been dictated for centuries. When I read that in the United States, it was not common practice to shave until advertisements in the early 20th century came about, I was immediately interested. The correlation of capitalism and beauty standards is obvious, one that needs no explanation. But something that I urge women to really sit down and think about is: why do we shave?
The patriarchy, and specifically white beauty standards, has a bias towards pedophilia; this is a big pill to swallow, and some of you may immediately disagree. But really, wanting women to be stick thin, hairless, “pleasantly” curved but not too much, even the predilection towards blonde hair, can only be associated with children. I am not saying that every single person you meet with these biases is a pedophile; I am only asking you to consider where they stem from. I know a lot of women who feel that shaving their pubic area is more “hygienic” or makes them feel more put together, and really, why do you think that is? It is actually incredibly more hygienic to have body hair; it serves a purpose. The thought that some people feel it is more delicate or more feminine to have no body hair is not just a product of the patriarchy, but also pedophilia. Think of our society, and how older men are “seasoned,” while older women are “spoiled.” It is considerably more appealing to look younger and younger, hairless and all. While you, as a woman, may not think you shave for men or society, the patriarchy has made it so that women feel undesirable, or even masculinized, for living in their bodies by not going out of their way to remove a natural element.
To me, it is incredibly womanly and powerful to have a bush. It is a sign of womanhood, of being an adult who has full autonomy. I challenge viewers not to look at this photo shoot and immediately sexualize the images, but rather reflect on the power it holds. It is crazy to me how “taboo” it is to have body hair, when in reality everyone has body hair (except for children). This is not the fault of you, the reader, and I myself prefer to shave my legs. The intention of this photo shoot is to make you question why you do even the simple acts of “self-care” and what they really mean.
