To Shave or Not to Shave

Apparently Mo'Nique blew everyone's minds at the Golden Globes the other night because she *gasp* DID NOT SHAVE HER LEGS. A woman having hairy legs is so crazy in this day and age that the New York Daily News wrote an article about it. Actually, there is some awesome stuff in the article, like how the headline asks if Mo'Nique is the "least superficial actress ever?" (although they make that sound like a bad thing).


I give total props to Mo'Nique for not being ashamed (she pulled up her long skirt on the runway to show off her au natural yams!) and for publicaly speaking out for natural body hair (on The View in 2006). However, I could have done without this comment:

"I really think hair on a woman's legs is a black woman's thing," she later added, after pointing out that she does shave under her arms to avoid "stink."

First, no way, hairy armpits on ladies are hot and do not stink unless you just got done running a marathon or something and then I'd argue that even hairless armpits would stink. Second, body hair is a human issue, I don't care if you're white, black, a tranny, or a Yankees fan.

Shall we discuss why American culture is so obsessed with women being hairless? I've heard before that women of the night shaved their armpits, legs, and public hair back when the west was still wild to prove to clients that they didn't have lice or crabs. I've also heard that getting women to shave was all a big marketing blight so that companies that sold hair removal products could make more money. So what is better, that a common cultural, sexist (why don't dudes shave their armpits if it's so unsanitary to let that shit grow?) practice originated from whores or that American women were duped by companies who wanted their dollars at the expense of their self esteem (people are still horrified when they see hairy pits, trust me. That can wreck havoc on a lady's sense of self worth if you let it.)? I'd say both those reasons are pretty lame. Shave if you want to or don't, it doesn't really matter. But let's stop the hating on ladies that chose to let it grow, shall we?

Oh, and I like how the Mo'Nique articles ends on such a catty, backhanded compliment:

"Love it or hate it, she's one actress you can't say is overly obsessed with her appearance."

Obviously hairy women is something the US is still trying to get a grip on. I, for one, say bravo to all the ladies out there that choose not to shave AND to show it off. Bravo, Mo'Nique, keep raising up that skirt! Oh, and congrats on that Golden Globe too!