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[k80fs]

so unless the entire feminist blogosphere is plugged into your rss reader, you might've missed this crazy hoopla about mo'nique's hairy legs.

here's the thing.  i'm attending an awards show on sunday (i'm performing and i'm up for an award).  i'm wearing a sleeveless dress.  i haven't shaved since approximately august, and now i'm wondering: would

Comments

[wonderdave]

Would anyone in Omaha Notice? Is it a statement you feel is important to make? What do you normally do for fancy events (weddings, other awards shows etc..)?

I've been thinking a lot lately about fighting the IMPORTANT fight as far as my queerness goes this for me means not talking about how a bunch of disney villains are patterned after drag queens and what that might potentially teach children and instead focusing the Obama administrations bait and switch on DOMA. My theory is that if I'm constantly pointing out unfairness how seriously am I taken? When can I say things to have the most impact. So yeah how strongly do you feel about this? I personally don't care too much about shaving but you're also talking to someone so stubborn he refuses to cut his hair in the face of job advancement. Did anything I said make sense?

[k80fs]

totally makes sense. i don't know who might notice--and who's to say i wouldn't be playing into this stereotype anyway (see: FEMINIST ARMPIT HAIR BUT I'M STILL PRETTY, RIGHT)?

at the same time, though, i wonder if this would be a step (if a teensy one) toward altering The Beauty Standard? i guess i'm trying to ascertain how valuable that would be.

[k80fs]

here's my favorite idea so far (from a woman in my office): if you really wanna make em think, shave one. way absurd. also way true.

[learicist]

This very topic raised it's ugly...arm...one year when Ken and I coached Youth Team. We had an awesome young lady who is very much out and proud and very anti-shaving. We also had a great deal of choreography that involved raised arms, and as it was a particularly hot summer, many tank tops were involved. Long story short--Ken and I had it out because he felt I had no right to broach the subject with the young lady, and thereby oppressing her. I felt that it was not an issue of oppression, but one of focus. I personally didn't give a shit whether she shaved or not, but I did give a shit if every single time an arm was raised, 5 judges stopped hearing a poem and started thinking about her pit hair. I would NEVER have asked her to shave, and I didn't, but I did ask her to wear pit-covering t-shirts in competition. It is most certainly unfair that ridiculous and patently artificial social constructs shun natural hair growth on women. It is also a fact that the sight of it is fairly shocking because of this conditioning. End result

[k80fs]

well. we're reviving the stalker arrangement, so i'm not hugely concerned that my pit hair will distract the audience in the moment. but you get to the heart of the matter: how can i control the amount of attention that's paid to my body hair--and even more to the point, how do i want to?

[greentornadosky]

You know me. You know how much I give a shit about the opinion at large, and you also know I struggle when you are worried about the opinion in the way that it is a big deal (a small deal is not so bad.)

I think this: you weren't going to shave. So don't. The strongest message you can send is one that is representative of who you are, not the message of 'I have armpit hair. deal with it,' but the message of 'i'm a bitchin' poet, oh you noticed my airpit hair?' The experience of the evening (for you!) should be about art, not body hair. Be yourself.

[succulentpoet]

Yes, this. Just be your rockin' self, lady.

xo

[bradleyjohnson]

Well, some people will think that it is a symbolic gesture and some won't think about it at all. If you were presenting one of the awards then you would be representing the OEA and it would matter. But it is just you, so do whatever you want to.