This could be a general question, but I doubt anyone could come up with any definitive answer, but certainly could suggest some possible explanations.
As far as I know, Canada and America are the only countries where both men an women generally agree that female arm pit hair is a definite turn off. Of course I might find out that this feeling has extended to other countries over the past several decades, but I am unaware of it, and would be happy to correct a false impression. However, assuming I am correct, how did such a distinct cultural aspect of anglo North America develop completely autonomous from the rest of the world?
Because underarm deodorant and the safety razor were developed in America. Factor in the power of the advertising industry to convince people that they smell bad if they don’t use a product, and there you have it.
People in other parts of the world were not as influenced by American marketing pushes during the first part of the twentieth century.
Thanks CnoteChris. I had put * armpits and europeans * into the search engine and didn’t hit that site. Still, I’m left wondering if the British penchant for shaving refers only to legs, or to both. And if no one else challenges the perception only north american women shave, then I can be content that I’m still up on the modern culture.
Maybe a few decades ago European women didn’t shave their legs or armpits but they certainly do now. Scandinavians and others who have minimal/light colored body hair (baby fuzz) optionally shave, as women do in the US/Canada. As you get further away from major cities or cultural centers you’ll sometimes see hairier women (also true in the former Yugoslavia and Greece). Brazilian bikini waxes are very common as well. Do yourself a great favor and vacation at any European beach resort where they go topless as well as hairless.
Greek women shave their pits and legs for the most part. To not do so is seen as un-modern and unsophisticated. I asked about this and was told “Of course we do; only Albanians and Gypsies don’t do that… and maybe some old women way out in the counrty.”
Canada and the United States? Europe? You guys are all so Eurocentric. You’ve only covered a small fraction of the world.
In Islam, everybody has to shave or depilate their armpits and pubic hair. Men and women alike. Failure to do this is “disliked”. The recent fad for pubic hair shaving is old hat in the Muslim world.
Agreed, to my opinion, both men and women should shave. War to the unsightly armpits of yonder!! Let’s start a campaign against hair! (body hair that is, for some reason I still can’t get used to people with unnatural bald heads).
Alost all women here in Ireland throughout Europe shave of course. In fact the last place I can remember seeing a woman unshaven on a beech was in San Diego! So lets hear no more of this Hairy European women Myth!
Well the posters of this thread by and large dispute Cecil’s findings as put forth in his column referenced by CnoteChris above.He claims it is a British and North American phenomenon.
Haven’t heard from Australia/New Zealand, but I think Cecil needs to update his column.
Like we need commercials to tell us when someone smells like ass crack and ball sweat. I don’t see how Americans wearing deodorant is all a result of marketing pushes. Smelling like funk has never been attractive.
I had a TA in my college physics who was from Sri Lanka. He did not wear deodorant and sometimes I almost threw up in class. It was god awful! I don’t think my nose was influenced by witty marketing slogans… the man just stank!!
The Victorian art critic John Ruskin supposedly had his image of women’s bodies formed by Greek statues. He was so horrified on his wedding night to discover that his bride actually had pubic hair that he became impotent . . . err, excuse me, had “erectile dysfunction.”