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Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA
I agree with you that trying to show the positives of the behavior that is considered unusual (a woman shaving her head, or a woman *not* shaving her body) is preferable to focusing on the problem caused by people perpetuating a norm, boo boo.
However, I view describing how and why norms are created as informing people rather than guilt-tripping them. It is talking about the reality of a situation. For example, every time Tyra Banks gives bald women wigs or make-up, she is perpetuating the idea that women need those to be beautiful, and that being beautiful is important. Without acknowledging the effects of her actions, we don't see the full picture of why most women want long hair.
With the leg hair issue, the fact is people made women feel their own body hair was superfluous or ugly, so they shaved it off to feel attractive, and now women perpetuate the norm by almost always shaving. Pointing out that this is how the norm was created and sustained may help people realize reasons they might wish to question the norm. Long head hair and shaved legs/underarms for women are so common that people may not even think of themselves as having a choice because they never questioned those societal habits, so challenging assumptions about what makes someone a "woman" is good, I feel. At least people are then thinking about this issue.
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I take offense from Tyra Banks because she enforces the belief on alopecians that they need hair to be attractive. I do
not take offense from women who choose to have long hair because they find that more aesthetically pleasing than being bald, that is their right to their opinion. The prominence of women with long hair does have an influence on how alopecians see themselves which is sad but that doesn't mean these women should be denied to have hair out of some percieved moral obligation.
The solution is to spread the idea that bald women can be attractive. Women like Sharon Blynn have been doing just that, she's not forcing other women to shave their heads she's just saying that being bald can be a sexy alternative.
Hairy legs are a little more out there but I don't see why a woman can't go about it in the same way, instead of being self righteous about it.
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I knew you were joking! I just decided to answer seriously.
So, boo boo and perhaps baldy, here's a shaved-head question for you both: How do you think your fetishes would be affected if the norm for women was to be bald? Do you think your fetishes would have even developed? Do you think you might have ended up with a fetish for the few women with long, luxurious, silky head hair, since that would be unusual and would mean the woman gloried in the sensuality of her hair and was brave enough to defy society and think for herself? Or, do you feel there is something intrinsic about women's bald heads that appeals to you?
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Yes that's how I feel, the fact that it's different, exotic and groundbreaking is part of the appeal but the primary reason is that I just find it aesthetically pleasing, sexually attractive and beautiful. If bald women were everywhere I think it would still be my preference.
But I will say that the rarity makes it more exciting on a sexual level. I still think hair looks good, I'm just bored with it.