Thoughts On Societal Pressure - Tumblr Posts

You know, I wouldn't even mind that much that we have been to socialized to shave, because obviously men have been too, and societies will always have different ideas of what is considered 'normal' personal grooming, however there are two major differences between men and women's shaving in modern society:

1. Men are expected to shave their faces and women are expected to literally rid themselves of all body hair, especially their legs, underarms, and bikini area, which is a hell of a lot more work, and

2. While men having beards aren't as common as clean shaven men today, no one freaks out and calls men with beards 'gross' or 'unhygienic' the way they do when women choose not to shave their underarms or legs.

When these two things change, maybe I will actually consider women choosing to shave as a personal choice. For now, though, it remains a practice too greatly influenced by negative societal pressure to be considered something one can independently choose to do. Sticking with the status quo is rarely something we consciously choose to do, especially not without exposure to the fact that there even is another choice.

Also, in the face of several very 'black and white' posts I have seen on radblr, I feel like I need to say this: I would be lying if I said I was not a hypocrite about these socialized standards sometimes, because it can be hard to escape from societal pressure. To the other young radfems out there, especially those of us who left liberal feminism to join the radical side, please know that it's okay if you can't wake up tomorrow and quit shaving, quit wearing makeup, quit caring about everything you have been socialized to care about for years, all at once. It might take a while and you know what? At the end of the day, I would rather young girls went out and saw some women with hairy legs and makeup, and some other women with bare faces and shaved legs, than for them to go out and see only shaved legs and makeup. So if you have given up shaving but you haven't given up eyeliner yet, don't fret about not being a "real radfem". Our job as radical feminists is about promoting liberation from men, and to do that, we have to join together as women to be supportive of one another. And if you show up to protest the Oklahoma abortion ban with lipstick on, or you spread the word that women deserve spots just for biological females and fight for that right with shaved underarms, I'm certainly not going to yell at you that you can't dare call yourself a radical feminist looking like that. There are bigger fish to fry.

Sincerely,

A radfem with hairy legs who isn't quite ready to give up her eyeliner and tinted chapstick just yet.