Crystal Renn posed nude in the May issue of French Vogue, and the sight of her public hair has been too much for some people. The comments at The Cut are filled with revulsion for Crystal’s crotch.
Whether the photos are flattering or appropriate or anything else, my interest is in the reactions. What the hell is wrong with people? Those who object to the pubic hair insist that their aesthetic hasn’t been formed by porn. They talk about how nice it is to be “clean down there.”
What isn’t clean about natural hair? It seems very anti-woman to insist on a waxed crotch. The hair is a sign of adulthood – it’s what separates a woman’s body from a child’s.
I admit I don’t watch porn. It make me too sad. But I’m aware there’s a fatwa on body hair these days. It seems creepy and it seems babyish. It’s as if the very idea of pubic hair is terrifying.
It depresses me to confront the fact that women have yet another reason to feel shame about their bodies. I’m glad that Crystal Renn is breaking barriers, if that’s what she’s doing. If she reads those comments, though, she may feel she’s committed a federal crime by looking like a natural woman.
Opinions, anyone?
Wow. This sure is heated. I’m afraid to say anything, I don’t want anyone to start telling me what my pubes mean about me, all while nodding their heads and clucking in sympathy. Women are the ones making us feel pressure about this subject, obviously. The men I have slept with have never had a comment, and I have been in all states of hair and and otherwise (great, I said it) So, Maybe I’m a hairy hippie, maybe I’m desperately trying to look like a 7 year old. I’m hoping I meet in the middle, but it seems no one wants anyone to have a middle ground anymore. Its all black and white. Sad.
Unfortunetly, the madness around the hairy crotch has finally landed on Europe. Being in my twenties I’m now noticing many of my girlfriends wax it all. What a loss. I’ll never succumb! The mystery must be kept under the bush.
And thank you Sister Wolf for bringing up such question.
I’m a mammal and mammals are hairy. The next fad will be getting rid of all the hair in your nose or something equally ludicrous. Still, to each her own lady garden.
My mother always had a ton of pubic hair. I thought it was normal, natural and maybe even more aesthetically sound than “clean down there.” In highschool, all my girl friends and I inevitably breached the subject of pubic hair.
I was the only one who merely trimmed. At liberal arts psuedo hippie college? half shave/wax like its their job. and half go natural.
Actually, im fairly certain that the girls considered to be a “catch” (and therefore, the most desirable/unattainable) by the male population are the ones who do not shave, and those who sleep around a lot do shave.
Many of the pseudo hippie shave their pubic hair completely, if my recollection of scattered conversation is correct.
This kind of pisses me off. I know girls who don’t shave their legs but do shave their pubic hair.
it confuses me.
“feminism” at college confuses me.
What about moving on to a circumcised/not-circumcised debate?
I’m sure there ought to be some agreement here on some degree of castration..?
In America a majority of women think a non=circumcised prick is disgusting.
In most of Europe women think a circumcised prick is disgusting – like a naked mole rat.
In Somalia most people, women, too, think an uncircumcised woman is disgusting.
People are crazy and creatures of habit.
I love bush. It preserves a touch of mystery, adds character, and carries the scent.
I like to be neat and trim No Pants Beard- but I prefer a “sicilian” triangle as it hides the bits I would rather not see in the morning when I get out of the shower. And stops you looking like a gorilla wearing a bikini when you go swimming.
I too question the obsession with hairlessness – seriously WTF?
But also, practically speaking, you are only hairless for a short time, then if you have coarse bushy celtic hair, you have giant raised lumps of ingrowing hair that you spend hours trying to catch with a pin – resorting on occasion to wearing glasses in the bathroom just to catch the sucker.
If big red welts are sexy then hey!! I would be the richest pole dancer in town.
So I think a little carpet is attractive, and a little neatness down below is a nice and fresh too – especially in summer.
xx
now, can we talk about bum bleaching? Whats that all about? And what do Lesbians think of bush strimming?
Chip Smith, don’t even mention “the scent” – or we’ll be subject again to the “intimate hygiene spray” craze from the seventies. I’m old enough to remember the endless commercials – usually a blonde girl in a flowery meadow, with a waterfall or birds or some other nice and clean looking nature stuff, and some suggestive voice advising us to go and get the spray (“in three enticing scents, rose, lavender and morning mist”) and spray, spray, spray to kill “the scent” – you know, that horrible and disgusting natural thing. They, of course, never mentioned where exactly you are supposed to apply it – it was more of a nudge-nudge, wink, wink. I do hope it will never come back. By the way, why it’s so important to be “clean” – as in clean shaved – down there, while having “jizz” polish on your nails? Are we all going nuts?
@Natalie – “You need a guy who will braid that shit!” ROFLMAO! Best comment on the entire post!!! Thank you for the laugh!
No cutting of skin Dexter! If nature doesn’t want it she gets rid of it on her own. I wouldn’t mutilate sensitive parts. While I was pregnant I took a survey and most men said they’re rather have their bits and pieces (and I don’t know any women that don’t want their magic button); I met a Rabbi that was against circumcision and that was 17 years ago.
About fur . . . it’s cool as long as you wear your own and not any of my families and friends (as in cow, mink, rabbit, cat, monkey, bird feathers, pig, etc). Cotton is very cool and fashionable and hemp is even better!
This is all I have to utter for now!
Except what ever happened to merkins?
i thought you would enjoy this creature.
http://www.thephotographylink.com/archives/4408
she’s apparently 24 0.0
Ok so we have covered pubes, can we scoot forward to labioplasty?
http://www.sfcosmeticsurgery.com/photos/labioplasty/labioplastyphotos.htm
ps when i typed that into a google image search, the first picture that came up was meg ryan.
xuxu – That is a disturbing pose, I agree.
Skye – I hope so.
Braindance – I need to start using “pum pum.” I LOVE IT.
Make Do – HAhahaha! Same here.
Cheraya – Not Cleaner, Just Bald = great motto!
Cybill – I remember that Julia Roberts scandal! I love my armpit hair and only wish I had more.
Penny Dreadful – I know a single woman who reports that most of her lovers (male) now wax!!!! Horrible, I can’t even imagine the weirdness.
Kate –
If you are attracted to a woman and her pussy, any smells and sights and occasional hairfloss remnants are and should be nothing but a turn on. No hair looks absolutely disgusting and clefty. Whatever happened to sensualism?
If you want to eat something smooth and unscented, go chew on a chickenbreast!
The problem is that these Brazillian wax lovers just don’t have a developed palate.
Leslie H – And I’m one of them.
Denise – Tragic.
Brie – Thank YOU!
FF – Wow. Nauseating on two separate levels.
Helene – Me neither, thank the lord.
Rikki – God damn right!
dust – Make it stop, dust.
Cricket9 -HA!
dexter – Beautiful story, thank you.
Beck – I never thought about dating styles of pubic hair. And I still don’t want to! Help!
Stella MAyfair – “does that make her the anti-christ” = HAHAHAHA!
Artful MJ – I knew we’d be in agreement on this, xo
Liz! – I’m thankful for your boyfriend and my husband, and dexter too.
Aimee-wtf- Do they scratch?????!!!!!
Kate – Lovely manifesto!
Jules – Tell those idiots over at The Cut.
patni – Yay for natural!
rebecca – Exactly.
mutterhals – Let me be honest: I just hate you. Everything you say is annoying and/or stupid. Feel free to keep commenting, but I really hate you and I don’t see the point of you.
Sil – I like your attitude.
M – Yours, too.
Raison Girl – But what if he agrees to shave?!? All that waxed flesh! No!
Awww.. That sounds weird.
Vix – I love the notion of have to get fake hair..maybe tiny extensions?
Braindance – I hate mutterhals.
The Shoe Girl – “Not Clean, Just Bald!”
erika – Yes, I remember finding m,y dad’s “European Nature MAgazines” and there was lots of hiar.
Natalie – Hahahahahahaha! xoxoxoxoxoxo
Nat – Thank YOU!
Iron Chic – Laser on your pum pum?!
JoyD – I don’t think it’s a waste of words. It’s a cultural phenomenon (the bald pum pum) and as such it’s interesting. Any subject that is this polarizing is worth discussion.
Bevitron – I like the fervor, very poetic.
dust – THANK YOU for your contribution to social science. Waxed balls = icky.
MMMMichelle – We need to infiltrate more male blogs and forums. The ones I used to read were severely anti-hair.
Matilde – Long live mystery.
WCGB – Hahahahaha! So true.
theresa – This confuses me, too.
dexter – Oh god, no one should cut off anyone’s body parts, ever.
Chip – YAY for Chip!
hammie says – Anal bleaching is a sign of the apocalypse.
Cricket9 – “Clean”, Jizz, it’s all bullshit.
Bessie – If you google merkin you will see my friend Bruce’s picture of a shocking pink one!
gabriel – HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
patni – I’m afraid to click on that. Don’t make me.
I thought the bald look was erotic for a while, when porn was harder to get and it was a scandal to do such a thing. Once porn took over the world and everyone started getting a Brazilian … meh. Where’s the thrill? Now I love seeing women who are natural. It’s sad that people are bothered by pubic hair!
I’m all for the bush and if I ever dated a man that scoffed about it, I would run like hell.
http://bit.ly/cSfbHj
Go look at Kelly Wearstlers playboy pics from 1994.. I never knew a nude body could look so dated!
Thats how these naked pastrami sandwiches are going to look in 20 years.
Sister, I know you barely know me either, if at all, but thank you for finally telling off Mutterhals. (Though kudos to her for being the first to write vagina and not hide behind some dumbshit kiddie euphemism.) Not every female choice is automatic empowerment. Those who pick up the razor “for themselves” are lying to themselves.
Dexter, if my American experience adds anything to your question, the first uncircumcised penis my best friend saw earned her ex the nickname Corndog.
I weighed in on this a long time ago:
http://redstapler23.blogspot.com/2006/05/crotch-waxing-que-barbaridad.html
I blame Marilyn Chambers for all of this.
Suebob – Me too! XO
http://www.godammit.com/2006/06/16/why-men-hate-women/
WendyB – Very sad.
Aja – Run like the wind!
Max – I need to pretend I didn’t see this.
sketch42 – WOW! You’re so right. The lipliner freaked me out the most.
Eliza – My pleasure. Is corndog good or bad??
Eliza, Mutterhals might have said vagina, but I’m pretty sure we’re not talking about the vagina, actually – unless people have started growing hair in there and I hadn’t heard about it. The area where pubic hair grows is pretty broad, it goes far beyond just the vulva/labia area – so I think lady garden is ok, or any of those other names/dumbshit kiddie euphemisms because they encompass a whole area of disputed territory.
Sister Wolf- Pum pum is Jamaican slang, if you want more jokes, you tube a song by Capleton called I love pum pum, the frenzy in which he sings/shouts about his love of the ladies is 2 parts terrifying, 1 part insane and 3 parts funny.
My favourite line from the song is:
I love pum pum, but I wont stoop low
Nice to know he has standards
Touche, Skye, but what exactly are we supposed to get out of pum-pum (beyond the obvious amusement, thanks Braindance) that’s any more specific? My immediate word association is pummel. What’s wrong with pubic region?
SW, personally I have only ever seen an uncircumcised penis (after exclusively dating women) and cannot comment objectively on the matter. “Corndog” definitely made fun of how weird it allegedly looks, if also a related compliment for girth. Leave it to Americans to force a connection between sex and fried foods.
THANK YOU for writing about this!
I happen to love the photograph…in fact, i think it is incredibly sexy.
hammiesays – thank you for speaking the truth on the hell of ingrowns!!! i had the unfortunate experience of dating a guy who was obsessive about NO HAIR. he shaved everything (including his chest) and he expected me to do the same! it was awful. i succumbed to pressure and waxed it all off….then i had the hell of ingrowns. also my hair grows very very fast so a brazilian lasts a couple of days – a week max before the hairs start coming up again and it just looks gross and giant red bumps – how can that be sexy??!!
regardless of the practical difficulties, i do think there is a massively anti-feminist, raunch culture to being hairless. it is absolutely the pressure of porn on society and men’s sexual desires being forced onto women. so many young men today almost EXPECT women to be hairless. i’ve heard so many stories of guys demanding their gf’s get it all waxed. and then i can’t believe the amount of women i meet who tell me hair is “gross” or who seems to think that men won’t want them if they don’t wax everything off.
my view on it is that natural is beautiful and it’s there for a reason. that whole cleanliness argument is BS too. from what i’ve read, hair actually helps protect your parts down there….
HA! Are you kidding me? Ok, since we are baring our souls, I have to say the whole point of this blog is to bitch about things and/or people you are jealous of because you are old and ugly. You look like the crypt keeper, no lie.
The only reason you hate me is because I’m not a sycophant like almost every other woman here. If you guys feel up to venturing away from your safe place, take a gander at this:
Mutterhalls, do not go to a blog that is called godammt I am mad and getting madder and expect it to be about anything but being angry. Are you the stupid troll who commented on my blog continuously because i am “negative” when i called the blog my whine log? if you are looking for happy and joy make better choices.
Or read more carefully. There is plenty of joy here if you want to look at things a little deeper than fluffy bunnies and spring flowers. Life can be ugly sometimes, and those of us who choose not to ignore that fact find real joy.
Go play with Hello Kitty and leave us alone.
Peace, dear furies!
If you’re hysteria gets out of control your doctor will have to patiently take your soft little hands and he will have to recommend hysterectomies to calm your inflamed sensibilities..
(see what happens when you let your bodies define your range of behavior.. subtle, wot?)
god, what have I done? I have started daytime drinking, and now I am negative conversing with Mutterhals.
I do find her constant negative attitude morbidly interesting.
Mainly because I have not come across one on the internet before.
How long does this kind of thing last? I keep posting questions for her to answer, when will I tire of it?
Is there more wine in the cupboard?
i’m definately pro-hair…i’ve always kept mine nicely groomed in a triangle on top&shaved below as a personal preference. but just a few weeks ago i had gotten a wee bit lazy on the upkeep of down below and it drove my boyfriend wild, in a good way! he absolutely loved it and didn’t want me to shave as it was such a turn-on for him!
i have no problem seeing pubic hair in glossy magazines…or anywhere else for that matter. it’s beauiful, natural&womanly.
Oh and… http://makelovenotporn.com/main.php
I came to see the topic of the day. We are still on crotches. That is great! you guys are the best.
By god, I must admit something: I may not agree with everything, and yes I might just be one of those empty-headed geese, you so hate, but I absolutely ADORE you! I may like fashion, but I agree that the “hyped” stuff, is the ridiculous stuff. I really must say that you made me laugh about a hundred times today. Thank you, for being a real role model.
mutterhals – I HATE YOU BECAUSE YOU”RE A FUCKING TROLL, and because you’re a man pretending to be female. You can kiss my flat ass.
I look gorgeous, I’m the hottest old bag on the fucking planet.
If you’re a writer, go ahead and write. No one’s stopping you.
It’s just hair. It’d have been even cooler if Crystal had dyed hers pink or something, but I don’t fancy the thought of bleach near a vagina.
I feel gross if my legs/arms are very hairy (and I have to wax them, I cannot shave because I hate feeling like a cactus afterwards), but my ladygarden- love that word- isn’t getting anything more than a trim and a cleanup around the sides, ever. Pubic hair is there for a reason, and it’s fucking ridiculous to equate the mere presence of body hair with dirtiness. My own leg hair might gross me out, but if you want to keep yours, please do. And personally, it’s always been about waxing for me- I’d rather be hairy-legged than put a razor on my skin.
Also Mutterhals, you can fuck right off- good riddance. Mere disagreement doesn’t earn you hatred here, plain being moronic and sounding like an Ann Coulter fangirl (fanboy?) does.
SW,
You ARE the hottest old bag on the fucking planet and we love you for it. Keep rocking those jeans and leathers, (flat assed) babe!
Smooches.
Now, now Mutterhals. Getting a bit touchy, hmm? I suspect you are also projecting. Sister Wolf is jealous of no one. You on the other hand…
What happened to your “whatevs I’m a non-syncophant free-thinker, everything’s cool, why do you care so much” persona?
We suspected it was a front before, but now your pathetic elementary school-level insults have gone and confirmed it! Good job. Now no one will respond to your stupid troll posts ever again.
Sister Wolf, you are gorgeous and more cool than anyone could ever hope to be, so haters are unavoidable. They can suck it.
As to the topic at hand, people need to just stop minding other people’s business! Shaved bush or no, it is a personal choice, and no one has the right to police the appearance of someone else’s crotch!
I love how Mutterhals refers to us Sister Wolf readers as “sycophant” in one breath and then dares us to read her blog in the next. If that’s self promotion, I suggest perhaps you try another route? Maybe not try and hijack another blog’s readers by insulting them? Just sayin’ . . .
As far as it being a purely aesthetic choice? I would like it to be that. But i don’t see that is what is going on. I hate tuplip shaped skirts, but I dont think people who wear them are stupid or dirty. Same with over the knee boots. Not for me, but it dosnt make you disgusting in some way if you wear them. I can understand there being differing opinions as to what way to style your vagina….. But the choice of one style over the other should not make you assume you are cleaner or less scented or less disgusting than people who style theirs the other way.
The fact that this language is being thrown around is what makes me feel there is a lot more than aesthetics going on.
is this good enough for Blog Wars 2010?
Has anyone mentioned the comfort factor? That’s the sole reason I shave. It takes no more time than shaving my legs in the shower and it’s really easy for me. Sitting down in jeans when I wasn’t shaved was crazy uncomfortable physically. Wearing a bathing suit or changing in gym class was crazy uncomfortable socially. If I wasn’t Italian and had fairy-soft hair things would be different! I’m all for cutting down the effects of porn in our society, but you can’t blame porn for women wanting to shave! Sorry, but that’s just ridiculous.
Women with long hair are still beautiful to me, but I’m also beautiful (and comfortable!) shaved. But it’s not just an aesthetic or moral thing. It’s all about personal comfort.
YESSSS!!! Blog Wars 2010:
Hairy pussies vs. Bald pussies!
May the Best Bush win!!!!!!!
Um, but I’m not taking side or anything.
Ooh! To make things interesting: What about merkins?