Chinese armpit hair competition triggers online debate

[Loki]

Chinese armpit hair competition triggers online debate (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-china-blog-33053826)

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83494000/jpg/_83494563_chinaarmpithair4.jpg
Women’s rights activist Li Tingting has posted a photo online showing her pride in having armpit hair

"Should I shave my armpit hair?" It is a question that often bothers Xiao Meili, a prominent women's rights activist in China.

"Girls are often anxious about their armpit hair as if it's a sign of being dirty or uncivilized," Ms Xiao said. "But we should have the freedom to choose whether to accept what grows naturally on our bodies."

Xiao Meili wanted women to take ownership of their bodies so she launched an "Armpit Hair Competition" on Weibo, China's popular micro-blog.
Having body hair is considered "manly", Ms Xiao explained, but hairless underarms are not even the traditional Chinese perception of beauty.

'Mysterious and charming'

Confucius said our bodies, hair and skin were given to us by our parents and should not be harmed.

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83494000/jpg/_83494564_2-2.jpg
Thousands of people are taking part in the online debate about underarm hair

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83494000/jpg/_83494865_chinaarmpithair3.jpg
While some argue that hairless underarms are not traditional in Chinese society, others say it is impolite not to shave

Chinese people used to consider a glimpse of women's armpit hair mysterious and charming.

The armpit hair competition cited one example of a film star growing back her armpit hair for a role she played in a movie set in 1930s China.

However, many people have challenged Ms Xiao's feminist approach to this topic.

"What is this competition? No-one forces me to shave my armpit hair. I do it because I think it's gross not to," one woman wrote on Weibo.

"It's not polite to leave your armpit hair unshaven, no matter if it's men or women," another wrote.

'Love armpit hair'

The insults and criticism were not unexpected. What was surprising was people's enthusiasm about the competition. Thousands have participated in the discussion.

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83494000/jpg/_83494866_chinaarmpithair5.jpg
'I'm a college student. I love my armpit hair. I support natural hair, confidence and equality,' this student posted

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83494000/jpg/_83494867_chinaarmpithair1.jpg
Some Chinese websites are now deluged with pictures of women proudly displaying their underarms

"I'm a college student. I love my armpit hair. I support natural hair, confidence and equality," one participant wrote alongside a photo of her leaning against her dormitory bed with her arms in the air.

Li Tingting, another women's rights activist, posted a photo of her half-naked body showing her armpit hair and characters saying "punish domestic violence and love armpit hair".

She was released on parole only recently after being detained with four other activists. They were held in police custody for more than a month for organising a protest to raise awareness of sexual harassment and domestic violence.

"I think this competition is very meaningful. Consumerism is gender-based. The market is filled with all kinds of shaving products for women," Ms Li said.
"We need some space to think about why women are obliged to shave ourselves."

Still closely monitored by police as "suspect", Ms Li also wanted to make a point with her naked body.

"Men walk around half naked in China all the time, why can't women?" she asked. "For women, we need to free our minds and our bodies.

"For me, my body is my battlefield," Ms Li asserts.

[Rugevit]

I don't understand people who don't follow simple hygiene procedures given most households have showers, hot water and razors.

[SupaThug]

Ewww

[Dr. Robotnik the Subbotnik]

Ooooookay.....

[Rugevit]

Ooooookay.....

If a student in university and work colleague with unshaven armpits on a very warm day? It won't be okay to people sitting near this person.

[Dr. Robotnik the Subbotnik]

If a student in university and work colleague with unshaven armpits on a very warm day? It won't be okay to people sitting near this person.

I would imagine not.

[Gooding]

Yeah, that's pretty gross.

[щрбл]

I'm confused, are these women?

[Longbowman]

I support this, armpit hair is fine, eyebrow raised at the male posters claiming it's too gross for them to even sit near - do you chaps shave your armpits?

Side point: they're east Asians, they don't even have any armpit hair :laugh:

[SupaThug]

I support this, armpit hair is fine, eyebrow raised at the male posters claiming it's too gross for them to even sit near - do you chaps shave your armpits?

Side point: they're east Asians, they don't even have any armpit hair :laugh:

I do.

[Ivan Kramskoï]

Side point: they're east Asians, they don't even have any armpit hair :laugh:
Its the first reaction I had when saw those pics ...

[Nurzat]

only pussies shave. men don't shave armpits, pubic hair, ass hair, chest or legs. wtf..

and for the girls.. they're ok with it, with hair on, i mean

[Maguzanci]

Bootyful... :laugh:

[SupaThug]

only pussies shave. men don't shave armpits, pubic hair, ass hair, chest or legs. wtf..

and for the girls.. they're ok with it, with hair on, i mean

Do you have any source to corroborate your statement?

[JBoscherville]

It's just hair :picard1:

[Rugevit]

only pussies shave. men don't shave armpits, pubic hair, ass hair, chest or legs. wtf..

and for the girls.. they're ok with it, with hair on, i mean

There is no need to shave pubic hair for men, as pubic hair does not accumulate unpleasant odour in men. Men do shave their armpits in most cultures for hygiene reasons.

[Maguzanci]

There is no need to shave pubic hair for men, as pubic hair does not accumulate unpleasant odour in men. Men do shave their armpits in most cultures for hygiene reasons.

pubic hair is like jungle.

[Longbowman]

I do.

That's pretty gay of you.


There is no need to shave pubic hair for men, as pubic hair does not accumulate unpleasant odour in men. Men do shave their armpits in most cultures for hygiene reasons.

What culture is that, my gay-sounding friend?

Female pubic hair does not retain an odor any more than male hair does.

[dude]

I support this, armpit hair is fine, eyebrow raised at the male posters claiming it's too gross for them to even sit near - do you chaps shave your armpits?

Side point: they're east Asians, they don't even have any armpit hair :laugh:
You mean they are not like Latin European women.

[Dandelion]

I support this, armpit hair is fine, eyebrow raised at the male posters claiming it's too gross for them to even sit near - do you chaps shave your armpits?

Side point: they're east Asians, they don't even have any armpit hair :laugh:

Indeed. People have been so brainwashed. When they think female armpit hair their imagination immediately start to make up a fugly gorilla (usually with a big moustache and a butterface and whatnot). How about an attractive woman with armpit hair? How about thin and fluffy armpit hair? (as females often naturally grow being less hairy). One would quickly realise it's not that bad then.

Even I have been brainwashed. Until I was 20 I also used to think it's gross, then I began to question it. Then I realised it's not that much of a turnoff.

Funny how many people make this into a 'hygiene' argument. It has got nothing to do with it.

[Loki]

I'm confused, are these women?

Yes.

[Loki]

pubic hair is like jungle.

Jungles have an exotic type of attraction :)

[Dandelion]

Jungles have an exotic type of attraction :)

In the '80s they called them hair pies. Wedge-shaped pubic hair growth is the best.

[Nurzat]

do you remember this, guys? the girl in front of the painting of Gustave Courbet, L'origine du monde :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rti3TPOiFn8

[Dandelion]

do you remember this, guys? the girl in front of the painting of Gustave Courbet, L'origine du monde :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rti3TPOiFn8

L'origine du monde is probably his most famous work.

Here's another 'La Femme à la vague', another one of his paintings.

http://jacqueline.verstraet.free.fr/peintres/courbet/4/31_la_femme_ds_les_vagues.jpg

[Nurzat]

L'origine du monde is probably his most famous work.

Here's another 'La Femme à la vague', another one of his paintings.

see the armpit! haha

[Harley]

I usually make a point to shave my pits more than my legs, but it doesn't matter either way.

My showering and deodorant habits do not change with or without more hair. I think people wouldn't notice unless I lifted my arm and showed them the hair, but what for?

I grow more hair in one pit than all of the women in OP combined lol.

[Taiguaitiaoghyrmmumin]

isnt this normal in southern United states?

[Maguzanci]

Jungles have an exotic type of attraction :)

Having pubic hair is like having a tropical rainforest environment on your body except that there are no species. :cool:

[Linebacker]

So Sexy

[Manifest Destiny]

I don't understand people who don't follow simple hygiene procedures given most households have showers, hot water and razors.

I'm not a fan of armpit hair on women, but I don't see why it would be less hygienic than armpit hair on men.


Ewww

This. :puke:

[zhaoyun]

This was an internet stunt organized by a bunch of Chinese feminists to challenge notions that women need to shave their armpits.

Ewww is about right.

[Chrissi]

Chinese people used to consider a glimpse of women's armpit hair mysterious and charming.


lmao

[Rugevit]

I'm not a fan of armpit hair on women, but I don't see why it would be less hygienic than armpit hair on men.



It'd not be hygienic for both sexes. Especially in warmer climates.

[Longbowman]

It'd not be hygienic for both sexes. Especially in warmer climates.

Why?

[Rugevit]

Why?

Hair accumulates odour more than skin. There are many discussions on the subject. Also, some people stink more than others.

[Longbowman]

Hair accumulates odour more than skin. There are many discussions on the subject. Also, some people stink more than others.

Odor =/= hygiene. Besides the hair traps sweat, so.

[Rugevit]

Odor =/= hygiene. Besides the hair traps sweat, so.

Hygiene can also refer to general cleanliness. I don't consider sweat in hair emitting odour to be clean. Hair trapping sweat is exactly the reason why many people in warmer climates shave their armpits. Sweat in hair will stink.

[Dandelion]

Nah, hairy armpits don't really stink. They might even prevent sweat stains ('okselvijvers' in my language, I'm surprised there's no English word for it lol)

It's also a weak argument contra, of course under the pretense of hygiene. I've heard them all already.

[de Burgh II]

Its only hair; its not like the bogeyman that "hides" under our beds. :lol:

[Dandelion]

Its only hair; its not like the bogeyman that "hides" under our beds. :lol:

Well I don't blame most people. People just aren't used to seeing females with armpit hair. People start to imagine all sort of scary stuff.
At that regard it's a bit of a pity the leader of the organisation is a short-hair type (and while she isn't ugly, I have no idea whether she's lesbian or not, which is her right of course). It's also possible for a more feminine type of woman to grow armpit hair, an image people are even less used to.

There are examples of such women in the OP as well, but the pictures are blurry. I guess they are a bit shy and reluctant to reveal too much of their identity. Or their cell phones don't have good cameras.

[de Burgh II]

Well I don't blame most people. People just aren't used to seeing females with armpit hair. People start to imagine all sort of scary stuff.
At that regard it's a bit of a pity the leader of the organisation is a short-hair type (and while she isn't ugly, I no idea whether she's lesbian or not, which is her right of course). It's also possible for a more feminine type of woman to grow armpit hair, an image people are even less used to.

There are examples of such women in the OP as well, but the pictures are blurry. I guess they are a bit shy and reluctant to revealing too much of their identity. Or their cell phones don't have good cameras.

Good point! :)

Nonetheless, both genders have androgenic hair that becomes prevalent after we hit puberty. Its simply more prevalent in the vaginal area, arms, legs and armpits for the most part:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/Androgenic_hair.svg/788px-Androgenic_hair.svg.png


Androgenic hair, commonly known as body hair, is the terminal hair that develops on the human body during and after puberty. It is differentiated from the head hair and less visible vellus hair, which are much finer and lighter in color. The growth of androgenic hair is related to the level of androgens (male hormones) in the individual. Due to a normally higher level of androgen, men tend to have more androgenic hair than women.[...]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgenic_hair

[King Claus]

Here's mine: http://i58.tinypic.com/10p3dpd.jpg, but I'm not entirely sure if my color is naturally Chinese, though.