CASE STUDY -
Dear Dove, before being lured to your web site by the promise of free deodorant, I didn't know that you could make the word "armpits" sound so dirty! I now realize that “underarm” is so much softer, smoother and more feminine … kind of like your new Dove deodorant, which I am trusting to transform my hairy, smelly and nasty armpits into this new definition of femininity. While you’re at it, could you get rid of the skin tags that popped up down there during my pregnancy? In fact, could you hire someone from Dove to come by and stand by my front door and apply deodorant to my armpits – I mean underarms – as I fly out every day in my quest to get to work on time? Because half the time, I forget to put any deodorant on, and I even have a variety to choose from: Ban, which I buy because it’s the cheapest, and Tom’s of Maine, which smells nice and was supposed to be healthier somehow for the fetus, but really doesn’t do crap for sweat.

Actually, all of this is irrelevant. My office is incredibly chilly. I never sweat here.

Thanks anyway,
Goddess

Blog posted by Cinnabuster, Aug 2005

Hair Questionnaire Results
Q. How much of the pressure do you think comes from advertising, magazines, films, T.V, etc?

“My theory is growing here...  teenage girls hang out together and read magazines full of lies about sex, love, and body image...   and they give each other makeovers, and get catty about other girls appearances. Imagine an in-group conversation: "I can't believe Mandy hasn't waxed her eyebrows" where Mandy is an 'outgrouper'....  this norming statement establishes for all the ingroup members that eye-brow waxing is compulsory...  and so ingroupers Leah and Rachel come to school the next day with eyebrows waxed to the max because they are mortified that they didn't do it before.  Now this is a blokes' loose understanding of teen girl culture, and my reference is American TV and movies... Clueless, Daria, Jawbreaker...  so shoot me if I've missed the point. ~ Tim, 24, AUS

To add some depth here... there are aspects of TV and Mags that are actively fighting against the crap...  Daria is classic example... clueless and Mandy Moore at times... all satirise the assumptions of pop culture... but still predominantly they conform. Conformity is power, except when rebellion is more powerful. This seems to be universal?” ~ Tim, 24, Aus

Essentially, almost all of it. It is, however, a difficult question. I believe that much of it would originate from the media, but be backed up by peer groups. So people would believe they must shave, and so they do not accept women who do not. So whilst the pressure may not be applied from the media so directly, it definitely causes and influences it. ~ Edd, 18, ENG

Alot. What if hairy women became the norm? it became a trend, body hair was showing up in magazines, TV shows.. I see this is what has to happen for it to change. An interesting side note; You know how eyebrows have been many shapes and sizes over the years. Trends change. I saw newspaper story about eyebrows being  full, bushy natural, with a slight and I stress slight taper this year. Will this catch on? I dont know, but I do now this.. Ive seen fuller eyebrows, but still nothing natural/full - only celebrity Jennifer Connelly has resorted back to her full bushy natural state. Its sad to say the media has to play a large part in creating these norms. ~ Scott, 29, US

Semiotics and the Media: A web-article, a learning tool, and a simple step-by-step explanation of how to read and understand adverts, the media, and contemporary culture.

Everything from television programmes to propaganda rely on the power of seduction – that being told what to see and think is easier than employing ones own critical assessment. Using semiotics tactically, a spectator can resist the seduction of images and therefore resist being told how and what to see. The importance of this kind of enquiry should become evident as you continue to explore this website and those it links to.

The Male Gaze, Fashion Advertsing
& the Pose :

A web-article, a learning tool,
and a step-by-step explanation of
how beauty is defined

women who don’t remove hair say -

All of it, how else do the ideas get into teenagers heads in the first place. My mother did not encourage it, but I still did it. ~ Alice, 16, UK.

A lot. The media never shows women who don’t shave, ever. Occasionally they appear in movies, but never mainstream commercial ones, it seems to only be “arty” movies, which means that these naturally beautiful women are never seen by most people.  ~ Madie, 16, AUS.

There is a shitload of money to be made in the make-women-feel-insecure category, women and girls are perceived as being happier, more confident, and sexier without body hair. Also, think of the field day the media would have if Jessica Simpson or Britney Spears went natural. ~ Genevieve, 20, NZ.

I firmly believe that advertising and the media have an enormous influence over the ideals of “beauty.” As for shaving, it is a subtle influence but powerful. Many of the products geared for women have to do with offering quicker, easier, or more pain free methods of hair removal. ~ Ellyn, USA.

Well, some, but women accept that rubbish, and men do too to an extent. We don’t have to buy those magazines – or we can just enjoy the frocks without buying into the body image stuff; we don’t have to shave our legs or underarms. ~ Kate, 36, AUS.

It wasn’t those things which influenced me – it was my friends – especially ones who had older sisters and were quicker to follow those “trends”. I don’t read magazines or newspapers although back then I did borrow seventeen from the library on a regular basis. I think when I was young it was about the people around me (mum included) – it may be different now. ~ Laurene, 54, AUS.

Lots – smooth and supple skin do not reflect a better personality or integrity. ~ Bianca, 17, Hong Kong SAR.

I think it's just as much at the fault of the mothers, who automatically tell their daughters to start shaving. I don’t blame my mother or anything, I just mean it’s a combination of things. People just don’t think for themselves. I suppose it would help if people could see an alternative in advertising, and learn to find that attractive too. ~ Jo, 18, ENG

I would say completely, they are completely to blame. Guys on T.V and popular media are always mocking hairy women as being ugly, hair does not make you ugly! ~ Pavan, 22, ENG

Women who do remove body hair say –

Almost all of the pressure. ~ Kath, 33, AUS

None. ~ Vulnerome, 27, UK

Not a lot... well that's how most women are portayed I suppose, look at the whole Julia Roberts fiasco. ~ Emily, 18, ENG

An extreme amount. ~ Mandy, 29, USA