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A review by robotswithpersonality
Hairless: Breaking the Vicious Circle of Hair Removal, Submission and Self-Hatred by Bel Olid
Somewhat in the vein of The Body is Not an Apology, though more angry and explicit. The author is understandably frustrated and that comes out in the text. I appreciate the expansion beyond cis feminist lens to consider how hair removal relates to gender norms in a non-binary, trans or other cultural setting - how in certain tragic but real circumstances passing via shaving reduces risk of violence.
A little strange to pick this book up where I am in my personal journey, because I feel like the author is currently grappling with a stage that thanks to other reading and self-reflection, I have moved past. That should not be considered as me devaluing the book, if anyone is taking the first steps in examining society's view of body hair, has just started to 'not shave' as a female-presenting person, I think there's a lot crammed into this little book that could help you feel supported and informed.
As a broader application, the notion of looking twice at what you once thought was a simple choice to examine your motives, your unconscious bias/upbringing, and society's motives, how you arrived there, whether you truly felt you had options prior to making that choice, feels like an essential part of life in the 21st century, for anything from gender norms to critical race theory to environmental/consumerist-related decisions.
⚠️Mention of SA
A little strange to pick this book up where I am in my personal journey, because I feel like the author is currently grappling with a stage that thanks to other reading and self-reflection, I have moved past. That should not be considered as me devaluing the book, if anyone is taking the first steps in examining society's view of body hair, has just started to 'not shave' as a female-presenting person, I think there's a lot crammed into this little book that could help you feel supported and informed.
As a broader application, the notion of looking twice at what you once thought was a simple choice to examine your motives, your unconscious bias/upbringing, and society's motives, how you arrived there, whether you truly felt you had options prior to making that choice, feels like an essential part of life in the 21st century, for anything from gender norms to critical race theory to environmental/consumerist-related decisions.
⚠️Mention of SA