Question about Leg Shaving
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For all the people who have critiqued my responses .... I have read your posts and absorbed them. I don't want to get back into my habit of trying to pick out every tiny point and debate it until we are all sick of it .... Thanks for your responses.
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When I saw this thread I just knew it was going to be a good one to sit down with a cup of coffee and relax. I was not disappointed.
It had it all... Real data, perceived data, anecdotal data, serious answers, comical answers, arguments and even a shirtless hybrid racing challenge reference.
It had it all... Real data, perceived data, anecdotal data, serious answers, comical answers, arguments and even a shirtless hybrid racing challenge reference.
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I've decided that everyone who is arguing back and forth about leg hair and road rash is assuming that every man has leg hair like they do. I've never shaved my legs, but I have so little leg hair that I can't imagine it making the slightest difference either for aerodynamics or road rash. Now one of you ape hair guys, whole different story.
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Leg shaving is for women.... Men who shave their legs aren't real men.
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Well, maybe if they're using a straight razor and their hand slips...
So, according to you, when a man shaves his legs, does he become an adult Pinocchio?
Go ahead, explain what you mean, what kind of men shave their legs? What's a "not real man"?
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Underarm hair went first, as sleeveless dresses became socially acceptable (Gillette marketed its first "Women's" razor in 1915) but as hemlines rose after WWI, leg-shaving became de rigueur.
I assume leg-shaving wasn't suggested for men for two reasons---One, men were already buying razors and two, for men with very hairy legs, a razor alone often isn't enough, which could have cause a backlash which would have been bad for business.
Hair removal has a much longer history, differing in different regions and cultures, but the idea that hirsuteness was indicative of brutality is pretty common. Hairy men (or women) are animals, is one school of thought. The more modern idea is that hairy men are like animals---powerful, aggressive, predatory, dangerous---because so few people actually do anything dangerous on a daily basis, we seek reinforcement that we are "Real" men by advertising how hairy we are (yes, it really is as pathetic as it sounds.)
Because shaving gear used to be expensive and hard to manufacture, only the very wealthy (or noble) could afford to worry about such stuff---so being smooth (like being fat, in some cultures) was seen as a sign of success. So ..... is it low testosterone, high wealth, good breeding, good aero? Why do people do what they do?
People are really weird. if it wasn't for the fact that some of them make bikes and bike parts, I'd be in favor of extermination.
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^ That ought to be good for another couple pages.
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I only shave my legs because some people are triggered by it.
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shaving of non-facial non-genital parts reminds me of two things in life - competitive swimming/water polo and two years of surgeries, procedures, tests, and various cardiac mishaps.
unfortunately the latter is far more recent than the former, and i just can't imagine going to the hassle to either save a minute on a ride, look a little better (debatable!), or marginally decrease the discomfort of road rash.
if i was racing anyone, or i thought the difference would be something i could *feel* (not just measure) i'd do it for sure.
unfortunately the latter is far more recent than the former, and i just can't imagine going to the hassle to either save a minute on a ride, look a little better (debatable!), or marginally decrease the discomfort of road rash.
if i was racing anyone, or i thought the difference would be something i could *feel* (not just measure) i'd do it for sure.
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Good thread, reminded me it is time to get rid of excess hair.
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Applauding the restraint of examples of haired & hairless extremities.
Maybe the interwebs are becoming more ... dignified ... off the mainstream money/celebrity makers.
Cheers!
Maybe the interwebs are becoming more ... dignified ... off the mainstream money/celebrity makers.
Cheers!
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#219
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Actually, leg shaving Wasn't for women until the early 20th century when razor manufacturers realized they could more than double sales if they convinced women that body hair was unsightly. Fashion changes---women's clothing which exposed parts of the body hitherto kept covered---was a part of the ploy.
Underarm hair went first, as sleeveless dresses became socially acceptable (Gillette marketed its first "Women's" razor in 1915) but as hemlines rose after WWI, leg-shaving became de rigueur.
I assume leg-shaving wasn't suggested for men for two reasons---One, men were already buying razors and two, for men with very hairy legs, a razor alone often isn't enough, which could have cause a backlash which would have been bad for business.
Hair removal has a much longer history, differing in different regions and cultures, but the idea that hirsuteness was indicative of brutality is pretty common. Hairy men (or women) are animals, is one school of thought. The more modern idea is that hairy men are like animals---powerful, aggressive, predatory, dangerous---because so few people actually do anything dangerous on a daily basis, we seek reinforcement that we are "Real" men by advertising how hairy we are (yes, it really is as pathetic as it sounds.)
Because shaving gear used to be expensive and hard to manufacture, only the very wealthy (or noble) could afford to worry about such stuff---so being smooth (like being fat, in some cultures) was seen as a sign of success. So ..... is it low testosterone, high wealth, good breeding, good aero? Why do people do what they do?
People are really weird. if it wasn't for the fact that some of them make bikes and bike parts, I'd be in favor of extermination.
Underarm hair went first, as sleeveless dresses became socially acceptable (Gillette marketed its first "Women's" razor in 1915) but as hemlines rose after WWI, leg-shaving became de rigueur.
I assume leg-shaving wasn't suggested for men for two reasons---One, men were already buying razors and two, for men with very hairy legs, a razor alone often isn't enough, which could have cause a backlash which would have been bad for business.
Hair removal has a much longer history, differing in different regions and cultures, but the idea that hirsuteness was indicative of brutality is pretty common. Hairy men (or women) are animals, is one school of thought. The more modern idea is that hairy men are like animals---powerful, aggressive, predatory, dangerous---because so few people actually do anything dangerous on a daily basis, we seek reinforcement that we are "Real" men by advertising how hairy we are (yes, it really is as pathetic as it sounds.)
Because shaving gear used to be expensive and hard to manufacture, only the very wealthy (or noble) could afford to worry about such stuff---so being smooth (like being fat, in some cultures) was seen as a sign of success. So ..... is it low testosterone, high wealth, good breeding, good aero? Why do people do what they do?
People are really weird. if it wasn't for the fact that some of them make bikes and bike parts, I'd be in favor of extermination.
For the sake of the species, I'm going to express disapproval of your last sentence.
Your point about this being more of a fashion thing than any kind of long-standing tradition is well-taken. The other thing people think is so ingrained in gender that is relatively new is the association of pink with girls and blue with boys. These colors flipped, pastel blue was commonly associated with girls up into the 1940s, while pink was associated with boys because the red shade was seen as more assertive.
Really, which body parts should be shaven is going to vary from decade to decade. I don't see a lot of guys with mustaches these days. It's always funny to see how many there are in 1970s movies.
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Leg shaving begun with women about 100 years ago. It was done for aesthetic and beauty reasons...Fast forward to 2021 and now men are shaving their legs for the same reason that women have been shaving their legs for the last 100 years.
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So? You seem to be having a gender panic attack over this.
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The more modern idea is that hairy men are like animals---powerful, aggressive, predatory, dangerous---because so few people actually do anything dangerous on a daily basis, we seek reinforcement that we are "Real" men by advertising how hairy we are (yes, it really is as pathetic as it sounds.)
Since excess body hair is a marker for testosterone, and testosterone produces strength and aggression, the hairy body is a signal for potential challengers to keep away. A female sees a hairy male body as a sign of fitness and ability to protect her offspring, so she would desire him sexually.
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In other animals, scientists would consider a hairy male body a "visual signal" that elicits instinctive responses in the viewer.
Since excess body hair is a marker for testosterone, and testosterone produces strength and aggression, the hairy body is a signal for potential challengers to keep away. A female sees a hairy male body as a sign of fitness and ability to protect her offspring, so she would desire him sexually.
Since excess body hair is a marker for testosterone, and testosterone produces strength and aggression, the hairy body is a signal for potential challengers to keep away. A female sees a hairy male body as a sign of fitness and ability to protect her offspring, so she would desire him sexually.
This stuff doesn't translate well for humans, however. If it did, men would never shave their faces.
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