Markup View

Author: lakingsif

Jun 6th 2014 at 2:42:43 PM

How did this get so many 'Tropeworthy?' Tags so quickly?

Also, I propose this as going some way to improving the description.

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In Western culture, the majority of women tend to shave their body hair (e.g. leg, armpit, and pubic hair) for cosmetic reasons. Various media reflect this in fiction, as almost all female characters have smooth, hairless skin in the aforementioned regions. Typically this is also a signifier of beauty, as unshaven women and girls (most commonly legs or face) are criticised for such traits. Thus, the inclusion of a Hairy Girl is generally for one of three reasons: comedic effect, as a means to distinguish the character as counterculturist, or as an indicator that the character is perceived as unattractive -- which may also be a source of comedy or showing that their counterculturalism is, also, seen as negative by potential romantic interests.

In RealLife, girls who choose not to shave their body hair are generally associated with some forms of counterculture. In television, some reasons a character may choose to abstain from shaving or waxing include sticking it to the man, expressing their womanhood, or simply being lazy. Sometimes, though, the Hairy Girl is not a taboo in the context of the work's setting (perhaps its region or time period). This trope occurs most commonly with throw-away GranolaGirl characters that writers portray as female hippies and feminists, but these are frequently just PlayedForLaughs as it's a "social taboo" in Western society. Another comedic use of the trope is for characters to mention [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys French girls]] and the unshaven stereotype of them which exists in fiction probably more than in RealLife.

Compare the NewAgeRetroHippie and GranolaGirl. Also compare with BaldWomen, with girls having a lack of hair where it's expected to be. Contrast PermaShave, which is often the complete inversion of this trope, especially in a situation where the women are in situations where shaving would be impossible. Not be confused with GirlsWithMoustaches, which focuses on the unnatural phenomenon of women possessing properly styled facial hair, rather than that "unsightly" fuzz on their top lip.
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