History Main / HairyGirl

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, women who choose not to shave are criticized for it, since it's considered a social taboo. Thus, the depiction of a Hairy Girl is generally for one of two reasons:

* Positively/Neutrally, to distinguish the character as rebellious or rugged.

* There are a fair number of pornographic films from the 1970s where the actresses didn't shave. In films made today, that is almost unheard of.

** There are a fair number of pornographic films from the 1970s where the actors and actresses neither shaved nor used condoms because the Sexually Transmitted Diseases they knew about could be treated with Penicillin. Awareness of HIV and Herpes changed all of that during the 1980s because, even today, there is no known vaccine for either.

** There are a fair number of pornographic films from the 1970s where the actors and actresses neither shaved nor used condoms because the STDs they knew about could be treated with Penicillin. Awareness of HIV and Herpes changed all of that during the 1980s because, even today, there is no known vaccine for either.

* Neutrally, to distinguish the character as rebellious or rugged.

* ''TabletopGames/GarbagePailKids'': Fitting the parody theme of the card series, the character ''Armpit Brit'' resembles a cutesy Cabbage Patch girl, just with hair locks flowing from her underarms.

* Though not in context, some of the footage from the survival-themed [[Creator/DiscoveryChannel Discovery]] series ''NakedAndAfraid'' contains female survivalists who haven't shaved in weeks, for obvious reasons.

[[quoteright:330:[[WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fairlyoddparents_underarmrope_7315.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:330:"We'll use my braided underarm hair rope to swing across!"]]

Compare the NewAgeRetroHippie and GranolaGirl. Related to WartsAndAll, especially when it's not meant to be funny. Also compare BaldWomen, with girls who lack hair on their head where they're expected to have it.

Compare the NewAgeRetroHippie and GranolaGirl. Also compare BaldWomen, with girls who lack hair on their head where they're expected to have it.

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.

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, women who choose not to shave are usually criticized for this, since it's considered a social taboo. Thus, the depiction of a Hairy Girl is generally for one of two reasons:

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, women who choose not to shave are usually criticized for this, since it's considered a social taboo. Thus, the depiction of a HairyGirl is generally for one of two contexts:

In RealLife, girls who choose not to shave their body hair are generally associated with some forms of counterculture. In television, some reasons a woman may choose to abstain from shaving or waxing include sticking it to the man, expressing her womanhood, or simply being lazy. Sometimes, though, the HairyGirl is not a taboo in the context of the work's setting (perhaps its region or time period). This trope occurs most commonly with throwaway GranolaGirl characters whom writers portray as female hippies and feminists, but these are frequently just PlayedForLaughs as it's generally seen as unattractive in Western society. Another common comedic use of the trope is for characters to mention [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys French girls]] and the unshaven stereotype of them which exists in fiction much more than in RealLife. If the trope isn't rubbing your face in it, odds are that it's a means to simply distinguish her from other female characters as a rebel of some sort.

Compare the NewAgeRetroHippie and GranolaGirl. Also compare with BaldWomen, with girls who lack 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 would find shaving 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.

** Negatively, to portray the character as unattractive or weird for comedic effect
** Neutrally to distinguish the character as rebellious or rugged.

* ''Anime/{{Genshiken}}''. Rika Yoshitake insults a male character's skimpy facial hair, telling him, "I have more armpit hair than that!".

* Though not in context, some of the footage from the survival-themed [[Creator/DiscoveryChannel Discovery]] series ''[[NakedAndAfraid Naked and Afraid]]'' contains female survivalists who haven't shaved in weeks, for obvious reasons.

* In the third episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', Sheldon notes, "Leslie Winkle recently started shaving her legs. Now, given that winter is coming, one can only assume that she's signaling sexual availability."

** Played with, when Homer becomes a Hippie, he encourages Marge to let her leg hair grow on the grounds that it's more natural. "Come on, I want to see those legs all furry and gross!" She doesn't agree.

* ''Film/UpACreek'': While lost in the woods, the protagonists stumble upon some {{Granola Girl}}s who have taken to living in a tree to prevent it from being cut down. Their joy at seeing the first women after several days of cold, starvation, and hugging each other to stay warm quickly diminishes when they notice the girls' hairy legs (both because they didn't have access to shaving supplies and because they consciously decided to go back to nature).

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, women who choose not to shave are usually criticized for this, since it's considered a social taboo. Thus, the depiction of a Hairy Girl is generally for one of two contexts:

In RealLife, girls who choose not to shave their body hair are generally associated with some forms of counterculture. In television, some reasons a woman may choose to abstain from shaving or waxing include sticking it to the man, expressing her 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 throwaway GranolaGirl characters whom writers portray as female hippies and feminists, but these are frequently just PlayedForLaughs as it's generally seen as unattractive in Western society. Another common comedic use of the trope is for characters to mention [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys French girls]] and the unshaven stereotype of them which exists in fiction much more than in RealLife. If the trope isn't rubbing your face in it, odds are that it's a means to simply distinguish her from other female characters as a rebel of some sort.

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 depiction of a Hairy Girl is generally for one of two different contexts:

In RealLife, girls who choose not to shave their body hair are generally associated with some forms of counterculture. In television, some reasons a woman may choose to abstain from shaving or waxing include sticking it to the man, expressing her 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 throwaway GranolaGirl characters whom writers portray as female hippies and feminists, but these are frequently just PlayedForLaughs as it's a "social taboo" in Western society. Another common comedic use of the trope is for characters to mention [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys French girls]] and the unshaven stereotype of them which exists in fiction much more than in RealLife. If the trope isn't rubbing your face in it, odds are that it's a means to simply distinguish her from other female characters as a rebel of some sort.

In RealLife, girls who choose not to shave their body hair are generally associated with some forms of counterculture. In television, some reasons a woman may choose to abstain from shaving or waxing include sticking it to the man, expressing her 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 throwaway GranolaGirl characters whom writers portray as female hippies and feminists, but these are frequently just PlayedForLaughs as it's a "social taboo" in Western society. Another common comedic use of the trope is for characters to mention [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys French girls]] and the unshaven stereotype of them which exists in fiction much more than in RealLife. If the trope isn't rubbing your face in it, odds are that it's a means to simply distinguish her from other female characters as a rebel.

* ''VideoGames/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'': Olga Gurlokavich, a cunning Russian female baddie, has hairy armpits.

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 common comedic use of the trope is for characters to mention [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys French girls]] and the unshaven stereotype of them which exists in fiction much more than in RealLife. If the trope isn't rubbing your face in it, odds are that it's a means to simply distinguish her from other female characters as a rebel.

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.

* Boost Mobile features a commercial where a girl riding a bike has comedically long armpit hair hitting her tandem rider in the face behind her, asking 'You think that's wrong? Hidden cell phone fees are wrong.'

* ''Anime/{{Genshiken}}''. Rika Yoshitake insults a male character's skimpy facial hair, telling him "I have more armpit hair than that!".

* ''ComicBook/{{Persepolis}}''. Marjane's roommate Lucia has hairy armpits. They aren't very noticeable in the comic, but in the animated film they comically blow in the wind from her hairdryer.

* In ''Film/TheDictator'', the eponymous main character and unlikely love interest Zoey somehow manage a particularly funny [[DoubleEntendre fake out]] during their "sex scene" swapping oral sex for The Dictator Aladeen instead licking her hairy armpits.

* On ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', Tony starts hitting on a female park ranger who's aiding in an investigation, only to get a glimpse of her unshaven armpits. He's immediately turned off by the sight, and makes up a clumsy sob story about being a recent widower to derail her interest.

* In the sketch show ''SmackThePony'', during one skit Doon [=MacKichan=] is seen in the communal changing rooms at a swimming pool mentioning to her friend that she hasn't had a bikini wax in a while. She turns around revealing a whole forest of hair climbing out of her bikini.
* In the third episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' Sheldon notes "Leslie Winkle recently started shaving her legs. Now, given that winter is coming, one can only assume that she's signaling sexual availability."

* Referenced in a ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' comic when someone says that feminists don't shave their legs. The next panel, there's a woman saying, "Stereotypes. The language of hate." [[StereotypeReactionGag Her legs are very shaggy.]]
* ''Tina's Groove'': Monica, Tina's not-too-bright coworker, has hairy legs, which are described by the other workers in a mix of awe and horror. In one strip she was overheard shaving for a date by yelling "Timber!" repeatedly [[NothingIsScarier behind a restroom door]].

* ''VideoGames/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'': Olga Gurlokavich, cunning, Russian, female baddie has hairy armpits.

** After having her leg broken in one episode, Marge has her cast finally removed and discovers her leg could use a waxing, much to Dr. Hibert's alarm.
** A second example occurs in Lisa's spelling-bee dream where she is tempted with a free ride to the Seven Sisters college of her choice, the Vassar College representative says she can "Non-conform, like me!" while raising her arms showing visibly hairy armpits.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents''. Following Timmy's wish for his parents to stop caring so much, his mother gets the opportunity to save him by swinging across traffic using her "braided underarm hair rope!"

* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': In one episode Tina has to come to grips with the fact she now has hairy legs, being a teenager. Though at first she struggles with what to do about it, [[spoiler: at the end of the episode she accepts her new 'little hair friends' and decides to keep it.]]

[[folder: Web Comics]]
* Used by the {{Straw Feminist}}s of the, well, [[http://www.harkavagrant.com/?id=341 Straw Feminists]] strip of ''WebComic/HarkAVagrant''.
* Averted by Frigg of ''GuildedAge'', who has a rather... [[http://guildedage.net/comic/ask-an-adventurer-frigg-do-what-frigg-want/ different reason]] to do so (and asked by a man, no less).

* Weirdly adorable Japanese Youtuber ''Cotorich'' has hairy armpits, possibly part of her artsy-fartsy image, to the chagrin of many of her fans. [[https://www.youtube.com/user/cotorich]]

* There's definitely some [[TruthInTelevision Truth In Television]] here due to the fact despite being uncommon in Western civilization, there are still plenty of women in real life who choose not to shave. Some abstain as a social commentary on double standards, some do so since it makes them feel more natural about their own bodies, and some even don't shave simply because it's too much work. This is, after all, the whole basis of this trope.
* There's a fair share of female celebrities seen once in a while choosing to sport some armpit fur in public. Julia Roberts, Madonna, Britney Spears, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, and others have all been spotted doing so. The {{Paparazzi}} ensures it usually doesn't end favorably for them.
* Many older films originating from Italy, France, and the Czech Republic prior to 1980s featured female actresses with unshaven armpits due to it not yet becoming fashionably mainstream in Europe.
[[/folder]]

* Katniss Everdeen from ''TheHungerGames'' is mentioned as having hairy legs, though it's more of a downplayed example given that it comes up only for the sake of a PainfulBodyWaxing scene.

[[quoteright:330:[[LightNovel/FullMetalPanic http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/simpsons_sevensisters_3848.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:330:"Come non-conform with me!"]]

[[caption-width-right:330:"Yeah, it's Bud. No, I don't give a fuck about how it tastes. Piss off."]]