In the past few years, the Brazilian bikini wax—a procedure involving the removal of hair from women's genital area—has become the subject of substantial media attention. From HBO's Sex and the City to popular magazines and in several Web sites, the Brazilian wax has been described as the latest craze among Hollywood stars. This article explores the Brazilian wax practice from a feminist perspective. Like the removal of hair from other body parts, the Brazilian wax is being promoted by consumer capitalism—particularly through beauty salons, popular magazines, and Web sites—as a way for women to increase their attractiveness and sexuality. Notably absent from media coverage are critical views of this practice and its potential repercussions, including its contribution to the sexual objectification of girls and women and to the social construction of women as childlike.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bartky, Sandra L.1990. Femininity and domination: Studies in the phenomenology of oppression. New York: Routledge.
2.
Basow, Susan A.1991. The hairless ideal: Women and their body hair. Psychology of WomenQuarterly15 (1): 83-86.
3.
Basow, Susan A.
, and A. C. Braman. 1998. Women and body hair: Social perceptions and attitudes. Psychology of Women Quarterly22: 637-645.
4.
Berger, John
. 1972. Ways of seeing. London: Penguin Books.
5.
Bordo, Susan1993. Unbearable weight: Feminism, Western culture, and the body. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
6.
“The Brazilian wax: Isn't just for Brazilian girls anymore.”2001, 14 February. Retreived 31 March 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://members.tripod.com/agrrrrl/Brownmiller,Susan.1984. Femininity. New York: Ballantine.
7.
Bush, Vanessa
. 2001. Some like it hot. Essence32 (2): 25-31.
Clayman, Charles B.
, ed. 1994. The American Medical Association family medical guide.New York: Random House.
10.
Duke, Lisa L.
, and Peggy J. Kreshe. 1998. Negotiating femininity: Girls in early adolescence read teen magazines. Journal of Communication Inquiry22 (1): 48-71.
11.
Dworkin, Andrea
. 1974. Woman-hating. New York: Dutton.
12.
Ellen, Barbara
. 1999. Brazilian wax: A pluck too far. Daily Mail & Guardian, 24 June. Retrieved 31 March 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.mg.co.za/mg/news/99jun2/24junbody.html.
13.
Foucault, Michel1977. Discipline and punish. New York: Vintage.
14.
Herzig, Rebecca1999. Removing roots: “North American Hiroshima maidens” and the X ray. Technology and Culture40 (4): 723-723.
15.
hooks, bell1992. Black looks: Race and representation. Boston: South End Press.
16.
Hope, Christine1982. Caucasian female body hair and American culture. Journal of American Culture5: 93-99.
17.
“The J. Sisters.”2001. Cosmopolitan April: 163-163.
18.
Keyishian, Amy2000. The Brazilian bikini wax: All the facts. Cosmopolitan229 (August): 158-161.
19.
Kruger, Renée Marisa2000. Male maintenance. Retail Merchandiser40 (11): 61-63.
20.
Lee, Gomes2001. That thicket of hair just spoils the view of all those muscles. Wall Street Journal, 5 September, A1-A1.
21.
McGee, Sherri A.1999. Time for you. Essence30 (October): 21-26.
22.
Orbach, Susie
. 1993. Hunger strike: The anorectic's struggle as a metaphor for our age. London: Penguin.
23.
Owen [no first name]
. 2000. Sex and another city. Mightybigtv.com, 17 September. Retreived 31 March 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.mightybigtv.com/index.html?/sex_and_the_city/03-14.asp&0.
24.
Radulovic, Mira
[no date]. Wax poetic: Get a bikini wax to the max. Oxygen.com. Retreived 31 March 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://picky.oxygen.com/ideas/how_to27.html
Signorielli, Nancy1993. Mass media images and impact on health: A sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
27.
Tiggerman, Marika
, and Sarah J. Kenyon. 1998. The hairlessness norm: The removal of body hair in women. Sex Roles39 (11/12): 873-885.
28.
Ussher, Jane M.1989. The psychology of the female body. London: Routledge.
29.
“Wax job.”2000. People Weekly, 14 August, 54 (7): 70-70.
30.
Valhouli, Christina
. 1999. Faster pussycat, Wax! Wax!: A Brazilian bikini wax changed Gwyneth Paltrow's life; it can change yours, too! Salon.com, 2 September. Retreived 31 March 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.salon.com/health/feature/1999/09/03/bikini.
31.
Walkerdine, Valerie
. 1996. Popular culture and the eroticisation of little girls. In Cultural studies and communications, edited by J. Curran, D. Morley, and V. Walkerdine, 323-333. London: Arnold.
