Is it acceptable for guys to shave their legs/body?

[minionofmidas]

If you absolutely want to and/or have a downright pelt on your back.

[opebo]

I don't understand why it wouldn't be.

Some - probably including some in your religious camp - find such vanity less than ideal.

I mean, sure, but that would apply to women too (I know, I know, differing cultural expectations, but it should apply equally if it applies at all), and there's a difference between vanity and having aesthetic or hygienic preferences that differ from or are perceived as more fastidious than one's gender norm.

Yeah in fairness my tendency to not support feminine shaving is probably entirely due to living in Asia, where women have practically no hair on their legs.. but, I definitely don't prefer them to shave anything else.. underarms, well, its ok I guess, if they must, but in the nether regions I actively dislike it.

[minionofmidas]

While I have a mild objection to women shaving anywhere but there.

[Lurker]

I really think both men and women are entitled to shaving their body. Regarding the armpits for example, in Europe men tend to shave them more often than women and in the U.S. more women tend to shave them than men.

Whut? I have to ask where/how you get this impression

[opebo]

While I have a mild objection to women shaving anywhere but there.

Again, it could be that for the most part I've just be lucky to mostly encounter not-very-hirsute types.. even back home the little blonde/brown haired Anglo-Saxon-ish girls I dated didn't seem very hairy.  I remember the one time I dated a Jewess I was a little bit in shock - even got a terrible chaffing that occasioned a visit to the doctor.  He looked at me askance and recommended a lubricant.

[politicus]

I really think both men and women are entitled to shaving their body. Regarding the armpits for example, in Europe men tend to shave them more often than women and in the U.S. more women tend to shave them than men. I shave my parts because it does make a guy look much more professional & attractive (as a gay male) and there's nothing worse than men who don't shave their beards or mustaches. It's the first body part everybody looks at so it should look the best and not look like a hobo who's too poor to buy even a razor.

Even if it was trimmed and well groomed?

[ZuWo]

Of course it is acceptable but nowadays I think the question should be posed in a different way (at least that's my impression): Is it acceptable for guys not to shave their body (fortunately leg hair still seems to be tolerated by many)?

[opebo]

Of course it is acceptable but nowadays I think the question should be posed in a different way (at least that's my impression): Is it acceptable for guys not to shave their body (fortunately leg hair still seems to be tolerated by many)?

Good lord, of course it is.  What are you, a rent-boy?

[ZuWo]

Of course it is acceptable but nowadays I think the question should be posed in a different way (at least that's my impression): Is it acceptable for guys not to shave their body (fortunately leg hair still seems to be tolerated by many)?

Good lord, of course it is.  What are you, a rent-boy?

No.

You apparently misunderstood, or I didn't express myself clearly enough. I was trying to say that shaved bodies seem to be a fashion trend nowadays while non-shaved bodies are often regarded as something unaesthetic, so the question is whether non-shaved bodies can still be considered acceptable.

[dead0man]

Nobody should feel forced by society to shave anything they don't want to shave.  And nobody should feel forced by society to be hairy if they want to shave.

[opebo]

...I was trying to say that shaved bodies seem to be a fashion trend nowadays while non-shaved bodies are often regarded as something unaesthetic, so the question is whether non-shaved bodies can still be considered acceptable.

Yeah, it is a reasonable point.  I was just decrying that society has come to such a sorry pass, in a roundabout way.  I was the one who wasn't clear. 

Personally I find the shaving trend a bit creepy.

[Leftbehind]

Its acceptable, I just find it unmanly.  

I wish natural body hair was more acceptable, also for women. This obsession with shaving everything and thinking hair is somehow "unclean" and gross has gone too far. Bodyhair actually helps your body stay clean, so its an irrational idea.

But its a lost battle in our generation (and the next one).

Agreed.

Largely reactionary in this regard; I don't see the ever burdening pressure on women, and now men, to obsessively preen as healthy (and incredibly regressive).

[LeBron]

I really think both men and women are entitled to shaving their body. Regarding the armpits for example, in Europe men tend to shave them more often than women and in the U.S. more women tend to shave them than men. I shave my parts because it does make a guy look much more professional & attractive (as a gay male) and there's nothing worse than men who don't shave their beards or mustaches. It's the first body part everybody looks at so it should look the best and not look like a hobo who's too poor to buy even a razor.

Even if it was trimmed and well groomed?

It looks bad no matter what. When you're kissing a guy, you don't want to get in the jungle and be feeling hair when kissing him or even getting some in the mouth. There's just something about a guys identity when they have one or don't. I'm a Senior in high school and some of old and current teachers shaved their beards for a fundraiser called "Clips for Cancer" and they didn't look any better than right then. I'm not saying this for my own sake, but it just shows more self-respect and personal hygiene when men shave their facial hair.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Trimming is fine. I trim all the time - you can't have a wild forest down there. Hell, if you want to shave it all off, I don't care. The only guys I have known to shave off all of their chest/leg/arm hair have been real sketch balls though, to put it lightly.

[politicus]

I really think both men and women are entitled to shaving their body. Regarding the armpits for example, in Europe men tend to shave them more often than women and in the U.S. more women tend to shave them than men. I shave my parts because it does make a guy look much more professional & attractive (as a gay male) and there's nothing worse than men who don't shave their beards or mustaches. It's the first body part everybody looks at so it should look the best and not look like a hobo who's too poor to buy even a razor.

Even if it was trimmed and well groomed?

It looks bad no matter what. When you're kissing a guy, you don't want to get in the jungle and be feeling hair when kissing him or even getting some in the mouth. There's just something about a guys identity when they have one or don't. I'm a Senior in high school and some of old and current teachers shaved their beards for a fundraiser called "Clips for Cancer" and they didn't look any better than right then. I'm not saying this for my own sake, but it just shows more self-respect and personal hygiene when men shave their facial hair.

OK, its just really weird to me. This idea that a beard is unhygienic is especially weird. I get that food parts can get stuck in it if the "owner" is slobby. But facial hair is not in itself unhygienic. I cant see its show less self respect either. Traditionally being able to grow a proper beard is a sign that the bearer is a full  grown man and not a boy anymore. So its a symbol of masculinity and maturity.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

OK, its just really weird to me. This idea that a beard is unhygienic is especially weird. I get that food parts can get stuck in it if the "owner" is slobby. But facial hair is not in itself unhygienic. I cant see its show less self respect either. Traditionally being able to grow a proper beard is a sign that the bearer is a full  grown man and not a boy anymore. So its a symbol of masculinity and maturity.

Yeah, as someone who has the evil Mr. Spock look, albeit mine's got gray mixed in, I agree.

[Хahar 🤔]

Nobody wears facial hair for anyone else. They do it because having facial hair is great.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The argument that a beard is a sign of a lack of self-respect is really quite, quite baffling.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

The argument that a beard is a sign of a lack of self-respect is really quite, quite baffling.

I never heard that argument.  It's quite silly, actually.

[minionofmidas]

Nobody wears facial hair for anyone else. They do it because having facial hair is great.

And nowadays that it's dense and long, women see the point too.

The Islamist / Jesus / Amanatidis / RAF jokes are only from jealous boys.

[LeBron]

I really think both men and women are entitled to shaving their body. Regarding the armpits for example, in Europe men tend to shave them more often than women and in the U.S. more women tend to shave them than men. I shave my parts because it does make a guy look much more professional & attractive (as a gay male) and there's nothing worse than men who don't shave their beards or mustaches. It's the first body part everybody looks at so it should look the best and not look like a hobo who's too poor to buy even a razor.

Even if it was trimmed and well groomed?

It looks bad no matter what. When you're kissing a guy, you don't want to get in the jungle and be feeling hair when kissing him or even getting some in the mouth. There's just something about a guys identity when they have one or don't. I'm a Senior in high school and some of old and current teachers shaved their beards for a fundraiser called "Clips for Cancer" and they didn't look any better than right then. I'm not saying this for my own sake, but it just shows more self-respect and personal hygiene when men shave their facial hair.

OK, its just really weird to me. This idea that a beard is unhygienic is especially weird. I get that food parts can get stuck in it if the "owner" is slobby. But facial hair is not in itself unhygienic. I cant see its show less self respect either. Traditionally being able to grow a proper beard is a sign that the bearer is a full  grown man and not a boy anymore. So its a symbol of masculinity and maturity.

That's the key word there, "traditionally." The reason men like Jesus and other Jews never shaved was because it not only went against their traditions because of what the Bible said, but it was also very hard back in the day to shave without the necessary tools needed to do so. And by lack of self-respect I mean that we're living in modern times now and its become easier to shave so all men & women should take that to their advantage. And beards/mustaches might show masculinity and toughness, but really unless you live in the deep South, you don't need any of that stuff, just be yourself. Also, maturity isn't measured in how long you can grow your hair on certain parts of your body, but rather behavior. If we based maturity off of that, Neil Patrick Harris would be considered an immature child while Hitler can be claimed as the most innocent, mature, generous guy ever. Both of which would be insane. It's all about class, not about trash.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I'm not taking lessons in maturity, behavior or respectability from someone with pictures of cartoon ponies in their signature.

[LeBron]

I'm not taking lessons in maturity, behavior or respectability from someone with pictures of cartoon ponies in their signature.

fyi, Rainbow Dash is a Pegasus, not a pony.

But now that you brought that up, it does say something regarding this issue. Seeing that Rainbow Dash represents LGBT equality with her symbol and her hair, it does recognize the fact that more gays than straights will shave their facial hair because when kissing other guys, we at least care for the sanctity of the other male, whereas straight guys often don't for the females (unless for some awkward reason it's one of the woman that actually likes the taste of hair in her mouth after kissing).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

...

[RI]

Of course it's "acceptable", whatever that means, but I find it rather odd and weird-looking for men to clean shave places other than their face.