You read a lot of stuff on female body image these days, some well-founded, others…not so much. And the thing I’ve been kind of on the fence about lately, as I can see it from both sides, is the whole shaving thing. And I mean everything. A small sub-set of women are choosing not to shave their legs, underarms, or pubic region—and are making a political statement out of it.

And I guess…I guess it counts as one. I mean, it’s true, it’s sort of unusual in today’s society to see a woman with body hair. Although, it should be said, that is a very American thing. In a lot of Europe, particularly France, there is nothing close to the obsession Americans have with a perfectly smooth female body. I’ve had French men and women unabashedly tell me they prefer a little downy hair on the upper thigh, pubic hair, even underarm hair. Some men prefer women not to shave at all. Pretty sure they exist in America, too, they’re just shamed into their corners.

Regardless, I could see how not shaving could appear to some women as the social uprising of a lifetime, but I think that may be making a mountain out of a molehill. The truth is, society is always going to have some norms for body image—and they exist for both men and women. And while some can be unhealthy or even unattainable, some are just kind of a come-and-go-with-the-times preference, like hair level. Throw in some 70s porn, you’ll feel right at home.

Either way, I know you’ll probably get a couple of sideways looks when you go out and don’t shave, but I really think it’s not quite as big of a deal as the Yelling Internet Angries would have you believe. I think it’s one of those cases of, “If you like hair, don’t shave. Fuck what other people think.” And I hate to say it, but people are entitled to like the look of a shaved leg. You can choose to do something else, and want to surround yourself with people like you, but that’s not going to stop Joe McFrattitons from wanting a blank canvas.

I guess this goes back to my general theme of picking your battles. It’s just kind of hard to get worked up reading about women not shaving when I’ve gone long times without shaving my legs/underarms myself, both in France and America, and never really cared/noticed any backlash/oppression. My hair is, granted, rather light, but it’s still noticeable after a while.

Body hair will soon come back in style (it already is, rebelling against the inescapable completely-shaven look), and then you guys can all throw a party and find something new to be militant about. Promise.