ITVPlucking, preening and pampering ourselves to the point of smooth perfection is a common beauty pursuit.
But one woman has decided to shun modern societal beauty (mis)conceptions and go au natural. Kate Smurthwaite recently displayed her underarm hair on This Morning to show women they shouldn’t feel pressure to shave.
You can watch her appearance in the clip below:
Kate hasn’t shaved for five years and, while the growth of bodily hair is perfectly natural – because biology and evolution exist – some viewers branded her ‘disgusting’.
Kate said:
It’s not manicured, I don’t do anything. I don’t want women to feel like there’s something wrong with their natural body.
Also on the show was Lizzie Cundy, a former professional footballer’s WAG who said she believed most men and women would find bodily hair ‘unattractive’.
ITVLizzie, who worryingly always carries a razor around with her, said:
I’m sorry it actually makes me feel quite queasy and ill. I do think it’s unattractive and I think most men and women don’t like underarm hair. It’s like Flintstones-ages, we’ve come a long way since then.
The segment divided Twitter:
I can't stand having underarm hair and seeing it on women makes me feel sick. Each to their own lol #ThisMorning
— Whitefeather???? (@bunnymerlin69) April 12, 2017
Not shaving armpits is all too tediously point proving #ThisMorning
— Whitefeather???? (@bunnymerlin69) April 12, 2017
Don't hugely care if a woman shaves or doesn't. It's what's inside that counts.#ThisMorning
— Frapp (@FritzFrapp) April 12, 2017
#thismorning #toshaveornottoshave ?? Ewww! Definitely shave! @ITV @thismorning
— Zoe (@brit_chick24) April 12, 2017
Each to their own but the underarm hair thing freaks me out. I think I developed an issue with body hair years ago though ??#ThisMorning
— Nikki (@NikkiKerr93) April 12, 2017
To clarify, I don't find @Cruella1's underarms repulsive. Irritated by idea that we 'should' or 'shouldn't' look a certain way. #thismorning
— Gina LoBuglio (@GLoBuglio) April 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/natalie00law/status/852105418637705216
I shave and hairy armpits make me feel sick, BUT i support the other woman's right to do she wants. its her body! #thismorning
— Sara-Louise (@lullabybunny1) April 12, 2017
I think #ThisMorning should get #LizzieCundy to grow her arm pit hair.
— Martin Marson (@Marson099) April 12, 2017
Although the topic is evidently somewhat of a contentious issue, many have called out This Morning for entertaining a debate that is inherently subjective and entirely up to each individual woman.
Furthermore, vocalising the argument that men don’t like the look of underarm hair really missed the mark in terms of empowering women to do what they want with their bodies, rather than what their prospective partners want.
Juts do you, folks.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.