Recently, questions have begun to be raised about body hair perceptions in Korea
This is thanks to Audrey, a member of Jam Republic, a participating team in Mnet’s “Street Women Fighter 2.” Audrey was wearing a sleeveless outfit in a performance on the show. When she performed the colorful choreography, her armpit hair was shown. Netizens’ attention was naturally focused on the visuals that were not easily seen in the performances of existing Korean female idol singers and dancers.
Audrey also showed off her confident charm by posting a photo of her with armpit hair on her personal social media account. Some Korean people felt unfamiliar looking at this, but many fans responded enthusiastically. Audrey showed herself as she was, making many of us think that the public was pushing too strict standards regarding female celebrities’ body hair. Until now, Korean idols have shown armpits without even a trace of hair and have been praised for their clean armpits. Male idols can sometimes reveal armpit hair, but strict standards are applied to women.
Will it ever be different?
Earlier, in the movie “Lust, Caution” released in Korea in 2007, female lead Tang Wei exposed her armpit hair, which many said made her look more attractive. However, this movie did not change the overall perception of female celebrities’ body hair in Korea. Later in 2015, tvN’s comedy show “SNL Korea 6” parodied “Lust, Caution,” making fun of Tang Wei’s armpit hair. It shows the public’s perception of women’s armpit hair at the time.
But now, a change is happening little by little. There are still many areas to be improved, but the standards for female entertainers’ appearance are loosening compared to before. No-bra fashion is a prime example.
It seems that the view toward body hair can also change over time. Ha Jae-geun, a pop culture critic, said “There were strict standards in our society regarding women’s appearance. However, the past strict standards on women’s appearance, including body hair, are likely to gradually disappear.”
Source: Hankook Ilbo
