German Cultural Question

Firstly, I apologise for not writing this in German, but I can't speak or write German at all!

I have a complex question here which, perhaps, only a German lady or man can answer for me.

I come from England, I'm 35 and I know that when I was growing up it was pretty much said that German girls always had hairy armpits. I thought this was natural, attractive and sexy (I still do) - but most other people used to say it was disgusting. It was (and is) very, very rare to see any women in England with hairy armpits. I have however seen many films where the female actresses have hairy armpits and lots of these films were German (dating from the 80s and early 90s). My question is this -

As a girl growing up in Germany through the 70s, 80s, 90s (I guess even German girls shave regularly now?), what was their view of having hairy armpits? Was it something they liked to show off to others? Did they view it as a sign of maturity? Presumably being something that everybody had, did it ever become competitive whilst growing up - i.e. jealousy over who got them first etc? Was there any interest in who had the hairiest? Did boys/men find the sight particularly sexually attractive, or was it simply an ordinary feature that nobody cared about? Unlike in England, were girls pleased to get hairy armpits?

I know this sounds like a really weird question but it is something that has intrigued me for many years!!

These days the whole 'hairy armpits for women' thing has much argument against. I am trying to understand the position from a different culture perspective. As I said previously - I think women with hairy armpits are very attractive. Most people I know, do not!

I hope I've explained the question properly but I've always been curious about this and it's difficult to get the point across in writing. I guess what I'm trying to find out is how completely different the culture was in Germany compared to England (and the USA in particular - where they appear to be even more opposed to hairy women!)

Does anyone have a view on this?

 

dont' wanna talk much about hairy armpits - i think nowadays they do shave more often than decades ago. a parameter is the decade another the age - which age do you mean? many other questions of yours would be answered with 'it depends'

 

I am speaking of the 70s and 80s, as that is when I grew up. I know how derogatory people were (and still are) about girls/women with hairy armpits. Of course, everyone knows that this is a normal body development which occurs around about puberty. In England, as a boy, it was quite cool to get hairy armpits as it kind of suggested maturity and becoming a 'man'. As a girl (in my lifetime) it was always a complete NO-NO - there is almost a complete denial that girls even get hair under their arms! In adulthood it is much the same story (and always has been in my lifetime). There was always a belief in this country that German girls had hairy armpits and everyone was repulsed by it (everyone I know except me, as I find it rather attractive!) I guess however that in Germany, where it certainly seems true that many girls did not shave their armpits at this time, there must have been a different view? I guess that people were not repulsed by it, which leads me to the alternative view that perhaps people were attracted to it. So my question remains - were men/boys particularly attracted to German girls hairy armpits and were girls pleased to show them off as a sign of maturity and, furthermore, would girls/women see it as a 'competitive' feature - much like they often do for the size of their breasts etc. I know this is a really stupid question but I hope someone might understand what I'm getting at here and be able to answer my questions!!

 

Ok, I'm a old man but if I remember correct, me and most men/boys were and are more particularly attracted to a lot of other parts of German girls than just armpits, hairy or not.

You say it, brother! Did you ever ask yourself, how much your imagination about the Germans is influenced by the bullshit, which is still spreaded day by day about Nazigermans in your tv and cinemas, I think, you know, which kind of movies I mean. Come over here at summer time and investigate the ratio of hairy and shaved female armpits by yourself.

 

Southernman - thanks for your reply!

Just to clarify - I have no problem with German people at all. I am also well aware of the various bullshit that gets published in various forms of media!

I also like more parts of German girls than jsut their armpits - I have a feeling for instance that in Germany there is a far better standard of education than this country, lots of people are speak more than one language and much of German industry operates better than it does here in England. England is quickly going to dogs!

I am simply interested in other cultures and I know that this point is something that has puzzled me for probably 20 plus years - and is likely borne out of the ignorant, judging culture I have to put up with here in England!!

 

Honi soit qui mal y pense

 

Oh believe me, I have no shame speaking ill of England!

Our standards have been dropping for years!

Perhaps if I myself had been educated in Germany I would know the answer to my own peculiar question!

The funny thing in this country (England) is that if I mentioned to somebody the subject of women with underarm hair and the fact I quite like it and, besides which, it is perfectly natural - they'd ridicule me and think me insane! Total madness here! I guess the same would apply in the USA?

I still don't quite have the answer to my question though. I'm looking at this through reverse psychology. If everyone in England and the USA detested the sight of girls/women with hairy armpits and all were shaved long before the 1970s - how was it that German (and French?) girls were happily sporting underarm hair through the 70s and 80s (and possibly early 90s)? - (I have seen lots of films / TV programmes from Germany and France to prove this). It leads me to the conclusion that it was an accepted physical feature and that then means that there must have been some 'positive' regard for it. For two countries to have such opposite habits there must be a way of clarifying whether or not hairy armpits for women was a feature of their attractiveness - was little or no hair there a poor feature? Was too much hair there a poor feature? Was the sight of a shaved armpit considered unattractive? Someone from Germany must surely have an answer on this???

In Germany

 

its about fashion. Is it a 'poor feature' not to follow every fashion? Do you know anything about fashion?

 

I am very much against following so called 'fashion'. I believe in individualism. Fashion is often only a perception, created by somebody else for a marketing (commercial) reason. Fashions tend to revolve - things come in and out of fashion. The difference here in England is that people tend to remark on 'poor' fashion taste in others but that's about it. If, however, a women is seen with hairy armpits - there'll be outcry and people will get quite angry and disgusted about it! This has been the view for decades in this country. I don't understand why that is, hence my question. How would people react in Germany?

 

I've just thought of an example. When Nena performed on 'Top of Pops' in the mid 80s - 99 red balloons - and was sporting hairy armpits, everybody in England was talking about it, couldn't understand it, thought it was terrible - and it was all over the news papers! How ridiculous is that?

 

I think, this answers your question, as far, as I remember, nobody here was talking about her armpits, the talking here was only, can she sing or believes she only, that she can sing.

 

Yes, that is what I would have expected! In Germany nobody would have cared whether she had hairy armpits - I guess that they would have noticed more if she didn't. An English female singer then, or now, would not even dream of showing unshaved armpits on a mainstream TV show - that's how different it was / is.

Nena = not a great singer! But I thought she was cute!!

 

As some sort of a britonized german (I grew up with british kids and also lived in England for some time) I didn´t think hairy armpits were (or are) very erotic. Although I agree, Nena was very cute and hey, she still is (today even more so, as she shaves !

However, I think it´s variety that makes our lives interesting. Some like hairy people, some don´t. Some like big bums, some don´t. Some like men talking about these things, some think they´d better shut up - for that respect, have a nice weekend!

 

''Some like men talking about these things, some think they´d better shut up - for that respect, have a nice weekend!''

Thats a bit harsh and threatening - telling me to shut up. I thought this was a liberal discussion forum!

Anyhow, this subject seems to get more interesting the more I delve into it. Nobody seems to want to talk about it.

You are correct - variety DOES make our lives interesting, which is why I am interested in different cultures and views. The sad thing about the world today however, is that everybody is tending to follow 'mainstream' ideas and therefore in the case of this topic, everybody shaves and variety is lost!

Nena is still cute today, she is a very pretty woman (I saw her in a TV interview a year or so ago).

 

It is not only today's problem, that people follow mainstream. The majority always follow the mainstream.

 

Sorry mate, you got me wrong (reading my statement again, I propably would have got it the wrong way, too). What I meant to say, I rather shut up :flowers: !

 

Apology accepted! Its good to hear the views of others and I thank you and everyone else who replies to my questions for their time and effort.

Kastenfrosch - you are of course correct with what you say. What I really meant was that there are becoming less and less different cultures across nations - which is a shame! Soon there will be only one giant nation and one view!! Sad day indeed!

 

Just to clarify that last point - it seems to me that society as a whole seems to believe there should only be one set of ideals - and England / USA seem to head the queue with their arrogant view that their cultures and beliefs must be right and anybody else's are odd or even totally unacceptable. It is really this point that started my initial question that I posted on here. Due to lack of experience of the German culture - I was trying to gain the views of the German people.

Does this make any sense at all or am I talking rubbish?!!

 

.

 

If you say 'everybody shaves' you seem to have a very small view of reality.
You should check it in your local sauna, normaly the people there won't follow every fashion ...

If you say you are 'interested in different cultures and views' it sounds also really ridiculous, that this leads you to shaving of armpits ...