Originally posted by: csf
Read Ovid's Art of Love sometime; he has a passage on this topic; this standard has been around a long time, so it definitely did not come from some marketing gimmick. People also "modify" themselves by bathing frequently, getting their hair cut, wearing clothes, etc.: appearances count, all this whining about "superficiality" is just foolish and denies the obvious, no amount of cultural relativism or complaining will change that. So on that note, I voted no.
I wasn't arguing cultural relativism, at least not intetntionally. Honestly I'm not familiar enough with the term to know if I am or not.
You can see where, from a biological perspective, less hair is more appealing. It indicates youth, some hair is necessary because it indicates sexual maturity. Complete absence of hair, like daily bathing, is a cultural phenomenon and should be, I believe, regarded with suspicion therefore.
Honestly though, I'm ambivalent at best. My wife isn't very hairy, if she doesn't shave I don't mind.