At The Hole Debate, writers, thinkers, and plastic surgeons discuss how the beauty industry is capitalizing on sexual insecurity—and what that means for us
It’s truly incredible how completely the contemporary consumerist mode has infiltrated our proverbial and literal holes. It’s plainly obvious why those advocating for the antiseptic and anesthetized nature of our holes tend to be people trying to sell us something, and I wonder who exactly is having transcendent sex when they’re preoccupied with their holes smelling like something other than what they are. It’s truly a denial of the most primordial and natural and beautiful aspects of sex, an antithesis of that titillating story of Napoleon & Josephine, when he asked her in a letter please not to wash herself before he could get back to taste her essence. “I’ll be there in a week,” he pleaded.
These conversations remind me of a lot of generational conversations we have with our mothers and grandmothers. I’m afraid that in the same way our grandmothers told us to douche, and our mothers told us to wax, well tell our daughters to get surgery on their labias.
I sincerely hope that labiaplasties and anal bleaching is not what we pass down to the next generation of girls as a new “old wives tale” about what men want. In fact, I hope our daughters can be as free a man to not consider how to alter her body to be what they want. This topic makes me so angry. Amazing read though.
Thank you for this piece — absolutely fascinating. I forwarded it to a dear friend who's been through body modification, and has some more to go. When she told me she was planning this, I immediately did what most friends would do, asking, "WHY???" since (by society's standards) she was stunningly beautiful anyway. Her answer was simple: "Because I want to." And no mere male can argue against that.
Long ago I learned not to listen to anyone who told me how they wanted me to look...as Popeye said 'I yam what I yam' and i will add, "if you don't like that you can just take a flying fuck in a rolling doughnut!"
Great read! Interesting how labiaplasty feels to me, like female genital mutilation in another name. The practice is common in Africa and has the nickers of many feminists and progressives in a twist. What are your thoughts on that. To push the envelope a little farther. Is it ok to mutilate women in the west and not in Africa and should the environment be a factor?
Wow this was a captivating read! Capitalism will go all the way down to your hole! The beauty industry is such an incredible market, it's aimed at your insecurities, and luckily for them everyone has them. Funnily enough, as you quoted “not one company was willing to come up here and defend the existence of their product.” says it all!
My first exposure to labiaplasty was around the time Obamacare was being debated. I was flipping through a Welcome to Phoenix magazine at a hotel and saw a whole section of ads for plastic surgeons offering labiaplasty to help women's look and feel younger. (Sleek and taut?)
I recall thinking this is medicine in America - there are not enough doctors providing general care to people who need it, but plenty offering surgery to people who don't.
I suppose there are situations where the surgery is necessary, but, overall, this is yet another cultural trend that I don't really comprehend. It's not my place to be critical of the practice - if that's what you really want, go for it.
But I'm fascinated how cultural trends like this take-off. Who decides this is a good thing, important thing? How do so many other people come to agree? Not just with this specific issue, but cultural issues generally.
It’s truly incredible how completely the contemporary consumerist mode has infiltrated our proverbial and literal holes. It’s plainly obvious why those advocating for the antiseptic and anesthetized nature of our holes tend to be people trying to sell us something, and I wonder who exactly is having transcendent sex when they’re preoccupied with their holes smelling like something other than what they are. It’s truly a denial of the most primordial and natural and beautiful aspects of sex, an antithesis of that titillating story of Napoleon & Josephine, when he asked her in a letter please not to wash herself before he could get back to taste her essence. “I’ll be there in a week,” he pleaded.
These conversations remind me of a lot of generational conversations we have with our mothers and grandmothers. I’m afraid that in the same way our grandmothers told us to douche, and our mothers told us to wax, well tell our daughters to get surgery on their labias.
I sincerely hope that labiaplasties and anal bleaching is not what we pass down to the next generation of girls as a new “old wives tale” about what men want. In fact, I hope our daughters can be as free a man to not consider how to alter her body to be what they want. This topic makes me so angry. Amazing read though.
Thank you for this piece — absolutely fascinating. I forwarded it to a dear friend who's been through body modification, and has some more to go. When she told me she was planning this, I immediately did what most friends would do, asking, "WHY???" since (by society's standards) she was stunningly beautiful anyway. Her answer was simple: "Because I want to." And no mere male can argue against that.
This is marvelous – thank you so much!
This is brilliant and beautifully written!
Long ago I learned not to listen to anyone who told me how they wanted me to look...as Popeye said 'I yam what I yam' and i will add, "if you don't like that you can just take a flying fuck in a rolling doughnut!"
Great read! Interesting how labiaplasty feels to me, like female genital mutilation in another name. The practice is common in Africa and has the nickers of many feminists and progressives in a twist. What are your thoughts on that. To push the envelope a little farther. Is it ok to mutilate women in the west and not in Africa and should the environment be a factor?
Wow this was a captivating read! Capitalism will go all the way down to your hole! The beauty industry is such an incredible market, it's aimed at your insecurities, and luckily for them everyone has them. Funnily enough, as you quoted “not one company was willing to come up here and defend the existence of their product.” says it all!
Lol the HOLE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao-Sahfy7Hg
I have a body count in the hundreds and I've never met anyone like what you're describing here
while this is interesting, I think it's important to keep in mind just how uncommon these behaviors are
My first exposure to labiaplasty was around the time Obamacare was being debated. I was flipping through a Welcome to Phoenix magazine at a hotel and saw a whole section of ads for plastic surgeons offering labiaplasty to help women's look and feel younger. (Sleek and taut?)
I recall thinking this is medicine in America - there are not enough doctors providing general care to people who need it, but plenty offering surgery to people who don't.
I suppose there are situations where the surgery is necessary, but, overall, this is yet another cultural trend that I don't really comprehend. It's not my place to be critical of the practice - if that's what you really want, go for it.
But I'm fascinated how cultural trends like this take-off. Who decides this is a good thing, important thing? How do so many other people come to agree? Not just with this specific issue, but cultural issues generally.
😱