Every five days or so, I set aside twenty minutes to shave my legs. It could be bright and early (if I’m feeling enthusiastic about life), right before bed or in the middle of a lazy Saturday. Regardless of what time of day I choose to dehair myself, it’s a quick, painless process, with a positive result. I feel–and look–more presentable, because who wants to spend time with a blond gorilla?

My desire to skip the requisite 20 minute gap in my schedule and go hairy one week got me to thinking: What brought on this hairless fad for women in the United States?

Perhaps when skirts got shorter, women wanted to hide any masculinity their bodies might have produced. Maybe ladies decided they preferred the shiny look to the furry look. It could even be that women realized they had nice legs and there was no reason to hide them under a thick pelt of leg hair.

None of these possibilities led most directly to shaved legs, however. The real reason is much less that fashion happened and more that misogynistic men happened.

Or rather, French whores happened.

World War I brought American soldiers to the French cause. However, no one could expect these world-weary heroes to lounge around whilst scantily clad ladies of the night kept showing off their well-toned and well-shaved legs. When the men nobly returned to their loving wives and kicked them back into the kitchen, they also subtly suggested a similar hairless technique for the bedroom.

So, basically, modern American social expectations for women stem from a couple of horny soldiers with too much free time.

Which brings me to my second question: why should I continue shaving my legs?

What if I protested? What if I refused to assimilate to social norms and went hairy? I have multiple close friends who have chosen this path, and I don’t think any less of them. In fact, besides occasionally being grossed out on those rare moments I come in contact with the legs, I have more respect for their small resistance of American culture.

And therein lies my answer. Social necessity for smooth legs has molded my mind into the belief that anything but is gross, uncomfortable, unpleasant to look at and unpleasant to feel.

Thus, I am left in a loop. A loop of not wanting to shave, of wanting to resist social norms, of wanting to break out of the mold, but also really not wanting to actually have hairy legs.