Prolific agony aunt, author of The New Joy of Sex and one of the world's loveliest people, Susan Quillian talks women's lib, odour, and pube manipulation
The Original Joy of Sex was famed for its wonderful hairy muffs that were typical of the time. Why do you think pubes went out of fashion?
Yes, Joy of Sex did feature amazingly hairy fannies. The illustrations, based on photos of real people, showed what most people did in 'those days - let it grow!
The text, too reflects this; Alex Comfort, the original author, even suggested one brushed and combed one's pubes. And as he says in the book, he personally wasn't into shaving.
But he wasn't completely against bare. He admits that a shaved pubes gives a usefully hard surface with which to pressure, and suggests that a woman wants to shave, she trims each side to leave a strip nowadays we'd probably call that a Brazilian.
Why has hair gone out of fashion?
No research on this, but my personal opinion is that it's partly down to hygiene, partly down to functionality and - in the case of female pubes, partly down to a modern liking for women to seem as feminine and therefore as unhairy as possible.
In the 1970s, women's liberation claimed equality and that meant not having to shave. In 2011 we claim equality with difference, value our femininity and depilate, depilate, depilate.
In your new version, the models have neatly trimmed triangles. How did you choose this style?
I didn't choose - the models themselves did! They turned up already trimmed.
In fact, I had little input into picking the couple, who were chosen by the publishers; I might have preferred a mixture of models, showing different ages and races, but I was presented with a fait accompli. And when I met the couple, they were so lovely and easy to work with that I was very happy with the publishers' choice. We did several days of photoshoots and those shots were then used not only for the book's photos but also the drawings.
Are there any benefits to being bushy or shaven?
As to shaven, or partly shaven, shaven genitals are less likely to harbour odour, are easier to 'get at', are smoother to touch and can be more sensitive. Plus, shaven cocks are less likely to get hairs painfully caught if he's using a condom.
That said, why not have full pubic hair if both partners like it. The 'odour' it harbours can be a huge turn-on, the real 'smell of a woman' (or a man). And when it comes to femininity, perhaps we should be proud of our pubes - they're one of the outward signs that we're fully mature!
Do you get any letters relating to pube problems?
Most of the pube problem letters are around the woman wanting to get rid of her pubes completely because she hates to be hairy - that's often down to her thinking that pubes make her 'dirty', and so I advise aiming at more self-acceptance and body love.
I rarely get letters from guys agonising around pubes - theirs or their partners. I do think that worry about hair is much more a girl thing.
If a lover’s long pubes get in the way of oral sex, should we ask them to trim?
By all means ask - but always nicely, not critically. If a partner balks, then try to find out why. Is it that they don't want to because it's too much hassle - in which case perhaps make trimming or shaving something you do for them lovingly, perhaps as part of foreplay.
If the reason a partner doesn't want to trim is more about 'love me as I am', then that's different. A few hairs in your mouth might be worth it to show your beloved that you really, really accept them.
Do you have any pube tips?
Alex Comfort was heavily into 'pube play' and loved to 'caress... twirl... pull". He also claimed that it was possible, by manipulating the pubes, to stimulate the whole vulva to the point of orgasm. I've never heard of anyone being able to actually do that, but the vital thing, as with all good sex, is to experiment - see what different movements, pressures and rhythms can do!
Can I ask, do you laser, wax, shave or trim?
I vary! I love my pubes but a shaven fanny can create a much, much stronger response...
Visit Susan at her website here
The Original Joy of Sex was famed for its wonderful hairy muffs that were typical of the time. Why do you think pubes went out of fashion?
Yes, Joy of Sex did feature amazingly hairy fannies. The illustrations, based on photos of real people, showed what most people did in 'those days - let it grow!
The text, too reflects this; Alex Comfort, the original author, even suggested one brushed and combed one's pubes. And as he says in the book, he personally wasn't into shaving.
But he wasn't completely against bare. He admits that a shaved pubes gives a usefully hard surface with which to pressure, and suggests that a woman wants to shave, she trims each side to leave a strip nowadays we'd probably call that a Brazilian.
Why has hair gone out of fashion?
No research on this, but my personal opinion is that it's partly down to hygiene, partly down to functionality and - in the case of female pubes, partly down to a modern liking for women to seem as feminine and therefore as unhairy as possible.
In the 1970s, women's liberation claimed equality and that meant not having to shave. In 2011 we claim equality with difference, value our femininity and depilate, depilate, depilate.
In your new version, the models have neatly trimmed triangles. How did you choose this style?
I didn't choose - the models themselves did! They turned up already trimmed.
In fact, I had little input into picking the couple, who were chosen by the publishers; I might have preferred a mixture of models, showing different ages and races, but I was presented with a fait accompli. And when I met the couple, they were so lovely and easy to work with that I was very happy with the publishers' choice. We did several days of photoshoots and those shots were then used not only for the book's photos but also the drawings.
Are there any benefits to being bushy or shaven?
As to shaven, or partly shaven, shaven genitals are less likely to harbour odour, are easier to 'get at', are smoother to touch and can be more sensitive. Plus, shaven cocks are less likely to get hairs painfully caught if he's using a condom.
That said, why not have full pubic hair if both partners like it. The 'odour' it harbours can be a huge turn-on, the real 'smell of a woman' (or a man). And when it comes to femininity, perhaps we should be proud of our pubes - they're one of the outward signs that we're fully mature!
Do you get any letters relating to pube problems?
Most of the pube problem letters are around the woman wanting to get rid of her pubes completely because she hates to be hairy - that's often down to her thinking that pubes make her 'dirty', and so I advise aiming at more self-acceptance and body love.
I rarely get letters from guys agonising around pubes - theirs or their partners. I do think that worry about hair is much more a girl thing.
If a lover’s long pubes get in the way of oral sex, should we ask them to trim?
By all means ask - but always nicely, not critically. If a partner balks, then try to find out why. Is it that they don't want to because it's too much hassle - in which case perhaps make trimming or shaving something you do for them lovingly, perhaps as part of foreplay.
If the reason a partner doesn't want to trim is more about 'love me as I am', then that's different. A few hairs in your mouth might be worth it to show your beloved that you really, really accept them.
Do you have any pube tips?
Alex Comfort was heavily into 'pube play' and loved to 'caress... twirl... pull". He also claimed that it was possible, by manipulating the pubes, to stimulate the whole vulva to the point of orgasm. I've never heard of anyone being able to actually do that, but the vital thing, as with all good sex, is to experiment - see what different movements, pressures and rhythms can do!
Can I ask, do you laser, wax, shave or trim?
I vary! I love my pubes but a shaven fanny can create a much, much stronger response...
Visit Susan at her website here
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