This New Film Turns Taboo On Its Head

Pubic hair is considered somewhat of a risqué topic, unless you count yourself among the cast of Sex and the City. But in a welcome twist, pubic hair takes top billing in the new film Secret Garden.

Years past have embraced everything from topless women to exposed derrieres and thigh-high slits, but hair down there has remained a forbidden topic. Lately, however, bush has been coming out of the closet little by little, thanks to things like American Apparel's anatomically (and visually) correct mannequins and of course Cameron Diaz's impassioned soliloquies. And Secret Garden is proof positive that pubic hair is becoming a (slightly) less crude topic.

Composed in a documentary film-type format, Secret Garden takes a peek into the enigmatic world of pubic hair, waxing, and the culture that compels us to choose a side. Directed by Michele Becker, the film is currently winning over critics and viewers alike at England's St. Albans Film Festival. The movie is refreshingly droll, blending clips of women chatting about their waxing preferences with euphemistic images of lawn mowers, hedge trimming, and half-full martini glasses.

But despite its wry editing and relaxed format, the film excels at examining why so many women are impelled to wax — and why it's such a taboo topic. Unsurprisingly, the opinions expressed in the film are varied. For several of the younger interviewees, catchwords like "clean" and "feminine" explain why waxing is a mainstay of their personal upkeep, while several older participants claim the practice is frivolous. One participant insisted of the trend, "I think it's quite easy to trace it back to the porn industry".

No matter what your stance on personal grooming, one thing is apparent from the participants of the documentary: the emphasis should be on personal. Author Angela Clarke urges viewers:

Dye it orange, vajazzle it, whatever you want. But make sure that you do it for you, and not for anybody else.

Sage advice for any any endeavor you take on, though I strongly suggest you think twice before dying anything neon orange.