Emma Corrin’s New Cover Photo With Body Hair Sparks Controversy
Actor Emma Corrin’s latest cover photo, accompanying her interview with Harper’s Bazaar, sparked controversy due to her underarm hair being visible.
Corrin is most well known for their portrayal of the late Princess Diana in the Netflix TV series The Crown. The actor had been highly praised in this performance for the facial likeness between the two and for doing Princess Diana justice in the role. Since the premiere of the series, The Crown actor has been booked and busy as a new breakout star in the film industry starring in various films.
#EmmaCorrin has starred in period pieces, romantic dramas, and psychological thrillers. Now, they’re stepping into the #MCU. “[Emma’s] one of the greatest partners I’ve ever had in the Deadpool sandbox,” co-star Ryan Reynolds tells Bazaar. Read more here: https://t.co/Wwto49f6OQ pic.twitter.com/LRqsCmDMgn
— Harper’s BAZAAR (@harpersbazaarus) May 22, 2024
They found themselves in some pretty hot water when they came out as queer and non-binary in 2021. Corrin told Harper’s Baazar “The vitriol is worse than I anticipated. Even though we like to think we’re in a progressive society, a lot of what we’re seeing is increasingly a step back.” Following that, the My Policeman actor was welcomed by the LGBT+ community with open arms.
Corrin then continued to emphasize the importance of being authentic “Who are you hurting by being yourself? Why am I controversial?” They would find themselves in a similar situation following the recent Harper’s Bazaar cover.
The Good Grief actor’s androgynous look paired with the body hair really rubbed some people the wrong way. Why? If the hair grows there naturally, what’s the rush to get rid of it? This idea tends to break down the sexism and misogyny. In the Western binary beauty standard, women strive to be hyper-feminine and youthful. That means little to no hair unless it’s on your head. This beauty standard being pushed onto women has highly impacted their beauty routines in social, and financial aspects.
Introducing our June/July cover star: #EmmaCorrin. From #TheCrown to their new role in the #MCU, Corrin has proven they’re able to unlock a huge spectrum of characters. But off-screen, the actor is never anyone but themselves. Read all about it here: https://t.co/eP5c0czayx pic.twitter.com/akVSmKpcoF
— Harper’s BAZAAR (@harpersbazaarus) May 22, 2024
This is just one of the many reasons why women and females presenting gender non-conforming people like Corrin choose not to shave. Similarly, some women don’t shave for the simple reason that they don’t want to. They genuinely don’t mind the hair or see the need to shave it. While for others, shaving can cause irritation in the form of razor bumps and small cuts that can be pretty painful. There are also some people who aim to directly challenge the patriarchy and the way it polices women’s bodies.
Corrin is not the first female presenting person to sport body hair. Photos of Julia Roberts, Mo’Nique, Amandla Stenberg, and Paris Jackson have been scrutinized in the past. All this is to say that while women have made some strides in the social hierarchy, there are still battles to be fought. If even a thin, white, conventionally attractive person like Corrin faces societal pressure to get rid of body hair, it’s hard to be proud of the progress we’ve made in the media.
Cut your hair, don’t cut it, shave your head, shave your legs, leave it all. Let this all be a lesson to stop policing women’s and female-presenting people’s bodies. Check out this article about body hair by Shape and another article about being your authentic self.
