The rise and subsequent disappearance of the bikini area

On a recent episode of "Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami," a reality show following the antics of sisters Kourtney and Khloé Kardashian as they run their Miami clothing store Dash, Khloe had her sister wax her bikini area so that Khloe would look good for her husband, basketball player Lamar Odom, to prepare for his upcoming visit.

The whole incident, of course, went horribly awry, and Khloe had to ice her bikini region to deal with the burns and swelling her sister inflicted.

I couple this incident, broadcast on basic cable network E!, with a television commercial for the Schick Quattro for Women Trim Style in which women pass by shrubbery that change shape, suggesting what shape each woman grooms her bikini area into.

Interestingly, not a single shrub loses its leaves, which is among the popular grooming styles.

Maybe showing a shrub losing its leaves would have gone too far. Every time I see this commercial, I wonder if I am the only one who finds it kind of shocking and slightly in bad taste.

Because bikini area grooming is now an acceptable topic to portray on television, women should evaluate whether grooming down there is even worth it.

It seems like a bad idea to put chemicals that burn off hair, hot wax or sharp blades anywhere near so delicate an area.

An obvious drawback is the subject of swimsuits. The bottoms of most bikinis, tankinis and one-piece suits do not consider a woman's natural hair growth. Swimsuit designers, like those that manufacture the various hair removal products, simply expect women to conform to them rather than vice versa.

Some two-piece and one-piece swim suits come with shorts or a skirt for more coverage, but those styles are not flattering on everyone, bringing many women back to the styles that expect or even require grooming.

Not grooming for a swimsuit style that necessitates it would be worse than grooming because any hair sticking out from a swimsuit bottom is obscene.

Back in 1994, The Black Crowes released the album "Amorica," the original cover of which was a woman wearing an American flag bikini bottom. On the woman that wore it, her pubic hair curled up over the top of the bikini bottom.

The cover was banned. Guitar World considers it the third most shocking album cover of all time all because of a little unruly hair down there.

What do women do? Cover up, groom using chemicals, hot wax or razors, or risk obscenity by letting what is naturally there do its thing?

Maybe covering up is an option women could consider.

Some women groom for their sexual partners, but a partner who insists a woman do anything potentially painful to their delicate bikini zone probably isn't worth it in the first place.