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When you saw Taylor Zakhar Perez's butt in Red White & Royal Blue, you probably didn't know you weren't just seeing a butt, but a a powerful statement on body hair and desirability.
Ok, maybe it's not that serious — but Zakhar Perez's hairy behind was included intentionally and does show that body hair is beautiful! During an appearance on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show, RW&RB director Matthew López said that Zakhar Perez showed him his butt before filming the scene, asking if he should shave.
“I'm like, 'Your face?' and he goes, 'No, babe.' I'm like, 'Alright, well, what do you want to do about it?' He goes, 'Just look, okay?'” López said. “So, I had my hair and makeup person there as the chaperone, because I didn't want my career to end before it began, and Taylor, like, lowers his pants and he's like, 'Look at my ass,' and I'm like, 'You're fine, you look great!'”
The Red White & Royal Blue star's insecurity about his body hair is totally relatable. We've all been unsure if we should shave, laser, wax, or let things grow wild. And if you're letting it grow, do you need to trim? Our body hair choices are often tied up in societal beauty standards, and some even confuse having hair in certain places with being dirty or gross. But, body hair is natural, it definitely doesn't make you dirty, and removing it shouldn't be a requirement. How we groom — or don't groom — our body hair is a personal choice. López reassuring Zakhar Perez that he should show up just as he is sends a message we can all stand to hear: That we're beautiful no matter where we do or don't have hair.
That's exactly what López was trying to get across:
"A body itself, as it is naturally, is a gorgeous thing," he said in the interview. “I told Taylor, yeah, just bring your hairy butt to set.”
