It’s cyclical and cultural.
The Romans spent a lot of time removing/shaving body hair. I think the Greeks - some cities back then - did too.
The guys were not pansies.
Exactly. And trying to connect a hairy body as a standard of masculinity is retarded. Are we also not allowed to shave our faces or backs? Who decides? Lets face it - sometimes too much body hair is unsigjtly, if not downright gross.