Much hype in the media is brewing over Chris Rock's Good Hair documentary that is due to be out this fall. I haven't seen it yet, but from the clips, excerpts, and the conversation that has stemmed from this topic; I thought I would use it for my next blog. So for those of you who are not African-American, nappy hair is what most of us(African-Americans) have. But due to genetics (if one or both of your parents had fine hair texture) your hair would be wavy, curly, or fine in texture. Society has placed a norm of straightening, relaxing, and perming the hair for African-American women. Men also relax their hair, but it isn't on the same level as the women do. And Chris Rock goes to hair salons and is trying to get to the bottom of why women go to such extremes to change their hair to get the desired result. He even went to India where most of the fake hair comes from to get to the source of the multi-billion dollar industry. I found out that the hair that women use for weaves, extensions, etc, come from people who cut their hair to sacrifice to their gods. Then the hair gets collected, treated, manufactured, and shipped to the states.
I was having a discussion with my family this past weekend and my niece posed this question to me: "...would you still like a girl if she showed you that she had on a weave?" To which I replied that that would change things. What I thought was hers, I would then know that it wasn't real, and I couldn't take fakeness. Then we had a big debate over women these days need to break the cycle of thinking they need to alter their hair in order to meet the social requirements of a mainstream "straight hair" look.
Women who sport the "natural" look; that is not chemically treating the hair so that the hair is not straightened or relaxed; have broken out of the mold, and defy the accepted way to look when you are out in public. If looking your best meant you had to have straight hair, they show that you can still look your best in your natural self. I know this may be a touchy subject, because when it comes to hair, women take their hair very seriously. But if they thought about what they do and put in their hair, all for the benefit of social acceptance, shouldn't we be asking why? Cures need to be found, children need to be fed, and we are sticking things onto our heads. We need to put the right things in our heads to make intelligent choices.
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yes black women dont allow people to touch their hair. you know why because they put a lot of time and money into that project and it is part of their personality. the fact that they should have good or bad hair do all depends on different characters some care some just dont give a flip but never touch a black women hair or weave.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel that woman so much feel that "straight" hair makes them, or is best. I feel that it's having the latest style & looking good. It doesn't necessarily have to be straight it could be curly, wavy, braided, etc. we just want the late latest look and look good. If changing your hair is what makes you feel beautiful or good, then you should do. No matter what anybody thinks. People try to keep up with everything else in this society to fit, so what's the big gripe with the hair business?
ReplyDeleteWhatever a women does to her hair is fine as long as her hair does not define her. Growing up, mother never wore a weave nither did my sister. This may be a reason for me prefering natural hair. But I am not turned away by those with a weave. I think thing such as weave can give a women new confidence without going through much trouble. If it was socially acceptable for men to where a wig I might change up the hair style every now and then. So I think the most important issue I side with the above writter on is "Love your self for who are naturaly."
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