From the New York Observer comes this interesting article about the bad rep curly hair still has. Curly = earthy. Curly = frazzled. Curly = less neat. The article, which is focused on Meg Ryan's (gorgeously curly) hair in the new film, The Women, asks whether Hollywood reflects the public perception that curly hair is a sign of the messy and slightly unhinged or is Hollywood creating that perception.
"I THINK IT'S an important issue. We’re bordering the line of almost becoming a myth that if you have straight hair you are more professional or appear to be more professional, and that’s truly not the case,” said Ouidad, a pioneer in the pro-curly-hair movement since 1984, author of Curl Talk, and owner of the tony 57th street eponymous salon. She believes that straightening or smoothing out the hair is a way of erasing individual personality, and for examples pointed to news-channel talking heads (“[straight hair] doesn’t allow for any distraction except to listen to the information”), and more recently last week’s Democratic National Convention, when Barack Obama officially accepted the nomination for the presidency. “Michelle [Obama] has been wearing her hair with a wave, and her and her oldest daughter had their hair totally ironed out,” said Ouidad. “They wanted to blend. It’s to be accepted and not stick out.”
Devachan Salon (a curly hair salon) founder is quoted as saying: “Everyone is trying to hide from their heritage—it’s anthropological. It goes very deep.” Yes, exactly! I admit I have worn my hair straight as a way of "passing" --of avoiding hair discrimination, and stereotypes. My eye color and my hair texture is a give-away of my difference (exoticism to others)--a difference I'd love to make invisible on cue.
True, today there is more curl acceptance out there--more products, information, and discussion--but I'm still trying to change my own conflicted feelings about my curly hair.
P.S. This is not a photo of me. :)
