HairTroversy: What's The Worst Thing Someone Has Said About Your Natural Hair?



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 If you read natural hair blogs like Hairnista, Curly Nikki or BGLHOnline or peruse the many natural hair Tumblr photo sites, you'd swear that everybody just loves natural hair, right?

No, Boo Boo, everybody ain't in love with our kinks, curls and coils. Some people downright hate them, and they are quick to tell you that they don't support our natural journey!

Inspired by Char Jay's hilarious YouTube vid, Sh*t Natural Girls Say to Relaxed Girls, what's the worst thing you've ever heard said about natural hair?

Are the Jokes On Us?
I admit, I cringe whenever I hear Martin talk about Pam's "beady beads" or her "kitchen." Funny as hell in the 90s and I will admit it's still funny now -- though I think I"m more "naturally" aware of the sting the term can cause. Like anything else, though, many times it depends on who is saying the term.

Maybe it's a natural hair insult when you were a kid -- back then, "nappy" was a fighting word. Yeah, I know many naturals today embrace the word now, but it was not the business back then. Are there certain natural hair insults that we need to rethink or are we too sensitive?


Is there a Naturals' Pass?
Many times, we get offended based on who lobs the insult. I know I've seen plenty of eyebrow raising things on forums. Most of the time, it's "packaged" differently, by typing of hair, as in type 1, 2 and 3 hair is somehow better.

Hair typing still gets the side eye from me, but oh, well. That doesn't mean that naturals can't, and won't, insult fellow naturals. However, I think the sting doesn't hurt as much? It's wrong, but it's almost like it's a bit more acceptable when from your own.

But a relaxed girl? Sorry, she can't say nothing, as we saw in Char Jay's hilarious YouTube vid, Sh*t Relaxed Girls Say to Natural Girls."

 What's the best way to respond when your natural hair is insulted?

Online Natural Hair Spoof

Online video spoofs are all the rage ... from Awkward Black Girl about the adventures of an awkward Black girl's work and social foibles to the funny as hell, yet socio-political with heavy doses of satire and comedy, Sh*t White Girls Say to Black Girls and the to-die for Black & Sexy TV about a guy's celibate adventures.

So you knew it was only a matter of time before naturals joined in, as I saw on CurlyNikki.com. Check out this vid from @CharJay, Sh*t Relaxed Girls Say to Natural Girls.

I think I about died when she said,"Oh, you don't wanna wear a hat! Well, how about a comb, because you need to do something with that head!"

Can you say H-I-L-A-R! That's what makes these online parodies so damn funny. There are bits of "truth" in all of them, because you know naturals have heard all of the lines mentioned in this vid before:

"What you put in your hair to make it so curly?"
"Is that a texturizer?"
"My husband would leave me if I went natural. He love my straight hair."
"Girl, you look like you came straight out of the 70s with that afro."
"India Arie"
"What is the name of that wig?"
"Who you trying to look like, Erykah Badu?"
"I know you are going to straighten your hair for the interview!"

Gather a few naturals in a room and I can bet we've heard variations of all of these lines, from well-meaning friends worried that we'll never date, marry or find a man because of our natural hair,  to your well intentioned, but hair struck, tell it like it T-I-S grandmother, to people clowning on your natural hair (yes, it happens).

We are so extra and I love it!