Great Friday, Curlies!!!! If you're reading this, then we've been blessed with another day to curl the world! ......one mane at a time!
Alrighty, I am by no means an overly-sensitive, controversial curly. I wholeheartedly believe that POSITIVE energy begets POSITIVE results. But I really couldn't hold my tongue (er, uh - pen) on this one.
My coils are weeping a bit.
Long story short my mane had it's feelings hurt the other night whilst watching the reality show "Dance Moms." In this particular eppy, the "instructor" Ms. Abby dressed little African-American cutie Nia (age 10) in a leopard print jumpsuit with a curly afro, giving her an "ethnic" dance solo to "They Call Me LaQueefa." (I'd never heard of the song, & don't care to again. For real; my ears itched after hearing it). Nia's mother Holly went slap off, saying over & over again she didn't want her little girl wearing a "stereotypical, 70's afro" & dancing to that music because it was not her black experience. Not to mention, the other girls happened to have solos potraying angels in beautiful costumes & such. Holly exclaiming to the other mommies that Ms. Abby "might as well have my baby picking cotton w/an Aunt Jemima wig on" was like rusty nails being snatched through my kinks. OUCH.
Now, while Ms. Abby's choices would raise eyebrows of ANY background (the choreography was trash with little more than rump-shaking & eye-winking), I was a little more than hurt that Holly viewed afros this way. I mean, really? Although the wig was uber atrocious (Holly picked it out), and I see where Holly was going, I wish she'd chosen better words to describe her anger/frustration. She is an educated, articulate, seemingly classy woman, who's been holding off getting with tyrant Abby for a minute. I think any reasonable parent would, given how poorly Ms. Abby treats the girls & rides Nia's back. Even so, little Nia always handles herself with more grace & elegance than many adults even with a Shrek-ish woman yelling in her face! Constantly. Verbal smackdown time had come. But maybe it arrived on the shoulders of naturalistas?
By the way, I saw a post where I believe Holly stated on Twitter that Nia began school this year in braids. I do not believe Holly has it in for naturals....I think anger took control. After all, there's nothing like a mamma scorned. And creative television editing. Hmmmmm.
What are your thoughts? Are we too sensitive? Does our one crown of hair represent the entire natural community? And finally: Is Lifetime Television indeed the devil?
There's 2 sides to every Frizz,
natural dancer
1 comment:
Girl, I saw that and was pissed all the was around! First off, the instructor was wrong for throwing that little girl in a box and having her shaking and thrusting all over the stage to the "Laquifa" (or whoever) song... WRONG! The mother who has and is trying so hard not to be associated with "THAT" black experience just took it too far. She should have been more upset about the girl pumping it all over the stage yelling "They call me Laquifa" as opposed to the afro wig she was wearing. Hmph, I was not impressed at all with the entire situation. Made me cringe :(
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