Often times I read into things more than I should. Kinda of like when I watch The Boondocks or The Cleveland Show and get utterly disgusted at the way "my people" are portrayed. So naturally when I saw this Sesame Street video called I Love My Hair on AfroBella's blog I had a "how cute, but I think I am offended" moment.
My first and mainly my only question is - Why? Is it really that necessary to point out that my hair is SO much different from hers. As a little kid is that what I am really thinking about. Probably not! But now you have planted this seed in my subconscious (almost like Inception) and now I believe that perhaps there's something wrong with my hair. She doesn't have a song of her own for her hair.
I watched the video 4 times and I felt even more worst the fourth time than I did the first. Kinda how I felt when I watched The Cleveland Show - I don't need to be reminded of how ignorant our black people can be.
But I Love My Hair IS an adorably cute song, with a catchy hook. It's kinda like when you are in the club and that annoying T-Pain song comes on and you find yourself on the dance floor, pumped!
Here are the lyrics:
Don’t need a trip to the beauty shop,
’cause I love what I got on top.
It’s curly and it’s brown and it’s right up there!
You know what I love? That’s right, my hair!
I really love my hair.
I love my hair. I love my hair.
There’s nothing else that can compare with my hair.
I love my hair, so I must declare:
I really, really, really love my hair.
Wear a clippy or in a bow
Or let it sit in an afro
My hair looks good in a cornrow
It does so many things you know, that’s why I let it grow
I love my hair, I love my hair
I love it and I have to share
I love my hair, I love my hair!
I want to make the world aware I love my hair.
I wear it up. I wear down. I wear it twisted all around.
I wear braids and pigtails too.
I love all the things my hair can do.
In barrettes or flying free, ever perfect tresses you’ll see
My hair is part of me, an awesome part of me
I really love my hair!
Take a look for yourself. Let me know if you get pumped or feel like leaving the dance floor and stomping out of the club?
We as media need to take more responsibility and carefully examine how we affect our culture's self esteem and attitudes. Although it may be cute and perhaps even funny, had this same character been paired with other puppets of different cultures it wouldn't have been as bad. Or if just this puppet became a regular fixture on the series.
Or we could all be wrong and perhaps our little brown girls are too busy dancing to Beyonce and Rihanna and haven't even seen this video yet? *smacks hand - that was bad of me to say huh?*
What do you think?
2 comments:
I like the video but I would like to see more with other little girls of all types singing the song as well. The song is about self love, it is nice that the dad of a little girl made it for his adopted daughter, but I think the song is universal and should include other girls as well. The hair issue is not just a Black girl thing. With all the keratin treatments, extensions, and other things us women are doing and teaching our children to do, the hair issue is truly American and unfortunately shared by all. Let's see another video with about 13 different kids of all backgrounds singing about what they love about themselves. That would be a great video!
I like the video simply because it is what little girls today and in the past have had problems coming to grips with. People may not see the point of such a video but when you have young girls saying that they want Hannah Montana hair there's a problem. This video is about self love and being proud of what you have. When people find a problem with something as simple as loving one's hair because it places African American's in the spotlight again, that's sad. There has been negative and positive comments about this video from young black women and the general consensus is pride. I like it because it shows differences and how and why a young girl should accept all of herself no matter what.
Post a Comment