Ok look... I really feel like people are beating this topic over the head what with the movie coming out and all, but I really believe that people aren't saying the right things, so I have to put in my two cents. I feel like it's needed.

The question everyone's asking is "What is good hair?" Well I've come across lots of bullshit answers to this question. If I hear one more person say that good hair is healthy hair I'm gonna slap them in the face. Saying that good hair is healthy hair and good hair is your hair as it grows out of your head, in it's natural state sounds good, and modern, and open-minded. But let's be real. None of those things are what we as Americans believe is good hair. Not in the world that we live in. Period. Good hair is long, silky, straight hair. Preferably blond, and on a white person.

If good hair was really healthy hair, black women wouldn't make up 80% of the hair care market; black people wouldn't spend so much money on weaves and then become dependent on them because they completely neglected their own hair; people wouldn't be trying to dye their hair blond because they can't have fun as a brunette. I may be coming off as a self-righteous natural nazi (which I am not), but I'm only trying to keep it real. Women aren't dying to get healthy hair. They dying to get hair they see in magazines by whatever means necessary. Health is the last thing on their minds. Who cares that the chemicals in perms disintegrate aluminum cans? What difference does it make that the chemicals in perms can retard or permanently damage the development of hair follicles in kids. It looks cute afterward and that's all that matters. People have gotten lazy. It's the American way.

As you can see, I do not have good hair. I have, what I like to call, motherland hair. It's nappy, tightly coiled, curly hair. And you may wonder why I would consider straight silky hair good hair when that's clearly not the type of hair I have. Well it's not that I don't like my own hair, because I do. I happen to think my hair is gorgeous, lol. But I realize that my hair, in American society, is not considered "good." In many circles, my nappy hair is not considered acceptable. Now I realize that this is a concept that's changing slowly. But I know that my love for my natural hair is an exception and not the rule. There people to whom my hair is obnoxious and inappropriate. As much as I hate that, I know that it's the truth. I know that my type of hair is not what you're going to see in photo shoots in magazines. I don't have the type of hair most little girls will envy or look up to me for. And you won't catch too many models rockin my type of hairstyles. But I'm ok with that. My hair is good to me. And maybe if I and the other naturals  out there can hang on to that concept without coming across as uppity snobs, we can change people's minds. Maybe we can redefine beauty.

I can only hope.


That being said, I do know that not all women who perm their hair have a negative perception of curly or natural hair. But I find it odd how so many people think that they couldn't look nice unless their hair was straight. This, to me, is mind-boggling. But then again, that used to be me...