Taking sides: straight hair vs. curly hair

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I love straight hair. I also love wavy hair. But tight curls or frizz - non! Supplementary question - does this make me a racialist?

― Nick, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It just means you limit your chances for a date. Silly boy.

I care not about straightness or lack thereof of hair. I just ask that you wash it. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like curly hair on some girls (including curly Kylie!) but I'd hate to have it myself - I cherish my five minute do.

― Madchen, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

what is hair, but the soul in spaghetti form? yes my children. come and let me warm you with my roller

― Mike Hanle y, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

straight and paris island short

― anthony, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Surely pubes on head = sign of virility

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

surly long, straight pubes = sign of virility

― Mike Hanle y, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't know if dislike of curly hair automatically makes one a 'racialist', but I think it dovetails with certain prejudices against ethnic features. As a "frizzy-haired" person, I've been given way more than my fair share of grief over my hair, some of which has a racist tinge to it - i.e., people calling me "nigger hair" or suspicious inquiries about my racial makeup. My mother, an Italian-American, has fried her hair since she was about five or so, save one period in the seventies when natural hairstyles and afros were popular. Once in school, I was asked if there was anything I could do to make my hair 'less wild'. So I do have hair issues and I know first hand that there is this nasty coercive culture in favor of straight hair. Recently, a woman's magazine polled hundreds of men by showing them pictures of women's hairstyles and asking their favorites. The curly or very curly styles were deemed too "wild" and were unpopular. I found the whole thing really depressing.

Anyway, naturally curly hair is about the easiest hair to care for - I just wash it, condition it and let it air dry. I hate when people call it 'frizzy' as if I don't take care of it. It's called humidity, and there's not much I can do about it without frying it.

― Kerry, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"ethnic" in the above should be in quotes, i.e., that's *other* people's perception - that some features are more "ethnic" than others.

― Kerry, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have a fetish for messes of curly hair. But I've never really dated people with curly hair, I just get crushes on them. Hmm. My mixed race (I really hate that term but can't think of anything less offensive right now) nephew has tons of thick curly hair. Sadly though his parents choose to keep it v. short which gives his head the feel of a brillo pad. Their argument in doing so is that dealing with a two year old with tangled curls is no fun. hmph.

― Samantha, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

On me: extremely straight hair. A case of the other man's grass is always greener. I have naturally wavy hair that curls up in humidity, but god help me if I try to curl it up on purpose, it looks like a freak show (as does the humidity accidents, but that's another story). So I usually dry it down straight.

On other people: depends on the person.

― Ally, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hey Sam, I thought you liked short cropped hair with a nice bald spot in the middle?

― Hank, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't get crushes on that hairdo. I love that hairdo. ;)

― Samantha, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like messy hair...it doesn't matter if it's stright or curly...actually I like hair with a kink in it. I got my hair cut, and I wish it'd grow back.

― james, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Take heart Kerry, you can always braid, and upbraid those who mock you!

― Mike Hanle y, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Years ago I used to go nuts for guys with long messy hair, but have sort of outgrown that. I've never dated anyone with curly hair, in fact I can't think of anyone off the top of my head I've even fooled around with that had curly hair (admittedly a long list). Not that I have anything against it. Straight hair parted and neatly combed to one side would be a style I'd avoid.

― Sean, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

reason u have never dated us: we are RARE and hard to catch. bye!

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

crusty dreads

― Ed, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hair like mine is terrible. It's very fine, there's masses and masses of it, and it's wavy in a non-uniform fashion. Basically, if I let my hair dry naturally, it looks like I have really bizarre very frizzy bedhead. So, I have to fry it straight every morning. It takes forever and I never really quite succeed.

― Melissa W, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Generally I like wavyish hair - straight hair and curly hair being a CONTINUUM dontcha know Nick - but I did see somebody with out and out curly hair and indie speXoR tonight who was just fantastically gorgeous, wow swoon (not at the indie night itself, before that, those of you who were with me tonight).

― Tom, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'd like to say a big no to dread locks, especially the mousy brown or blonde variety. This may be because they are so passe here. I think there is a certain amount of novelty value in white people having afros, and the Jesus look, well tasty.

Having said that I don't believe it pays to limit oneself...

― Menelaus Darcy, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My daddy cut off all my hair once when i was a toddler. After that my hair turned straight!

― Helen Fordsdale, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A racialist?..hair types are not confined to race I am one of few in my family with curly frizz.and,I have seen several caucasians with heads of white frizz,and they weren't albino either.

― fuzzy, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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