Week 2

Afros, to me, have always been fascinating. Having thin, blonde hair, I have no idea how anyone can ever tease hair enough to get it to that sort of shape and style. I am one of those people who fall victim to straightening my hair or, as certain male hairdresser in the 1950’s said, I “burn and process all the life out of it.” Of course, the difference with me is that I am very white and the au naturelle look would never work for me. If I don’t straighten my hair, it simply is a frizzy, nasty mess. Helen Hayes King is another story. Personally, I found it intriguing that her hairdo was met with disdain at Julliard and her family didn’t particularly approve either. But when she went back to her New York City block, it was met with high approval. How quickly it became a sign of the rebellious youth; most middle class women, white or black, straightened their hair chemically. And so began the afro. Who knew that a hairstyle could be molded into a subculture so quickly?

Another article discussed the aspects of the Low Rider, referring to cars, not jeans. This is something that I have never really taken a liking to. Being a car person, I know what I like and that would be a stock car. Whenever I see a car that has been lowered or put on a hydraulic lift system, I have a tendency to roll my eyes. It’s never sat right with me. I am beginning to see the hip hop aspect now though. To those who created it, it was a pure expression of pride and culture. It was kind of a rebellion against the laws concerning cars riding too low. And then, it just went from there to the kind of cars I see now. The original low riders were gorgeous; I wish that the low riders and the lifted cars today had the same sense of style that they started out with. But, again, that's just my personal tastes.