Black men's facial hair

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Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on February 3, 2011 at 11:15am

Hmm, I haven't seen the mousse thing you are talking about so much, but it is funny how white people get their hair curled, and blacks get it straightened. Everyone wants what they can't have. White people here want to get a tan. In India, there is a product called "fair and lovely" to make their skin whiter.

 

This post makes me think of how an employer is likely to pass over an employee if they have an Afro, most likely in the idea that "it doesn't look professional" (gag me). So far, rules about hairstyles that are specific to certain ethnicities are the only appearance-based rules I can think of that are truly racist. For instance, not allowing Afros, requiring that a person shave their unibrow (specific to some races), or religious laws requiring a person to grow a beard of a certain length (some races can't grow long beards and some don't grow beards at all.)

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Mush on March 30, 2011 at 9:34am

I do understand your point Prog Girl. However, I do not think that any race should be pressured in accepting the notion that their natural hair, regardless if it falls down the shoulders or sticks up in the air, will not be tolerated on a so called professional level. A little grooming here and there is ok, but enough of the disrespect and high sea's drama wid the negative kinky hair ting.

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Mush on March 29, 2011 at 7:20pm

Jonathan, I still maintain that it's taboo as a black man to be himself in any market. I can saftly assume that you are caucasian male right? I really don't think that you would fully understand.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Peterson on March 30, 2011 at 7:05am

It confuses me that people can say "you aren't me ...you don't understand" while still presuming to understand exactly what it's like to be that other person.

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Mush on March 30, 2011 at 9:13am

You know what, I do try to look at it from your perspective and came to the conclusion That, some people simply do not understand. There are a lot of things that I don't understand, but, when it relates to this subject, I know most of the times, of what I speak. Agreeing to dissagree maybe a good thing on this one...agree?

   How about we shift to a more common topic, where we both could try to address the tremendous harm that religion has wrought on this planet. It has such a destructive  detremental effect on all of us "humans." We should Find common ground and try to fight this scourge. Then some time later down the line, we can resume the cross/hair debate. How about it?

 

 

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Permalink Reply by David Anam on March 28, 2011 at 11:49am

As far as the film industry goes, beards are pretty unpopular regardless of your color. You can have a slightly scraggly look if you're an action hero, but you can't have an actual beard unless you're a villain or if it's only for one scene to show how down in the dumps the character was before he got his life back together. Of course, if you want to portray a really bad villain, he's got to have a beard and be black... or possibly British.

 

Outside of film, it's hard for me to say. I don't see much difference between the facial hair choices of the different employees where I work. Some have beards and some don't. I'd say my office is about 20% black, none of them with shaved heads. There are, however, two white guys who shaved their heads.

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Permalink Reply by David Anam on March 28, 2011 at 12:14pm

I might be having to make that decision soon. I've got a spot that's just getting thinner and thinner. I'm thinking about the Friar Tuck just because it'd be a good conversation starter:

 

"So, you a monk or something?"

"No, but I took a class in Karate once if that counts."

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Mush on March 29, 2011 at 7:23pm

Most white guys who totally shave off all of their hair are already going bald. So there.

 

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Permalink Reply by Erik Mack- Davis on March 29, 2011 at 7:43pm

Im black n i shave my head cause it looks bad ass! But i work in an industry where hair dosnt matter

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Permalink Reply by Scott Blunt on March 29, 2011 at 9:27pm

As a black men I keep my facial hair clean but by choice. When I interviewed for my current job I had a really thick a goatee.  I really think it depends on the type off work you do and work culture.

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Permalink Reply by LoRi.B. on March 30, 2011 at 12:22pm

I disagree. I think that different jobs have different grooming requirements irrespective of race.

The film industry may appear to make these demands due to casting preferences and to me that makes sense. That being said there are alot of black men who have maintained goaties/beards and even afros and locks throughout their careers.....Morgan Freeman, Denzil Washington, Cuba Gooding Jr( He was rocking a low and kid n play at some point), Idris Elba, Gary Dourdan...(I'll stop now, is it getting hot in here or is it just me?!)

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Mush on March 30, 2011 at 12:49pm

Yes, grooming requirements meaning: "Get rid of that kinky hair or else black folks!"...I know what you mean. I will always hold true to my original post. We are not comfortable with our natural hair as black people, because we are reminded that kinky hair is inferior to long straight hair... However, you have the right to disagree. Yahh man.

 

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