bad hair

Protective Styles R Us

 

I have had it up to here with my hair.

Angry panda is ANGRY!!!!!

It doesn’t want to act right. It has been feeing bad and acting worse. I. HAVE. HAD. IT!!!!!

Don’t worry though, and don’t freak out. I am not getting a relaxer. Even though it is acting bat shit cray cray, I can deal with it and figure it out better than I did when I had a relaxer. With a relaxer, I would just walk around looking like ‘whodunnit and why’

No, no relaxer for me. Instead, I am scheduling an appointment soon to get my hair braided.

I was leary about getting my hair braided. I didn’t want to go to the African hairshop, and have them try to give me a permanent facelift with their tight braiding. I have also heard that they say nasty things to girls with natural hair.

I consulted with Cherilyn, my beautician (I don’t go to her often, but I consider her my beautician, because if I do go, she is the one I would go to) and she has a co-worker that braids and has natural hair.  I figure she is the best (and safest) bet for me and my hair.

I still have yet to make an appointment, because between work and school I value what little free time I have. But you best believe it is going to be soon. SOON I SAY!!!! *SHAKES FIST OF ANGER*

Haven’t been writing much- Negative Imagery in fictional books.

I am a busy bee let me tell you. School is kicking my tail end. Next semester remind me not to take 5 classes. Want to see what I have been working on? This is part of my database homework:

Yeah boyyyeeee! Database city! You don't have to understand it. Just as long as my teacher does (that in my incoherent babblings) we will be okay.
I wanted to talk to you guys today about something that kind of seriously bothered me. Negative imagery of natural hair in books. 
Now, I know there are a lot of books out there that show us and tell us how to embrace our hair. Case and point:
And this is fine and dandy, this is great! But what about, every day books? Books you just happen to pick up and read for fun. 
Lately I've been on a Vampire/Zombie kick. Don't judge me. I enjoy the books. There is a series currently out called "House of Night" I started reading them a couple of years ago. They are by a mom and daughter writing duo named PC and Kristin Cast. Here is a photo:
Picture from Here
I happened to pick up the first book in the series yesterday for a re-read. It is called Marked. When I read this before, I wasn't on my natural hair journey, so I wasn't as sensitive to the imagery. Here are some passages:
I was just getting ready to ask for more of an explanation when a girl rushed up and, with a big huff, slid herself and her tray into the booth beside Stevie Rae. She was the color of cappuccino (the kind you get from real coffee shops and not the nasty, too-sweet stuff you get from Quick Trip) and all curvy with pouty lips and high cheekbones that made her look like an African princess. She also had some seriously good hair. It was thick and fell in dark, glossy waves around her shoulders.

For the record, I would like to say that the main character in this book is a Caucasian, female, age 16. I have never heard a Caucasian female use the term "good hair." It is sort of a derogatory term that African Americans have seemed to coin. Hmmm.. Let's check out another passage shall we?

Two girls were standing behind her, dressed in much the same way. One was black, with impossibly long hair (must be a really good weave).


So in the first couple chapters of the book, you learn that all vampires have long hair. It's one of the things that  they do; their hair just grows impossibly long. Why does hers, have to be a weave?
I could go on and on about this, there is a passage in the book about someone having hair that looks like "It never has the nerve to nap up."

It makes me tired, and it makes me sad. What about you? What could be done to combat this imagery?