LANDE'S HAIR DRAMA: EXTENDED VERSION

Hey! I hope you guys enjoyed this week's show, "Good Hair vs. Bad Hair: Black Women and Self Image." I know I've been rambling about my hair woes for most of my adolescent and young adult life thus far, despite claiming on air (radio show at www.avenuepink.com, Mondays at 10pm EST!) to reach some level of peace with my curly kinks. Although it may just be my inward conflict and slightly skewed self perceptions, I am on some level convinced that other people are driving me insane as well. So without further ado, I'm going to share some of my most awkward moments with people who are pretty much ignant about black women's hair.


- I usually wear my hair in a curly fro (finger comb by day, twist with scarf on at night). But when I go to the hair dresser, I get it blow dried out. I went to the dry cleaners after my salon visit and the woman behind the counter said, "you look electrocuted. Did you stick your hand into a socket?"

- After work event, several drinks. One of my white male co-workers says in mid conversation about something unrelated to hair, "I've always wanted to do this," and ran his fingers through my fro. Argh!

- I was walking though the hall of one of my internships. This old white woman walked by me and stared at my hair in amazement before saying, "like a Halo," then walked off. Maybe Beyonce should've rocked an afro wig in "Halo" instead of "Work it Out." WHT!

- And last but not least, the Godawful pickup lines. "Soul Sista," "What up India Aire, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Macy Gray (so insulted by that one!)," "Miss Neo Soul...you got some Miles Davis on that Ipod baby?" Fellas, please stop the madness because you make me want to put Jigga's "Can I Live?" on repeat.


Hope you had fun with another account of my life's dramas. More coming soon, make sure you listen to Avenue Pink on Mondays at 10pm EST!