Barbara Walters hair touching incident

[LocksOfLuV]

I guess I'm in the minority but it's perfectly understandable to me why people of other races think that most black women wear weaves....

ETA: I wore a twist out ~ 1 week ago and at the end of the day my (white) co-worker came up to me and patted my hair. I told her that if she wanted to touch it all she had to do was ask. She turned beet red and said that she'd wanted to touch it all day. I wasn't offended and it was an interesting segue into a conversation about black hair.

In my eyes you are not the minority. I mean let's be real with ourselves, yes black people CAN grow hair, but we DON'T (outside of LHCF and the hair boards).Not trying to be harsh but we don't. Yes there are the minority (and that's just it, the minority) who have long hair but for the most part most black women don't have it. I hate the way that white person expressed themselves and it lacked much much tact, but what you said is real deal.

 

[sareca]

Good thing Brandy didn't have breast implants!

 

[SilkyandSmooth]

I'm sorry but some white people are sooo freakin' clueless. It's rude to touch another person's hair without their permission and it's offensive to ask a black woman whether or not her hair is real. Do they go around asking white women if their hair is real or not? I think not. Many of them wear weaves/wigs too. *cough* Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Pamela Anderson *cough*

 

[TowsonGirl]

I'm sorry but some white people are sooo freakin' clueless. It's rude to touch another person's hair without their permission and it's offensive to ask a black woman whether or not her hair is real. Do they go around asking white women if their hair is real or not? I think not. Many of them wear weaves/wigs too. *cough* Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Pamela Anderson *cough*

Amen girl!

 

[DSP]

I won't lie, sometimes I find myself thinking that black women are hyper-sensitive when it comes to hair. I have read "rants" that the issue seems to have built only because of sensitivity. I don't know, I don't want to get too far into it, but I think sometimes we think too much of our hair and the next person doesn't even care. But that's my opinion.

For me, there are two separate issues here. Re: Black women's sensitivity to hair issues, I agree with you. I am frequently asked questions about my hair by curious non-blacks. It took me a minute to realize not everyone wants the Complete and Unabridged History of Black Hair Care, some just want to know where I got the cute hair clip. Also, I inform the curious that I am not the ambassador to all Black women's hair issues. Our hair journeys are as varied as our skin hues. Some of us don't think about it, some obsess about it. For some it's political and for others it's merely ornamental. But many non-blacks we come in contact with are curious about our hair, especially if it's healthy looking and/or long since many of our sisters don't understand how to take good care of what God gave them.

What I do object to is people being overly familiar and not just invading someone's personal space, but actually grabbing and pulling someone's hair. (And I do have a thing about people's hands around my face and head. I'm a health educator and know how nasty hands are.)

I have no problem with BaBa asking hair questions. The View is women's show and lots of women are interested in hair — and I doubt they've ever done any type of segment on black hair care. It was BaBa's crude, tactless (and potentially embarrassing) on-camera behavior with Tanika that was unacceptable. If my boss grabbed and yanked on my hair and I managed to resist the urge to slap the snot out of her, I would be talking to HR so fast she wouldn't know what hit her. That was not cute, nor was it necessary.

Note to BaBa: Hair Dialogue = Good. Physical Assault = Bad

 

[Ms Lala]

For me, there are two separate issues here. Re: Black women's sensitivity to hair issues, I agree with you. I am frequently asked questions about my hair by curious non-blacks. It took me a minute to realize not everyone wants the Complete and Unabridged History of Black Hair Care, some just want to know where I got the cute hair clip. Also, I inform the curious that I am not the ambassador to all Black women's hair issues. Our hair journeys are as varied as our skin hues. Some of us don't think about it, some obsess about it. For some it's political and for others it's merely ornamental. But many non-blacks we come in contact with are curious about our hair, especially if it's healthy looking and/or long since many of our sisters don't understand how to take good care of what God gave them.

What I do object to is people being overly familiar and not just invading someone's personal space, but actually grabbing and pulling someone's hair. (And I do have a thing about people's hands around my face and head. I'm a health educator and know how nasty hands are.)

I have no problem with BaBa asking hair questions. The View is women's show and lots of women are interested in hair — and I doubt they've ever done any type of segment on black hair care. It was BaBa's crude, tactless (and potentially embarrassing) on-camera behavior with Tanika that was unacceptable. If my boss grabbed and yanked on my hair and I managed to resist the urge to slap the snot out of her, I would be talking to HR so fast she wouldn't know what hit her. That was not cute, nor was it necessary.

Note to BaBa: Hair Dialogue = Good. Physical Assault = Bad

I agree w/your post. I think in some instances some of us do have a tendency to be overly sensitive about our hair. While people do make nasty comments about ethnic hair, we have to take each case individually and not assume a person is a racist. I totally agree that it is okay and actually good to dialogue about ethnic hair care, my white roomates in college asked me questions and I didn't take offense. They honestly didn't know and they were never rude. Now with that said Walters was totally out of line. No asking people questions like Walters did to Brandy and to go as far as touch and yank is insensitive and rude to do to someone of any race. I think she is a little touched and thinks she can do whatever she wants because of her so called status. It was highly unprofessional.

 

[reckgnyze]

Here is another comment i found ..........
siphronia you said it so well. I am in the same predicament… I will see a black man he smiles nicely and says hello. A black woman will look like the evil eye on me… I am a beautiful white woman, dont feel ashamed in that, some say I look like Michelle Pfieffer, and I get some nasty looks. Even the other day 2 black ladies were behind me in Walmart, well I offered them my space since they had less items…the woman looked at me, rolled her eyes and told her friend to “lets go to another aisle, Barbie has alot of **** in her cart”.
Well I dont know but it does seem black women are angry at me and I dont know why.
Also I want to add that I notice many of you are ignoring the fact that when the second woman in the View talked about her hair (Tanika), everyone else such as Joy, the blonde, etc was saying “it’s so gorgeous, I love it”. Yup you didnt hear that did you cuz you were too busy ranting your racist BS.


and as to what she and the post about the guy before said i feel it goes both ways white women has looked and starred at black people like they never saw them before. its not alot of racist bs its respect that you supposed to have for the next person belongings and whats ever a part of them. And I remember I had to go to school in this town called oildale its a part of bakersfield. I used to get chase home everyday get called n*ggers, get looked up and down, was the only black kid there and to top it off the teachers wouldn't do a damn thing about it. And this was around 1997. My cousins went to a highschool in bakersfield where a black guy got chased up a tree by some racist white kids and its still like that today when i go out there to vist my peeps. So why she is ranting about black people lookin at her the way they did we still go thru racist crap in some cities , towns, maybe countries I don't know erplexed but you never here about black people chasing around one white person and calling them names. And I still don't look at white people different Just because of what the ignorant ones done to me back then. So she shouldn't say all black woman look at her funny and give her an evil look because i know I don't do that. Sorry its just I don't talk about that situation much and when white people bring up about us being racist i just think back. And sorry if this does have to do what ya'll are talking about but i really had to get that off me after reading them comments.

 

[Candy1978]

It is very disturbing when you realize how ignorant caucasian people can be, and how they still don't understand our frustrations, however, I have to remeber that we fight not against Flesh, but against spirits and principalities of the dark. I can not allow myself to get angry at ignorance, I must transend above it, or else I will be angry and cussing people out everyday. Maybe it is un black of me to casually dismiss ignorant comments like that, but I just try to pray for people like that, and ask that God help me not to Hate others that Hate me. As far as Barbara Walters ...I think she just didn't know what to say, so she used it as an ice breaker. Either that, or she was truly trying to be funny. It's Obvius that she didn't learn a darn thing from Starr Jones all those years. You would think that Starr would have schooled her on the black hair issue

 

[N.P.R. Addict]

Quick question, would she ever grab Pam Anderson's boobs and ask if they were fake? Once a white man asked me why most black women have fake hair. I quickly replied, why do most white women have fake breasts? Beet red was he!

 

[dannie]

IMO

I dont have a problem with a white person questioning if a black person's is real or fake. Even though everybody and their momma wears weaves, we usually have the shortest hair.

I silently question anybody who's hair looks well questionable. But I never ask unless I'm stumped...

Now to outwardly and boldy grab, touch and pull on someone's hair is not acceptable. I also think if your going to ask, do so privatly I wouldn't ask if someone's nose or ta-tas were fake in a room full of people or better yet national tv.

 

[Poohbear]

I think it's totally okay to ask whether your hair is fake or not (whether you are black, white, red or yellow). Most of the time, it's out of pure curiosity and nothing else. I get asked if my hair is real all the time mainly because I'm always wearing different hairstyles on my natural hair that makes my hair look different lengths and textures depending on the style. I can come into work with a big fluffy braidout and then the next day wear a shurnken fro...I bet that just surprises and shocks the people I work with to a great degree. I think it's funny and kinda cute when people ask (black or white or whatever). I do not see it as racially motivated because women from ALL races wear fake hair. Plus, I've heard white women ask other white women if their hair is real or fake.
As far as touching without permission, that's a no-no.

 

[blazingthru]

There are women of other races who wear weaves all the time and have been for ages. They had the weave sensation going on for a lot longer than black women (until recent years I believe there was no add-on hair that catered to black women). I have never heard of anyone questioning the authentication of their hair verbally or otherwise! This is possibly the reason why some black women might think the questioning is racially motivated. I also agree that a person should not invade another's private space without permission! Especially with the germs collected by a person's hand on a daily basis (I too have heard women leave the washroom without washing their hands and can never get a good enough look to see who it was! LOL).

OMG that is me I be trying to catch them to. So I know who is dipping in my candy dish on my desk and make sure I do not go in there, as a rule I just put it out for them, I dont' bother it to many of them don't wash their hands, then want to touch my hair I do not think so.. I love how Madear does that no handshaking thingamagig

 

[anatomicallycorrect]

I was looking at this website that had a long discussion about the incidents of Barbara Walters touching Tanika and Brandy's hair and asking if it's real or fake. White women/men and black women expressed their opinions but the one that got me angry the most, was the post below. Clearly this woman is ignorant!!! I decided to post it here to get your response on the post as well as ask the questions below:

1. Are we really sensitive as black women when it comes to our hair (According to the white poster)? or are we defensive sometimes because any criticism of our hair reminds us of racism?
2. If we are wearing a weave and someone asks (black or white), why does it bother us so much to tell the truth. Many have even lied that it's their real hair. If I am wearing a weave and someone asks, I am eager to tell them yes, and recommend where I got it done. What's your take?

http://www.bestweekever.tv/2006/07/18/icymi-barbara-still-puzzled-by-black-women/
ORIGINAL POST:
what a bunch of cry baby’s. Why are u black people, african americans, colored people, or WHATEVER it is that you PREFER to be called, so sensitive, and its not like she really did something wrong, touched a BLACK womans hair and asked is it real. lol Get a f-ing clue. Blacks don’t have a problem teasing white people about dancing or white males about having a small penis. Oh no, that would be quite funny to you. So until black people start showing some respect for other races mainly the white race, then I will show no respect toward them. Besides almost all black women have fake hair. So why the big stink?

Well, I didn't see Baba Wawa grabbign white men's crotches and asking them how big their penises are. I think the issue is touching the hair and violating the space and asking if it is real. Go ask Jessica Simpson if her hair is real.

 

[pistachio]

Almost all black women have fake hair????

Apparently, whoever made this comment hasn't been on this board ! Some folks' ignorance simply does not dignify a response.

As for Babwa touching people's hair and asking if it is real or fake...

Maybe they should respond...do you still really have a wrinkle free complexion or is that Botox? Gimme a break!

Hey, I hope you don't take offense but I used your quip on that message board to get the point across. I hope you're not angry, but I felt they needed to hear it.