Esperanza Spalding at Oscars 2012 with an afro

Esperanza Spalding is an American jazz-singer and instrumentalist. In 2011 she won the Grammy for Best New Artist- the first time the award has been given to a jazz artist. She is renowned for her hair, which she always wears natural. Along with women like Viola Davis and Naptural85, black women are now being given the message that natural hair CAN be considered beautiful by a mainstream audience.

As a commercially viable artist (i.e. someone who can make money for record companies, sponsors etc), can we predict that soon advertisers and beauty companies will jump on this trend and start selling products that claim to bring you closer to your new "ideal self"? 

Hairstyle File: Esperanza Spalding: http://photos.essence.com/galleries/hairstyle_file__esperanza_spalding

Natural hair at the Oscars 2012!

Why Viola Davis Ditched the Wig at the Oscars

Allison Samuels
Feb 27, 2012 8:57 AM EST

Viola Davis looked stunning with a natural Afro at the Oscars last night. Allison Samuels on how The Help star's bold statement blew the lid off the complicated politics of black women’s hair.


Whether she knows it or not (she does), Viola Davis made Sunday night at the Oscars a teachable moment, giving the world a crash course in the ever-complicated politics of African-American hair.


Actress Viola Davis arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2012 in Hollywood, California. , Michael Buckner / Getty Images


Davis, a Best Actress nominee for The Help, arrived at the awards ceremony in a stunning emerald-colored gown and a natural, curly Afro, instantly lifting the lid from the bubbling pot of anger, judgment, and debate often directed toward African-American women and the varying states of their textured tresses.


Through most of the awards season, Davis had donned a dizzying array of wigs and hairpieces to complement her tasteful choice of vibrant-hued cocktail dresses and elegant evening gowns. Many were attractive enough, but some of the follicle support had appeared stiff, ill-fitted, and aging to her lean frame and glowing ebony skin.


“She looked younger and more vibrant on Oscar night,” says Karen Mitchell, owner of New York’s popular True Indian Hair. “Her wigs weren’t that great, and it was clear she needed a custom-fitted wig and style that worked better for her face.”


The actress’s long, public journey with her hair is certainly a familiar story in the African-American community. In fact, it’s so familiar that in the days leading up to the Oscars, black Hollywood found itself actively debating whether Davis would in fact “de-wig” and go natural for Hollywood’s biggest night.


Like many women and most African-American women, Davis learned long ago that hair can be either a tremendous source of pride and confidence or an all-too-frustrating beauty burden that chips away at one’s self-esteem over time.


In a mainstream environment and entertainment industry that has well-defined rules of what beauty is and how it should look, long, silky, and flowing locks rate at the top of the list of nonnegotiable requirements. As a rule—and in sharp contrast—African-Americans have a more coarse and curly hair texture.


And while the tone of one’s skin, the shape of one’s nose, or the fullness of one’s lips aren’t so easily altered without invasive medical procedures, additional hair of any type can be purchased online or at a high-end beauty-supply store in a flash. The relative ease of buying such enhancements and the instant transformation they can bring has made the sale of wigs and human hair extensions a nearly $900 million global business.


“People like to say that hair is no big deal in the black community, but it is,” says R & B singer Mary J. Blige, who’s worn her share of wigs and weaves since first appearing on the hip-hop scene in the early ’90s. “Black women get judged unfairly on many things, and how long your hair is or if it’s your hair just happens to be one of those things. You buy some hair, and you’re considered fake. You don’t have any hair, and you’re not cute. You can’t win.”


Davis seemed to struggle with that very conundrum just a few days before her big Hollywood night. In early February she graced the cover of the Los Angeles Times Magazine sans wig and then last week appeared at several pre-Oscar industry events with her natural ’do as though it were a test run.


I think it was a bold move, but she is truly content with who she is,” said celebrity stylist Damone Roberts, who’s worked with the likes of Beyoncé and Madonna. “She was making a statement about having power to just be Viola.”


Others felt the reasoning behind Davis’s short new ’do may have gone just a bit deeper.


“She’s using her hair to say, ‘Don’t be confused. I am not who I play on TV or movies,’” says race and cultural writer Rebecca Walker. “‘I have left the plantation and wait for no one to tell my story.’”


While many applaud Davis’s decision to ditch the wigs and hairpieces last night, experts in the hair industry say they aren’t very worried that the wig and weave industry will take a big hit as a result. They admit that Davis’s hair trajectory may indeed deepen the conversation on the cultural meaning of hair in the African-American community—but ultimately the power and popularity of wigs and weaves will prevail.


“Wigs and weaves give women confidence and the chance for an ever changing alter ego,” says Joshua Brown, a celebrity hairstylist who works frequently for VH1. “I love that Viola didn’t wear a wig to Oscars and did her own thing, but she’ll have one back on again soon. It’s a woman’s greatest accessory. Almost like a great pair of pumps or great handbag. Every woman needs good wig in her closet.”


Brown and True Indian Hair owner Mitchell both insist that the number of celebrities and regular consumers wearing wigs and other hairpieces continues to grow by leaps and bounds each year. They also stress that the list of famous wig wears is by no means limited to just African-American women. Stars such as Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga all regularly sport wigs and hairpieces for their film roles, videos, commercials, and other media appearances.


“Celebrities wear wigs for the versatility it allows them as well as to protect their natural hair from the constant abuse of over-styling they endure for work,” says Mitchell. “Celebrities like Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé, and Jennifer Hudson alternate between wigs and extensions. They love wigs because they take less time to style, and today there are so many more options for them to choose from.”


Mitchell says that wigs like the True Indian Hair piece Blige wore in last October’s issue of Elle magazine are often custom-made to fit the exact shape, head size and face of the owner. The best quality wigs made from the finest human hair usually cost between $3,000 to $6,000 dollars each and can last for years with proper care. Celebs such as Serena Williams, Blige and others often buy wigs in bulk and treat them as they would their own hair with high priced shampoos and conditioning treatments to ensure longevity.


“The key is having options,” says Mitchell. “As a woman and as black women the key is having the opportunity to wear your hair however you like, wherever you like, and have it look good. That’s what Viola did [at the Oscars], and she looked wonderful.”

NAPTURAL85 NEW VIDEO!

This time Naptural85 shows her audience how to create styles for wearing to graduations and specifically under the graduation cap.

By posting this video she automatically sets up a positive representation; compared to the "gangsta" rep, Naptural85 is reflecting an audience that is intelligent, articulate, healthy and successful without having to alter "who" they are. And she always smiles at the end, reinforcing her positive, strong persona and encouraging the audience to smile back :-)

Urban dictionary: four definitions of "gangsta"

Relevant theories: David Gauntlett (Media 2.0), Jacques Lacan (Mirror theory), Judith Butler(gender performativity)

1.
One who willfully promotes and participates in destructive and self-serving culture in an effort to project a particular image of 'toughness' or to make oneself intimidating. Willingness to blatantly and horrifically misuse English is a necessity, as is a low IQ and sub-par education (or at least the appearance thereof).
"I'd love to be a gangsta, but I fear I'm not stupid enough."

2.
A perversion of the established title given to the early Italian and Irish mafias, used haphazardly today as a self-described social label on mostly young people, generally black, in a far-flung game of make believe. These "gangstas" being entirely incapable of coming up with original ways of finding their identity, like to adopt Italian names from famous mafia movies as well as Italian mobster clothing. This is when, in fact, the mafia and its gangsters were built around organized crime of racketeering, protection, and highly intricate systems of providing what the people want while benefiting the immediate community, as well as adhering to codes of honor established in medieval Italy. "Gangstas" consider wildly running around in ridiculously baggy clothing, listening to music that has to bearing on reality, and selling crack because it's cool while refusing to allow themselves to climb up in society, like the Italian mobsters wanted their children to be able to do, as "gangsta".

3.
A gangsta is a complete and utter MORON. Often, the word "gangsta" is used as a taunt, or a witty but insulting comeback. Some prerequisites to be a gangsta are:

- Ignorance
- Inability to read
- Inability to spell
- Inability to wear a hat properly
- Inability to hold a gun
- Inability to choose the proper size of clothing
- Smoke crack cocaine
- Claim to dodge bullets and be poor, so to be be recognized by a group of idiotic 13 year olds as an "idol"
- No common sense
- Don't feel like working hard enough to get a real job
- Kill people because it's "cool"
- Buy $200 dollar shoes
- Buy a huge "bling bling" chain. Or, better yet, dip a chiwawa in chrome and wear it around your neck. Oops, I meant, "yo" neck, holmes.
- Be tough (This is an odd requirement. Most gangstas are tough, but get angry when a white person says the n- word)
- Be black (Not always required - a new fad has started in the previously clean and awesome suburbs: white kids seem to want to live in the ghetto, a disgusting place full of thieves, murderers, pimps, extortionists, drug dealers...

4.
Something that it is NOT good to be, despite people seeming to think so. Basically, this generally refers to people forced into a harsh life due to their low socio-economic status, who probably feel forced by circumstances beyond their control to live a certain lifestyle and commit crimes to get by.

As far as I can say, any "real" gangsta would either be dead, or in jail serving a life sentence for murder. People like to praise gangstas, but what's praiseworthy about commiting murder?? I don't think that committing crimes is a prerequisite of gangstaness. If gangsta is to be used as a positive term, it should be used to describe people who successfully and legally make their way out of the ghetto and improve their status in life. We should pity those who live in dangerous areas and constantly have to watch their backs, but we should not praise them for committing crimes.

SHEENA’S A2 MEDIA Thurs 9th Feb

I am in a meeting, please follow the instructions below

P1&2: MD-A2-U6-A1

P3: MD-A2-U6-D1

http://www8.georgetown.edu/centers/cndls/applications/postertool/index.cfm?fuseaction=poster.display&posterID=2396

Download Bamboozled from the A2 Media folder and watch the rest pls. It is LONG so when SPOILER ALERT! Mantan is taken hostage you can stop if you want.


Read the yellow sections in the link above and make notes, then consider all Qs in the red left hand column EXCEPT 2&7. The questions should trigger links to the theories we have covered.


Use your notes and findings as part of your essay plan. You are to write the essay for 1st lesson back. 700-1000 words. Easy if you've been listening and taking proper notes. Keep checking Twitter and blog for notes and tips.


Theory tips: Manny Otiko to start, use Lacan (mirror) with Butler (gender). Hegemony (Antonio Gramsci) is the domination of other social classes/groups by a small, dominant minority. The Propaganda Model (Noam Chomsky) goes well with hegemony as it explains the ways the dominant few control mass audiences through media ownership. All this will go up on the blog...email/tweet for help.

Have a great break, stay classy.

P6&7
I AM TEACHING THIS LESSON!

Napturals85

As a direct result of media texts like Good Hair and the My Black Is Beautiful campaign, there is a growing trend among young black women reverting to their natural hair and learning to care for it.

With the advent of new media technologies audiences and social groups become more able to create UNMEDIATED representations of themselves. This in turn leads to the repetition and reinforcement of new values and beliefs. As positive comments are made between members of the audience, new behaviours are encouraged and new rituals emerge.

David Gauntlett proposes a new model of communication called "Media 2.0". He states that, as new media technologies and our capacity to communicate grow. the "media" becomes "democratised". This means that audiences are now able to create media representations and texts without the input of a major company; the audience are equal to producers, and USER GENERATED CONTENT can be just as valid as content made by big studios and conglomerates. This is proven in the trend for internet memes and videos going "viral", and also in our new habit of using social networking sites.

Napturals85 is an American woman who has become a role model for young black women worldwide through her hair tutorials. She uses YouTube as a means of communicating with people like her that she would not be able to access without these technologies. In making these tutorials she is creating a new, unmediated representation of young black women; one that is not mired in body shape, appearance or status in relation to a man, but one that is independent, intelligent and comfortable with herself.

YouTube tutorial
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?v=UlqdBltyxRU

Interview on "GoodHairBlog"
http://healthyghb.blogspot.com/2010/12/captured-curls-whitney-aka-naptural85.html

Interview on UK blog (a bit annoying but it's good for seeing the social implications of social media on international trends.
http://slimtingz18.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/everyday-inspiration-naptural-85/

Audience reaction to social pressure re: hair