S01.E03: Let Your Hair Down

[OnceSane]

Quote

After a teacher tells Rainbow to make sure her hair is "neat" for picture day, she becomes self-conscious and begins a complicated relationship with her hair. Meanwhile, Johan and Santamonica struggle with their own hair identity.

Airs October 8, 2019.

[shipmate]

I adore Santamonica as the child captures the essence of the character and you can totally see how she becomes the grown up we've seen.

I am really enjoying this show and found the lesson on hair both informational and enjoyable.

[truthaboutluv]

This was the best episode of the season, thus far. Hilarious and poignant. I didn't even hate the cheesy meta of that "Saved By the Bell" line. 

Edited October 9, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[nokat]

Your hair is making it difficult for me to learn.  Is enjoying the show.
 

[nokat]

4 minutes ago, nokat said:

Your hair is making it difficult for me to learn.  Is enjoying the show.

 

Has heard "You have nice hair" from white women who can't cut it.
 

[nokat]

Not sure it is just white people telling us what to do with our hair.

Is whitish with green eyes and the hair.


 

Edited October 9, 2019 by nokat

[qtpye]

35 minutes ago, nokat said:

Not sure it is just white people telling us what to do with our hair.

Is whitish with green eyes and the hair.


 

46 minutes ago, nokat said:

Has heard "You have nice hair" from white women who can't cut it.
 

Really enjoyed this episode and yes sometimes my own people tell me my natural look will hold me back in life. I like that we saw the character’s hair journey.

[nokat]

I like that this show is addressing mixed. Not enough white, not enough black.
 

[kazza]

6 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

This was the best episode of the season, thus far. Hilarious and poignant. I didn't even hate the cheesy meta of that "Saved By the Bell" line. 

Ooh, which line? I missed it!

I'm loving this show. There's a sweetness and sincerity about the way it explores the "otherness" that many of us have experienced (or continue to experience) in our lives. It feels like it's aiming to educate, not pander, and even when there are laughs, it's with us, not at us.

I'm even liking Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who I hadn't realized is mixed himself. That scene with Santamonica at the end, doing her hair, was exactly what @truthaboutluv described - hilarious and poignant. (And who am I kidding, I'll watch Zach Morris on any show.)

I hope the show continues to have support, as there are many stories to tell here. 

[truthaboutluv]

On 10/9/2019 at 6:12 AM, kazza said:

Ooh, which line? I missed it!

When the parents visited Rainbow's teacher after she told Rainbow to make sure her hair was neat for picture day. Towards the end of the scene, the teacher was going on about how much she loved Rainbow's hair while giving all these frankly insulting reasons and just as Bow's mother was about to lunge for her, the bell rang and the kids filed into the class. Mark Paul's character of course goes, "saved by the bell".

Edited October 10, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[qtpye]

Making good points about how most of Blackish is mixedish. 

[Traveller519]

15 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

This was the best episode of the season, thus far. Hilarious and poignant. I didn't even hate the cheesy meta of that "Saved By the Bell" line. 

I guess the new show had to make do since they were a little young for ABC's "Cast from the past"(TM) week.

Hey did you know it's "Cast from the Past"(TM) week on ABC? (Apologies to those who didn't watch off net work and haven't been fully bombarded by the promos.

My heart broke for Johan when the black Barbershop said he couldn't get any of the styles he liked.

Gary Cole looks like he's having so much fun with his role. I really enjoy the take on his character.

Edited October 9, 2019 by Traveller519

[qtpye]

2 hours ago, Traveller519 said:

I guess the new show had to make do since they were a little young for ABC's "Cast from the past"TM week.

Hey did you know it's "Cast from the Past"TM week on ABC? (Apologies to those who didn't watch off net work and haven't been fully bombarded by the promos.

My heart broke for Johan when the black Barbershop said he couldn't get any of the styles he liked.

Gary Cole looks like he's having so much fun with his role. I really enjoy the take on his character.

My heart broke for him when picked the Stevie Wonder look...damn, even his white daddy should know that was not the look for the day.

[UNOSEZ]

I lived Johan's pain.. Picking out hairstyles that the texture of my hair could not sustain.. I still remember getting my first durag.. Thinking I was gonna wake up the wave king like my cousins from Chicago... Had it tied soooooo tight... Woke up with a migraine.. Indentations all around my head and a dead raccoon on top of it... Took a while but eventually I found the styles that let me be me.. And products that helped in my pursuits 

[hula-la]

I loved this episode. My nieces are biracial, and they also complain when their (white) Dad does their hair. Though, I’ll give him props, he learned how to cornrow. The bit about hair reverting brought back the trauma of learning how to swim in school, then having to sit in class the rest of the day with messed up hair. 

I’m still on the fence with Santa Monica’s character. I see how she becomes the adult version of her, but not sure if I’m loving it on a kid. 

[tennisgurl]

That was the best episode yet, I think it dealt with an issue of being mixed race in a way that felt both real and funny, and didnt quite have that "This is the 80s!!!" reminders every five seconds. Bow learning about her hair and the many styles and the greater historical context of them was fun as well as informative.

Poor Johan and his hair struggles, neither barber shop can help him.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

Poor Johan and his hair struggles, neither barber shop can help him.

Wonder why they didn't take him to a regular beauty shop? Would that have been forbidden or too embarrassing for boys?

Still not liking Santamonica. I get what they're going for but within the context of the backstory given so far her behavior just doesn't make sense to me. Too hammy.

[JenLily]

I'm mixed race (not black/white though) and Bow's post-gym class hair hit me where it hurt. I still remember how stressed out I got if we did anything even remotely sweaty in class. My (white) husband looked at me and asked me if that really happened and was like, "Dude, why do you think I'm such an asshole about not getting my hair wet when it rains?" 😊

On 10/9/2019 at 9:45 AM, Traveller519 said:

Gary Cole looks like he's having so much fun with his role. I really enjoy the take on his character.

I absolutely cracked up when they were getting ready to leave the barber shop and he said, "Oh good. I haven't said anything offensive yet. . . but I can feel it bubbling up." 😂

[greekmom]

22 hours ago, hula-la said:

I’m still on the fence with Santa Monica’s character. I see how she becomes the adult version of her, but not sure if I’m loving it on a kid. 

I agree. Hated the way she talked to her dad calling him fool. Seriously I am not at all for hitting children in real life but that character needs a good spanking.

[In2You]

I'm so confused about how Santa Monica is the "blackest" one of them yet Bow said she choose the white side. And she's coming across like a caricature of those sassy mouthed sitcom kids.

I did laugh when Johan came out with those Patrice Rushen looking braids since they were playing Forget Me Nots earlier.

[Court]

After last week's episode, I was ready to give up on this show. I'm glad I didn't, I loved this one.

[UNOSEZ]

Also.. Thanks to the name of this episode I recalled sweet memories of bopping around with my mom and older sister as they belted along to corrine bailey rae's "put your record on".. My mom and her raven colored natural curls.. My sister and her straight blonde hair.. And me with my wild and untamed locs

[shipmate]

Biracial hair struggles must have been a big deal in Tracee Ellis Ross' real life, too, as she just launched a line of curly girl hair products.

[nokat]

1 hour ago, shipmate said:

Biracial hair struggles must have been a big deal in Tracee Ellis Ross' real life, too, as she just launched a line of curly girl hair products.

Has to look for this.  I have visited the naturallycurly website. The hair struggles, sigh.
 

[Lois Sandborne]

On 10/11/2019 at 4:17 PM, In2You said:

I did laugh when Johan came out with those Patrice Rushen looking braids since they were playing Forget Me Nots earlier.

Not Patrice Rushen, lol.

I just caught up with all the episodes, and this one was my favorite. The writing is really good, at least for the family stuff. The schoolkid scenes are kind of corny, but it's still early. I agree kid!Santa Monica is a bit extra, but she's funny to me, and I'm really loving Tika Sumpter and Mark Paul Gosselaar.

I'm also here for Mariah's theme song.

[msrachelj]

On 10/10/2019 at 3:27 PM, JenLily said:

I'm mixed race (not black/white though) and Bow's post-gym class hair hit me where it hurt. I still remember how stressed out I got if we did anything even remotely sweaty in class. My (white) husband looked at me and asked me if that really happened and was like, "Dude, why do you think I'm such an asshole about not getting my hair wet when it rains?" 😊

I absolutely cracked up when they were getting ready to leave the barber shop and he said, "Oh good. I haven't said anything offensive yet. . . but I can feel it bubbling up." 😂

Even white people who have wavy or curly hair and have it blown out or flat ironed whatever, have this happen to their hair in the humidity and God forbid, rain or shower. 

[nokat]

On Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 4:58 PM, msrachelj said:

Even white people who have wavy or curly hair and have it blown out or flat ironed whatever, have this happen to their hair in the humidity and God forbid, rain or shower.

I tend to let my hair dry naturally. It can poof, and with wind and humidity it can get big. I will not judge someone who chooses to wear a wig, because it can be exhausting using the right hair products.
 

[DearEvette]

4 hours ago, nokat said:

I tend to let my hair dry naturally. It can poof, and with wind and humidity it can get big. I will not judge someone who chooses to wear a wig, because it can be exhausting using the right hair products.

Yup.  Also if you are having a bad hair day or your hair has decided to mutiny, and you work in a place where you can't wear braids or a headwrap, then wigs are much less damaging to the hair than some styling techniques are.

[rhys]

I was shocked to hear the comment by Gov Newsome. Good grief. That needed to be a law? Smh

[biakbiak]

15 hours ago, rhys said:

I was shocked to hear the comment by Gov Newsome. Good grief. That needed to be a law? Smh

Yes and unfortunately there have been many high profile recent incidents that illustrate why it’s necessary and not just in California.