When a Woman's Hair Isn't Long Enough

Will Smith's altercation with Chris Rock at the Oscars reminded us once again that women's hair will always be a topic of conversation among men, and usually not in a positive way. For those unfamiliar with the story, Will Smith punched Chris Rock during the Oscars after he (Chris Rock ) joked about Jada Pinkett Smith's (Will Smith's wife) bald hairstyle.

Much has been said about this incident, but I've decided to take a different approach and discuss how black women's short or bald hairstyles are often viewed as unattractive and attract a lot of negative comments. You'd think things would be different after the worldwide Black natural hair movement, but alas, people have concocted their own version of perfect natural hair.

Even in countries with a large black population, black women's natural hairstyles are frequently the subject of debate and ridicule. According to statements made to women who choose to rock short hair styles is one of the most unattractive hairstyles a black woman can wear. A short haircut is frequently referred to as a "Bold" hairstyle because it takes a lot of courage to wear it given the amount of ridicule it attracts. It's even more perplexing that one might believe that a woman's femininity is linked to how short or long her hair is based on various statements, a woman must never cross a certain threshold, or she will be compared to a boy.

Most people cannot comprehend that a woman can just choose to cut her hair short without any underlying problems or conditions. Remember how enraged Tiffany Hadish's fans were when she cut her hair short, implying that she was going through something, as if under normal circumstances she wouldn’t have cut her hair? When a woman cuts her hair, she will receive numerous suggestions to help her compensate for her new hairstyle, such as the need to wear makeup and accessorize herself. People advise her to get a wig in the worst-case scenario.

This ridiculous attitude toward short hairstyles is extremely discouraging. I look forward to the day when women aren't judged and mocked for wearing hairstyles that don't fit everyone's definition of femininity and beauty.