Imus

When I first heard about "Nappy Headed 'Hos" I thought we were having a discussion about hair. It really took a while to really say the word SEXISM in public. So I want to take this opportunity to clarify something:

I have nappy hair. I wear dreadlocks. I'm delighted with keeping my hair nappy. Fewer products, less work, looks good, and I'm not worried about keeping up with the Joneses. My hair does what makes sense for it. SEXISM, in American society, would argue that if my hair isn't straight and doesn't adapt to the latest styles and colors, it is not stylish and therefore not good. However, I am also not interested in the multitude of chemicals we see in the products. That's not good for me!! Besides, I used to have a perm that straightened my hair - my hair fell out. Nappy is the way for me to go!

I am not a 'ho. Period. Never have been. Never will be. However, it looks like women get criticized for not meeting up to male standards about sexuality (SEXISM?!) and when they do are slammed for being 'hos (SEXISM). We haven't really discussed what this slam is supposed to mean in any substantive way and I think we need to deconstruct it to understand why it would be so insulting. Way back in the 60s, the second wave of feminism, remember one problem was dismantling characterizing women as virgins or whores. It seems that we have given up on women being virgins, and we've settled on all of them being whores, particularly Black women.
Let's also backtrack to slavery. Black women as slaves had to service their masters. Resistance could lead to all sorts of problems, no matter how sadistic the master. However, for doing this, we got characterized as whores. I don't know how many people feel about historical memory . . . but Imus' characterization drags up historical memories of slavery. Were the Rutgers women, by being stellar athletes, not conforming to Imus' vision of proper female deportment (and what was that) - and therefore deservingthe characterization of 'hos?

He says he's sorry, but there are a lot of questions to answer. By the way, when entertainers throw these terms around, they have many questions to answer as well.