Michelle Obama & The Politics of Hair

Michelle Obama wears her hair in flips and bobs reminiscent of Kennedy First Lady Jackie O and of June Cleaver, the ’60s suburban housewife of “Leave It to Beaver” fame.  In her own role as potential First Lady, Michelle Obama’s hair is politically correct.

America expects the baby boomer wife of Barack Obama, the man who wants to be president, to project an image of sophistication and near perfection. That image includes having hair that doesn’t make waves.

“As potentially half of the public face of America, Ms. Obama in locks or cornrows would be a bit too ‘in your face,’ even with her Harvard degree and her attorney status,” says Arizona State University English Professor Neal A. Lester, who studies African-American literature and culture and has written about black hair issues.

Mainstream America considers styles that reflect the European aesthetic more acceptable and less likely to offend. Hairstyles with African roots don’t get the same respect. To say someone has a nappy head is considered an insult, and the word “nappy,” which merely describes the kinky texture of hair, is practically considered a profanity. In polite circles, the word is euphemistically referred to as “natural.”

Natural hair wearers have seen their politics, patriotism and even their hygiene come under attack. Their Afros, braids, locks and twists have been considered unprofessional, and many who have worn the styles have been demoted or have lost their jobs. Wearers of natural hairstyles also have not escaped being labeled subversive or being perceived as social misfits.

The media is fully aware of how certain hairstyles worn by African-Americans can feed negative stereotypes.

Michelle Obama’s real life hairstyle plays it safe. Intended or unintended, it is decidedly apolitical.

“This is no different from Condoleezza Rice and her visits to the beauty salon for her perms these many years,” says Lester of Arizona State.

“There is a reason that Oprah, Beyonce, Mo’Nique, Patti LaBelle, Tyra, and Queen Latifah haven’t gone the way of Whoopi Goldberg. The reason is that there is clearly a public persona that makes these women culturally less threatening with straightened hair.

“I am not saying that these women are betraying their blackness. I am saying that the pattern of self-acceptance has not made its way into the realm of unstraightened hair.”

To roughly paraphrase a line by songstress India.Arie, Michelle is not her hair.

Whether she continues to flaunt the flip like First Lady Kennedy during the presidential campaign or decides to start locks like the First Lady in Philly, her real character should not be superficially determined by what she wears on top of her head.

It should be determined by the intelligence that dwells within it.

Written by Linda Jones for Naturallycurly.com Reprinted with permission.

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Lies Women Tell

“It’s a known fact that women lie about their age, but nobody wants to admit it until they get caught!” says Catharine Fennell, creative director of a website called Define Yourself.

According to a book written by Susan Shapiro Barash, women tell many lies over the course of their lives. She says “there are infidelity lies, financial lies, lies about children and their achievements, plastic surgery lies, and smaller, white lies about time and commitments that border on excuses. There are bigger secrets, the ones that require real work to maintain. Some are dark and haunting and demand a selective brand of secret telling, such as lies about domestic abuse, a drinking problem, or having a husband or child with an addiction.”

If women’s lies and secrets are used as a survival technique, it is also a means by which women get what they want. Where a man will lie for a secret as a quick fix and be sloppy in his lie, a woman will carefully guard her secret — this secret is a part of her existence, it can make her feel powerful.”

So ladies, fess up.   Has lying ever been used  to your advantage?  As a woman in business, have you been forced to stretch the truth a bit?  Is it OK to tell a lie every now and then as long as no one gets hurt?

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Grow Old–Lose Your Mind

Women over age 90 are significantly more likely to have dementia compared to men in their 90s, according to a study published in the July 2, 2008, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Research shows that dementia risk for both men and women increases from age 65 to 85, but this most recent study is one of few that looks at people over age 90.

“While men don’t typically live as long as women, those who do make it to age 90 appear to be much less likely to have dementia and also have a shorter survival time when they do have dementia,” according to study author Maria Corrada, ScD, with the University of California, Irvine.

Researchers reviewed an analysis of about 900 people age 90 and older. Of those, 375 had dementia.

The study found that women were nearly twice as likely to have dementia in their 90s compared to men. The results also showed that the likelihood of having dementia doubled every five years in women but not in men.

“As more and more people reach age 90, our findings provide further evidence that more needs to be done to provide adequate resources to care for the increasing number of very old people with memory problems,” said Corrada.

In addition, the study found that women with a higher education appeared to be as much as 45 percent less likely to have dementia compared to women with less education.

The 90 plus age group, or the “oldest-old” is the fastest growing segment of the elderly population according to the US Census.

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How Much Energy is Too Much?

If you’re like me, you probably need a jump start to get your morning off and running. For many people, a good shot of caffeine will do the trick. But did you know you may be putting more caffeine in your body than it can handle—especially if you drink coffee AND an energy drink.

It’s now a billion dollar industry. Currently, there are at least 200 energy drinks on the market. So is it bad to get an energy drink buzz?

“There was a time when we would get our caffeine intake from coffee and cola, but now there are a number of caffeine containing beverages and we need to be careful because over a period of 24 hours that caffeine intake is cumulative,” says Dee Rollins, R.D., PhD, dietitian with Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine.

In fact, experts say energy drink consumers should keep careful track of the amount of caffeine they get in a day.

“If you know that 400 milligrams a day is the upper limit you can check the back of the labels and make sure that you don’t get more than that,” explains Dr. Rollins.

It may sound like a lot, but 400 milligrams is roughly the equivalent of just one energy drink and two cups of coffee. Getting more than that can lead to a jittery nervousness, nausea, heart palpations—and in extreme cases more severe symptoms.

“It can be so bad that if you take too much caffeine you can end up in the hospital thinking you have flu-like symptoms and really it’s caffeine overdose.”

So remember as you’re sipping—take it slow or it may not just be energy you end up with.
“We don’t think of caffeine as being a drug that we need to monitor, but we can overdo it,” says Dr. Rollins.

For most people—if they’re not getting more than around 400 milligrams of caffeine a day—these energy drinks are safe. But here are some important things to remember:

- Don’t drink energy beverages while exercising. It can lead to severe dehydration.
- Don’t ever mix these drinks with alcohol—it’s popular—but doing so can not only mask how intoxicated you really are, it again can be extremely dehydrating.

In addition to caffeine, most of these energy drinks contain very high amounts of sugar and sodium which can be dangerous for diabetics or those with high blood pressure.

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Words Women Use with Men

1.) FINE: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right, and you need to shut up.

2.) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means half an hour. Five Minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3.) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine (see #1).

4.) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!

5.) Loud Sigh: This is not actually a word but a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6.) That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. “That’s okay” means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7.) Thanks: A woman is thanking you – do not question or faint. Just say you’re welcome.

8.) Whatever: Is a women’s way of saying “%@ &* YOU!”

9.) Don’t worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking “what’s wrong” – for the woman’s response refer to #3.

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Do’s and Don’ts of Women in Leadership

J. Lenora Bresler has written a very insightful article in the March/April edition of American Business Women’s Association magazine on the do’s and don’ts of women in leadership roles.   She discusses the female stereotypes in the workplace and offers suggestions on how to overcome them.

Here’s a summary of Ms. Bresler’s “Do’s” for women:
• Do: Focus heavily on providing two-way communication with employees
• Do: Provide constant feedback
• Do: Show respect by welcoming workers’ suggestions and ideas and allowing them autonomy to help the grow
• Do: Champion career plans for staff
• Do: Tailor recognition for employees
• Do: Go to bat if need be to ensure your team has access to desired training and any necessary tools

Here’s a summary of Ms. Bresler’s “Don’ts” for women:
• Don’t: Act like a victim, even if you’ve been one
• Don’t: Promote negative stereotypes about women
• Don’t: Cry or become overly emotional unless you are displaying shared grief
• Don’t: Engage in male-bashing no matter how mild
• Don’t: Gossip or catfight
• Don’t: Limit yourself and your visibility to all-women groups
• Don’t: Refer to women as your “sisters” – your mission as a leader should be to promote and develop talent, regardless of gender, race or national origin

To learn more about being a part of the American Business Women’s Association, visit them online.

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