Liked what I saw.
Someone wrote…
I cut my long hair and got a mohawk. Last night I looked in the mirror and for the first time since I can remember, I liked what I saw. It made me cry.
What’s your experience?
Posted by julian on November 23rd, 2009 at 08:00 am
Category: your voice 19 comments »
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:32 am |
this made me smile.
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November 23rd, 2009 at 11:30 am |
I know that feeling well :)
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November 23rd, 2009 at 11:41 am |
yes! i got a mohawk too and i remember that feeling!
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November 23rd, 2009 at 11:51 am |
It’s nice to see someone else who loves their ‘hawk
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November 23rd, 2009 at 4:37 pm |
http://www.confluere.com/column/20030619-anen.html
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November 23rd, 2009 at 6:36 pm |
to the origin of the ‘mohawk’:
sorry.
good for you for spreading the real meaning of the practice and cultural context. but for this culture, this absorbing conglomeration of cultures that the US is, the mohawk IS just a hairstyle. the keffiyah is worn as decoration, body modification is done for aesthetics. much of what we do is done for the aesthetic. and i dont find anything wrong with that. it is important, yes, to understand the meaning and origins behind something. but it is also important to simply appreciate the way something looks.
i still love looking at pictures of my mohawk. i think it looks sexy. good for you, dear original poster, for loving the way you look.
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November 23rd, 2009 at 6:37 pm |
dear: yeah but…
thank you for sharing this link. it’s a keeper for my teacher-files re: social justice initiatives and doing things without being aware…
~k
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November 23rd, 2009 at 8:23 pm |
this is really cool, made me smile. =]
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November 23rd, 2009 at 11:28 pm |
User “yeah but…” I just wanted to say thank you. Too many people are not aware of the subtle harm they’re causing when they commit cultural appropriation in the form of wearing dreads, getting a Mohawk, or other things. What people don’t realize is that when you’re in a position of power you can easily take something from those who are not in power that is of significance, completely and unknowingly strip it of all it’s importance, and turn it into something insignificant.
Otherwise, I’m glad that the poster had such a positive experience.
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November 24th, 2009 at 12:05 am |
To “yeah but” and those who agree…
Every culture “steals” from every other culture. Even if whiteys had been totally isolated from Native American, at some point, someone would have slipped with a buzzer and decided “Hey, I like that!”
This has nothing to do with disrespect or ignorance (although many people are ignorant of the history). Any action has an individual meaning to the person doing it.
Just because the OP’s meaning is not the same as a Native American’s doesn’t make the OP wrong, and for someone to claim it does makes THAT person wrong.
No one OWNS self expression. If they did, then what makes you entitled to being genderqueer?
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November 24th, 2009 at 3:01 am |
i think you RAWK…for liking what you see :)
i was all bleh,until poppin in here and reading this
so thnx
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November 24th, 2009 at 7:21 am |
I think this situation is best compared with that of linguistic: a language, just as hairstyles, can be looked upon either from a synchronic point of view or from a diachronic one. See chapter III of part one of de Saussure’s Cours de linguistique générale (pp. 15-25 here, in an English translation).
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November 24th, 2009 at 10:21 am |
Hi Loves,
I’m gonna weigh in here and ask that we give the cultural appropriation debate a rest. On one hand, there’s some serious history to consider, and I hope you all take a minute to get clear on that perspective. On the other hand, it’s a common haircut in our community, and people choose it for lots of reasons.
Regardless of how you feel about that situation, what I’m most clear about is that we’re here (at this blog, in this comment thread) to support each other. Fighting isn’t welcome here. So let’s all nod and move back on to what matters.
Love,
Sarah Dopp
Genderfork Founder
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November 25th, 2009 at 9:20 pm |
There’s a Melissa Li song called “Who Cares?” There’s a line in it that goes, “And do you know how long it took for me to finally look in the mirror and actually like what I see?”
I love it hardcore.
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November 25th, 2009 at 9:36 pm |
WOW! I submitted this! That’s cool!
Thanks everybody for all your support.
I don’t really want to get into the culture debate, I think my reasons are perfectly justified for getting one. I’m not just getting it to fit into the American culture, I’m getting it because it means a lot to me to be this free that I can get a mohawk and be happy with who I am. For so long I’ve spent time trying to assimilate into the American idea of what being a female bodied person means, and that’s just not me. I’ve gone through a lot of shit in my life and am finally starting to feel comfortable in my own skin and with the mind and life I have. And my mohawk is definitely helping me on my way.
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November 28th, 2009 at 11:42 pm |
I know the feeling. I wish I felt it every time I looked in the mirror… but at least it’s becoming more frequent. Congrats.
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December 10th, 2009 at 10:56 am |
Hey hey. Glad to see more people rocking the ‘hawk. I salute you, OP.
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January 5th, 2010 at 4:43 pm |
I had the exact same feeling when I cut off all my hair! But I am no where near edgy enough to pull off the hawk at this point, but maybe someday:D
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July 14th, 2012 at 3:13 pm |
I got a Mohawk a couple months ago and had the same feeling :) congrats
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