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A review by sassmistress
Curly Girl: The Handbook by Lorraine Massey
informative
lighthearted
4.0
I read this book to better care for my daughter's hair. It's the first thing many people recommend on the subject, and choc-full of helpful information. However, there are some content considerations I wasn't expecting that some folks might care about, mostly in the personal accounts and magazine-like side boxes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Misogyny, Vomit, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol
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Relationships/sexual content
One of the personal stories, at the end of ch3, tells of the day she finally stopped trying to straighten her hair. Her crush saw her at prom. "Like a scene from a movie, we walked toward each other, meeting halfway. 'You look so beautiful,' he said. 'I can't believe what your hair looks like.' We kissed passionately, right there in front of our dates. It was a magical moment. (Then he threw up all over his shoes. He was totally wasted. But he loved my hair.)"
A 61-yo tells the story of her hair turning curly after chemo. "I met a much younger man - he was thirty-seven years old - who became my lover. I think my curls helped attract him. It was wonderful, and our romance lasted for two years."
Lots of references to both men and women having "sexy" curls
"Now, here's how to create twelve special-occasion looks that are sexy, playful, funky, elegant, and, best of all, easy to do yourself."
"Boys who love curls" box in the Q&A section disagrees with a dating show quote "Men don't like curly hair". It adds pro-curl quotes from different men:
- "Curly in the head, curly in the bed!"
- "There is nothing better than rolling over in the middle of the night to spoon your wife and nuzzle her curly curls."
- "Curls are a truth serum. When she straightens her hair, I feel like she's hiding more than her hair."
- "My girlfriend is not as spontaneous when she straightens her hair! Her spirit goes away when her curls do!"
"whenever you wear a ponytail for a date..."
One testimonial refers to her "partner" and calls her post-chemo-solidarity-shaved hair "virgin curls".
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Spiritual content
"all curly updos should make you look and feel like a goddess"
One updo is called the "Goddess Curl". "this updo will make you feel like a goddess"
One of the homemade hair tonic recipes is called "Deep-pack Chakra"
"Accepting my curls is Zen: Every day is a new day. "
One updo is called "Yin Yang Curls"
There is an appendix titled "astrologi-curls: a curly girl horoscope" with advice to different astrological signs, including "You are known to be the goddess of the past. Not figuratively! Be the goddess of the now, and own those natural goddess-given locks." and "Scorpio is attuned to the cy-curl of death and rebirth, knowing all things in Nature organize themselves eventually..."
One guy talks about having "hair idols" to look up to.
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Other
Chapter 15 is titled "Wed-locks and updos for special occasions"
"It's not enough to admit you're not straight." begins a chapter on mindset change (embracing your curls rather than fighting them).
In the above chapter, addiction language is used, like "12-step recovery program" and "when you feel the urge to shampoo, blow-fry, or flat-iron your hair, *stop*, and call a curl-friend sponsor." The "steps" vaguely resemble AA statements.
Relationships/sexual content
One of the personal stories, at the end of ch3, tells of the day she finally stopped trying to straighten her hair. Her crush saw her at prom. "Like a scene from a movie, we walked toward each other, meeting halfway. 'You look so beautiful,' he said. 'I can't believe what your hair looks like.' We kissed passionately, right there in front of our dates. It was a magical moment. (Then he threw up all over his shoes. He was totally wasted. But he loved my hair.)"
A 61-yo tells the story of her hair turning curly after chemo. "I met a much younger man - he was thirty-seven years old - who became my lover. I think my curls helped attract him. It was wonderful, and our romance lasted for two years."
Lots of references to both men and women having "sexy" curls
"Now, here's how to create twelve special-occasion looks that are sexy, playful, funky, elegant, and, best of all, easy to do yourself."
"Boys who love curls" box in the Q&A section disagrees with a dating show quote "Men don't like curly hair". It adds pro-curl quotes from different men:
- "Curly in the head, curly in the bed!"
- "There is nothing better than rolling over in the middle of the night to spoon your wife and nuzzle her curly curls."
- "Curls are a truth serum. When she straightens her hair, I feel like she's hiding more than her hair."
- "My girlfriend is not as spontaneous when she straightens her hair! Her spirit goes away when her curls do!"
"whenever you wear a ponytail for a date..."
One testimonial refers to her "partner" and calls her post-chemo-solidarity-shaved hair "virgin curls".
--------
Spiritual content
"all curly updos should make you look and feel like a goddess"
One updo is called the "Goddess Curl". "this updo will make you feel like a goddess"
One of the homemade hair tonic recipes is called "Deep-pack Chakra"
"Accepting my curls is Zen: Every day is a new day. "
One updo is called "Yin Yang Curls"
There is an appendix titled "astrologi-curls: a curly girl horoscope" with advice to different astrological signs, including "You are known to be the goddess of the past. Not figuratively! Be the goddess of the now, and own those natural goddess-given locks." and "Scorpio is attuned to the cy-curl of death and rebirth, knowing all things in Nature organize themselves eventually..."
One guy talks about having "hair idols" to look up to.
--------
Other
Chapter 15 is titled "Wed-locks and updos for special occasions"
"It's not enough to admit you're not straight." begins a chapter on mindset change (embracing your curls rather than fighting them).
In the above chapter, addiction language is used, like "12-step recovery program" and "when you feel the urge to shampoo, blow-fry, or flat-iron your hair, *stop*, and call a curl-friend sponsor." The "steps" vaguely resemble AA statements.