Wait, which one is Serena?

Ugh. This office is like a huge cunty bowl of ricin. Smells like poison.

It’s a little late in the day for this sort of comment, and I don’t want to come across as defending a cunt with bad karma, but—regardless of what this bitch says, corporate America is racist when it comes to things like hairstyles, sociolects, and so on. You can be black, but not too black.

About a year ago, Kenjo Yoshino published an extended essay on this topic: Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights. It got decent reviews, and I found it interesting, although his argument gets a little whiny and reductive at times (he’s evidently peeved that he and any other gay man can’t flame out all the time).

"scandale"? Someone just earned a head slap.

I'll be waiting for her book, 'The Devil Wears Chico's'.

I am not liking how the word "racist" is repeatedly put into quotation marks.

Just because "being too black" is a corporate no-no does not mean one should uphold, defend, or espouse such fucked up values. It is racist. It does reinforce institutionalized and internalized hatred. It is irresponsible. Just because her other coworkers were also a bunch of mean cunts (who the fuck let that gem of wisdom run?) does not mean that her racism should be qualified by quotation marks.

Really...in the room full of cunts that is probably the Glamour editorial bunch...is there any defendable cunt? I don't think so. The above bitch is a total asshole and trying to tell Black and Latino women that they're hairstyles are "too ethnic" is so racist I'm surprised this bitch didn't get popped in the face. She's definitely cunty. But so's this one that wrote the above. Pit of snakes!

@snizz: agreed

@snizz: Oh come on. All she was saying is that extreme hairstyles aren't accepted in corporate environments. If you actually READ what she said, she was talking about a specific case in which a specific woman wore an afro to work. This wasn't some blanket, racist statement, and it's pretty lame to blow it up into a huge racial war. All "lifestyle hair" is frowned upon in the corporate world. This is simple. And not really racist. If I wore a mohawk into work, my Jamaican supervisor would react badly. Period. It's not racist. Just cultural. And social.

Hmm, let's see...
1.) Crusty-toed staffers are still wearing Tevas and flip-flops in October,
2.) there's an assistant who's starting her week in her normal midriff and low-risers,
3.) that woman who thinks a cooch-revealing little cocktail dress is appropriate for the office...

and I'm supposed to shave off or lye-burn/straighten my natural hair just to appear "more corporate." Indeed.

No, not bitter at all...

@Pope John Peeps II: how is wearing your hair natural a "lifestyle" rather than, you know, just leaving your hair be

All offices with women must be full of cunts and bitches. Also, all women in publishing are cunts and bitches, and backstabbers. Got it.

@Pope John Peeps II: I did actually READ what she said, and it is just a reiteration of the ways in which the white, corporate world upholds it's white, corporate standards.

The admirable thing to do would be to challenge WHY "lifestyle hair" is frowned upon, not just regurgitating thoughlessly such veiled racism.

@snizz: Exactly. Lifestyle hair= your natural Black/Latin/ethnic curls or kinks that are otherwise not soft or straight like the "corporate" standard. Women these days can go to work with 5 inch heels and practically look like hookers...but as long as their hair is straight, we're all good.

@AndIAmTellingYou: Then you're not working in the stickuptheass corporate environment referred to, I think. I remember once being with a friend who worked at Chase and as she was leaving the house in the morning (in her sexless little blue suit)she gasped, and whipped off her watch at put on another. "What was that?" I asked. "I could NEVER show up at work wearing a SWATCH!!".Not saying it's like that everywhere, but that does exist.@Pope John Peeps II: Does anyone have an exact quote of what she said? I don't doubt it was racist, but just for the sake of persnicketyness...

Ashley Baker seems like a cool, funny and self-deprecating person, and I'm sure she was very well-liked at Glamour. Her fashion blog was hilarious and unpretentious. Everyone loved it. She was actually a breath of fresh air. It looks like she unfortunately just said something stupid without thinking, and the magazine made the problem bigger by staying silent on it for so long. Then when the issue escalated, as these things do when they're not addressed, the magazine placed all the blame on Ashley instead of sharing the responsibility.

@Pope John Peeps II: my hair grows naturally as an afro. It is not a political statement. It is not "lifestyle" hair (someone please tell me what that is). Therefore, I am unacceptable as is because my very appearance makes the white folks uncomfortable. Must change to fit in. Racist, racist, racist.

All of you people are insane. How many ghetto-haired sistas with crazy-ass red extensions and four-inch fingernails are working at Gawker? Or in YOUR particular office? Please. This hyper-PC bullshit is absolutely laughable because its obviously fake. Not one of you would hire someone who looked/acted like that for any position of responsibility, and for good reason. It connotes a lack of education, intelligence and judgement. The same as if I wore an Italia track suit and big gold chains to work, or ripped jeans and a dirty Judas Priest t-shirt. This stuff is 'frowned upon' because it tends to alienate people, right or wrong. And we can all try to explain 'root causes' and talk about how its our own racist attitudes and closed minds that cause us to feel that way, and corporate america just perpetuates it all to keep certain people down, but thats nothing but bullshit. Its human nature, plain and simple. And nothing will ever, ever change that. So smart people who want to get ahead play along. Others ignore it at their own peril.

Well than aren't we all lucky that we no longer have to rely on fashion magazines to get our daily/weekly/monthly dose of style?

Isn't the best stuff on the web anyway? The Sartorialist's photo archives are better than anything you're going to find in a print publication.

As if anyone reading Glamour was getting any style info anyway. Or is that the point?

@snizz: My point, dear snizz, is that it's not racist at all. You seem to think that any sort of corporate frowning has a racial bias. Which puts your own prejudices on display. I'm saying it's a construction of a whole other form. Capitalist, efficient, utilitarian. Whatever you want to call this form of unconscious, internalized social pressure, it's NOT racial in nature. To call it that is just one of the myriad ways that we are distracted from real racism. Unless you just want to trace every single social problem back to race like a first-year College activist.

@Atelier: You're going to extremes. No one was talking about purple highlights or long ass nails. And nice one with the "sistas" business. Classy. As per the controversy, she referred to dreadlocks as "political." Also, an afro is a real no-no, she said. Why is it a no-no? I've seen plenty of people with Afros and dreadlocks that fit in completely to a "corporate" look...with suits and everything!

You know what kind of hair is acceptable in my office? The kind attached to the heads of people who are good at their jobs.

@Atelier: "How many ghetto-haired sistas..."

Do not pass go. Enjoy the flagging!

@Atelier: Wow. Are you serious? Smart people who play along to get ahead are what's wrong (and been wrong) with this country today.

Many years ago I went to a "career counselor" (I had a free coupon). My hair was an object of great concern for her. She said it was "too wild." My hair is very thick and curly and I wore it long at the time. It was clear that she thought my hair was going to interfere with my future success in life.

@panther61: I think what it comes down to is that when the afro started to be worn with any regularity, it WAS a political statement; it was part of the counter-culture revolution of the 60s and 70s, and was meant as an in-your-face statement of black pride and a refusal to adapt to the forced norms of an oppressive society. CUT TO: modern times, when the afro has become intrinsically linked to hippies and the slacker lifestyle. I present this without comment, except to say that it once again comes down to perception. Some people will always see the afro as a political statement that has no place in corporate business; others see it as, well, hair.

@Pope John Peeps II: I am in agreement with Peeps. Having extremely curly/frizzy hair myself, and working in a corporate setting, I do go through the bother of straightening it. There are certain standards I, along with everyone else here, have to adhere to in order to appear respectable in this setting. This doesn't make it racist. Your wardrobe and appearance should be in tune with your work environment.

@Colonel Mustard: Also, to further clarify, I think afros in the office are cool. But I work in an office where tattoos, mohawks, dreads, and even the dreaded asymmetrical hairstyle are the norm.

Personally, I think if you're a white girl who wears cornrows--to the office or elsewhere--you *definitely* should be fired. Or shot.

Seriously, the whole corporate dictate over appearance makes me so ill, I swore eons ago to avoid the whole Fashion Cop job track entirely. I'll keep my low overhead if it means I can have two inches of dark, Debbie Harry roots, thank yew very much.

If I saw a doctor or an attorney or investment adviser with cornrows, I'd think, "Cool." Unless she was white. Then I'd think, "Uh oh. Missy drank too much in Cabo."

@Pope John Peeps II: Oh pope, not you too. A "first year college activist" would know that, "I'm saying it's a construction of a whole other form. Capitalist, efficient, utilitarian," is not intelligible, let alone intelligent. Even if that made basic sense, how does my pouring lye on my head and allowing it to sit for 10-15 minutes make me more "efficient" or "utilitarian" in an office setting. You're just using moderately big words incorrectly.

But to get your point, how this is "one of a myriad (used correctly!) of ways people distract from real racism." Telling people that they have to alter their features to make them more Caucasian does have a lot to do with race.

@BalknChain: Right. You're totally right that being respectable and having a good wardrobe and appearance is not in itself racist. However, saying that an Afro or dreadlocks are no-no's and political is racist. You've never seen a neat Afro? It's the only kind I usually see. You've never seen someone with dreadlocks look respectable and well-dressed at the same time? That's where the racism lies, in my opinion. They're not mutually exclusive, ethnic hair and looking presentable.

Of course can have natural, dreadlocks and braids in corporate America if they are professionally maintained and presented. It also helps to be stellar at your job. I've done it and no one from HR has pulled me aside and said 'Get Thee A Relaxer, Nappy Headed Ho.'

(Those comments have come mostly from black men, but I digress.)

Ms. Pixie Racist, if she had any awarenesss other than the limited perspective that she lives in, should have said that hair that's not flaxen silky and/or dyed is okay for corporate America for the following reasons:
1. to cover her job/ass
2. to play to her audience

It's unfortunate that Ms. Pixie Racist thought her remarks were going to go unnoticed at a law firm but hey that's life.

@shesaidwhat: Word. I had a Native American law professor that used to work for a prestigious law firm in town and they made her (and the other female lawyers) go to that kind of counselor. She was told that she should cut her waist-long hair and style it a different way if she wanted to get ahead in the firm.

@Atelier:

The Ghetto Haired Sisters are taking off from their jobs at the Fulton Mall to deal with your comments.

It is not about black or white.

It is about being a conformist or a non-conformist.

I am Jewish, and when I was working in the 'corporate' culture, I was constantly being told that I was 'too ethnic' & my frizzy hair was an issue at more than one job. It is a sad reality of life that those who play the game rise above those who don't (regardless of who is more talented or smart).

@SinisterRouge: You are correct, but someone else attached the racist and political stigma to dreads, I did not. I have seen people with dreadlocks looking quite respectable. However, being in the food industry, I have seen some people show up for work and are unable to get their hair into the required hairnets; this is why it would be a no-no here-not due to any potential statement. Again, I say just carefully weigh your environment and make your choices.

@andiamtellingyou: hoochy outfits and crusty tevas don't help you move up the corporate ladder, regardless of race. Ditto for frizzy messy hair, no matter whose head it grows out of-- would you take a dude with Weird Al hair seriously? So straight-haired ladies have it easier-- this is not news to me or anyone else who owns a flat iron.

@JamieSommers:

Yeah, and women of a certain age, if employed at all, are expected to wear their hair short, too. Seeing as how that is "age appropriate." Luckily, I work at a newspaper and corporate climate is not too boring. Some of us even sport gray hair, OMG.

@BalknChain: Yeah. That was my point. The Glamour chick attached the "political" aspect to dreadlocks and Afros.

@LilyBonesBurana: ha ha

I think this discussion moved into something larger but we started with a mainstream fashion magazine -- a place that has a lot of power over defining beauty norms -- saying that African American women's hair styles are not acceptable. To show how insane this is, I wanted to give the example of the astonishingly beautiful Nazri (and her amazing hair!) on Project Runway 3. She was like magic. Whoever had her won. [www.viewimages.com]

@SarahHeartburn: No, it's not finance or banking, but it's corporate, all right. I'm just (thankfully) on one of the "creative floors" of mega-Manhattan media empire building.

@Atelier: You're kidding, right? Italia track suits and press-on nails? Did you chew on those stereotypes before you swallowed them whole? My hair is tightly curled. When it grows, it becomes an afro. It's natural. When it grows some more, it locks naturally, especially after washing. It's not "lifestyle hair," it's my heritage. I've "tamed" it, I've locked it and I've shaved it. If I were female, I would have probably relaxed it and weaved it, too... all to fit an unattainable white aesthetic. Call me when you can prove gold chains and Judas Priest tees are genetic variants within your ethnicity. Therein, lies the racism.

Question:

If your boss, a gay white woman with a brown partner and mixed-race babies, joked to you about not being able to work with a potential job candidate because of his/her name (which is stereotypically ghetto-fab), what would you do?

Sadly, this IS a serious question.

"lifestyle hair" "extreme hairstyle" "ghetto-haired"

nice to see racism expose itself to tell black women that their natural hair isn't acceptable unless altered into a texture and style that imitates that which white people say is professional?

and that isn't racial? what is your next advice, telling black women that their skin is 'too dark' to be professional? but that wouldn't be racist would it? It would just be 'human nature' that 'ghetto-skins' aren't acceptable in a professional environmental.

what if someone doesn't have to try to look white just be professional, acceptable, successful, etc.? i must it admit though, it does seem clear that several of you are so ignorant that you don't understand that it is racist to decide that the natural racial features of other people aren't 'acceptable.'

@atelier - what connotes lack of education (ignorance, stupidity) are those comments you and your pope klan colleague made. I doubt that either of you can even envision more than one or two 'black' hairstyles but just reading anything about 'black' triggered that flow of racist bs that you shared with all of us. you are right, nothing will ever change racists like you.

the key here is not that people like you will change -- it is just people no longer blindly accept such ignorance as anything except ignorance to be stepped on and over while moving forward. some of the most intelligent, most educated people you will meet, will have that hair texture, hair style, skin color, etc. that you don't like, and if you can suppress your stupidity perhaps you won't get hurt and embarrassed trying to block their path as they walk above you.

perhaps some of you will learn one day that your racism isn't going to be acceptable to everyone, no matter what your parents taught you.

FWIW, at my one post-college corporate job I was pulled aside by HR and told I could no longer wear button-down shirts or necklines that hit below my collarbone because my (naturally) large breasts were "unprofessional."

I promptly used my health insurance to get a breast reduction and quit immediately thereafter.

@GingerVitis: And also FWIW, tits aside, I am WASP-y as the driven snow.

@skinny bone jones

You should point out that it as unfair to discriminate against someone based on their name as it is to discriminate against them because they are gay.

My wit and tongue are sharp enough to infuse as many comments as possible about working with gay, and/or racists and/or folks with brown partners and babies in the most subtle and painful ways. But I was never raised to tolerate racism, and fortunately my hue never let's people feel that I would do so, so I really can't sympathize that much.

Attempt to get the comment repeated and get it on tape, and then you don't have to worry at all about what to do. Also, play the tape for people around you who won't have any problem with knowing what to do.

@Pope John Peeps II: Oh Pope, please don't think that I was trying to OBSCURE my bias against that which is corporate, haha. Why? Because secretly, I think they all probably sound like your buddy Atelier over there!

And maybe your straw "first year college activist" is onto something when s/he says everything IS about race; to those who are marginalized, that which makes them "other" becomes central to their very social existence.

See NOASALIRA's assesment for further reference. And coming from my "first year college student activist" persona, also see bell hooks, Hegel, and any post structuralist on the issue.

Is it just the photo... or does this Glamour gal need some sexy time?

Probably just the photo.

@noasalira: Amen.
@BalknChain: All of this is about the pressure to cover aspects of identity to conform to standards that are largely antiquated and unfair. These standards may be racist (e.g., the afro), classist (accents), homophobic ("butch it up"), sexist (heels, makeup, etc.), or otherwise unfairly discriminatory (wearing the yamulke or other traditional or religious garments).

To overstate the case for the sake of a point:
In corporate culture, it appears as though everyone but the white heterosexual male has something to hide.

Not to defend them, but I think a lot of white people literally do not know that the Afro is what black people's hair looks like when it isn't chemically straightened.

Even if that were not the case, though, it is still racist -- the idea that making your hair look unlike Caucasian hair is "political" or inappropriate.

Stop being retarded, white people.

@snizz: @janine: Look folks, this is the internet. I'm not going to bother going into definitions or detailed explanations. I'm just giving possible examples that make more sense than to read every fucking thing as race based. Bell Hooks is fucking boring, Hegel said a lot of things, none of which I think you really understand, and I wrote my M.A. thesis on Derrida. So I know a tiny bit about a tiny bit.

@noasalira: and don't put words in my mouth, lady. Your comments are disgusting. Especially that crack about the Klan. I don't appreciate being called a racist because you want to get your activist rocks off, and I'm talking honestly. Afros and dreadlocks aren't really "natural" any more than a white boy mohawk or pete wentz emo-hair. They require a lot of dedication, and they require a lot of maintenance (or a dedicated lack of maintenance). When you choose your hairstyle, you're defining your persona in response to what you perceive to be cultural assaults upon your individuality. All I'm saying is this issue isn't about race, but about corporate culture. Any member of any race can have unacceptable "corporate" hair if they choose to. It's that simple.