Putting the “Yak” in Yaki Weaves
A friend sent me this video last night. It’s been circulating around gossip sites and many commenters seemed torn between whether the commercial is offensive or not.
My thoughts:
-Kudos to the women for being curious about what they were sewing into their hair.
-That being said, his doesn’t look like their first weaves, so isn’t it a little late in the game to becom curious? Better late than never, I suppose.
-This commercial still had potential to be funny up until around the 28 second mark. White people giving two black women who’ve presumably gotten weaves before information about the process is a bit condescending. What if the answer-givers had been black as well? I think that would have made the commercial easier to stomach.
-Why’d homegirl have to do the neckroll and the finger wave at the end?? And all of a sudden her English is broken, with the “bet not be putting no yak up in my weave” retort. Her eyes bulged out a little too.
-Black women aren’t the only ones wearing weaves. Jessica Simpson even has a line of comb-in extensions. Sprinkling in a few non-black women might have made the commercial less offensive as well.
The basic concept here could have been funny…that imagery of that yak is priceless. Looks like the writers/casting folk just got careless with the stereotypes.
Thoughts?
Tags: Black Women, KGB, Text Your Questions, Yaki Weaves
July 27th, 2009 at 06:15
A Yak? really? I’m offended.
July 27th, 2009 at 09:43
That shit is funny.
I honestly can’t be offended because I know too many people who would have responded that way. Especially if they knew where the hair came from.
Still laughing.
July 27th, 2009 at 12:47
I highly doubt that women in a hair shop are texting the kgb instead of just reading the back of the package. But okay.
July 27th, 2009 at 15:40
[...] at ProperTalks takes issue with that commercial for KGBKGB commercial with the black women in a hair salon discussing the [...]
August 6th, 2009 at 13:58
i’m glad you have a sense of humor! you represent well for your kind. i really like what yall are doing here an i’m very interested in the female perspective. i’m glad to have come across female bloggers with some depth and not the usual confusion at what the last guy did in they life.
and as far as the chicks i’ve dealt with, leave my chickenheads alone! the thing is that they are models, actresses, singers, dancers, general artistic types, like yourselves perhaps? did u just put yourselves in that category? because my experiences have taught me that dreadlocks or weaves, the insecurities are the same. as well as the abuses. how they are expressed is different. one may head to the strip club. one may head to the cafe. or one to hollywood. the other to the studio. either way, until they deal with it, both are hiding. so the level of “accomplishment” has nothing to do with who they really are inside. in nigga speak, i had no way of seein that shit comin! most guys don’t. an i have a lot to say about that. stay tuned…
oh, and it’s a pleasure to meet you both… culture@bboycult.com…
August 11th, 2009 at 01:04
^Culture, I’m late, but thanks for visiting! I’ll def check your blog out.