Check out this synopsis from MadameNoire.com:
On last night’s episode of the new BET sitcom “Reed Between the Lines,” Dr. Reed (Tracee Ellis Ross) and her daughter Kaci (Zoe Soul) had an interesting exchange about natural versus relaxed hair. Ross’s character bursts in on Kaci preparing to give herself a “box perm” after her daughter’s love interest tells her that he loves her hair straightened (when she’s wearing a wig for the school play and after her mom pressed out her long curly hair with a hot comb).
Ross’s message to her daughter in the episode is two-fold: one, it’s ridiculous to change your hair for a boy; two, it’s ridiculous to change your hair texture permanently when the hair you have is beautiful the way it is.
It’s refreshing to see BET embrace natural hair and acknowledge that relaxers don’t have to be the default for black women. What do you think?
I watched this episode was waiting for a blog to pick it up. I liked this.
me too wacth it and was very surpise and shocked. I hope it runs onger i really enjoy wacthing this show and let’s stay together. BET needs more new shows like these instead of reality shows.
I was waiting to see this up here, too! I think this is one of the most thoughtful shows ever to run on BET. Still on the fence about this series in general, but I HAVE to give props for the wonderful message in this particular episode.
this was an excellent message on the show!!
That was great! I will definitely start watching this show. If they had this sort of discussion on say the Cosby Show when I was a kid, I might have saved myself a lot of grief. Times they are a changing.
I love this and actually got chills because this is what I plan on saying to my daughter when she’s that girl’s age.
aww this is nice!
how is the show in general?
Yeah!!!!! BET got it right.
That’s exactly what my mother told be at around that age. I’m so glad she did.
Awesome! I love that they are mentioning curl pattern and talking natural hair speak. I don’t have BET, but I will make sure to check out this show through other viewing options.
Wow, this was really nice to watch. I wonder if it’s Boondocks that forced BET to open their eyes to their foolishness, hope it’s not too late.
I LOVED what Tracey said to her daughter about the damage perms can do to your hair. I have a perm, and went natural for about 2 years. I had my hair braided down and wore wigs. I have been contemplating going natural again because because I’ve heard that whatever goes on your skin (or scalp) goes into your bloodstream (scary). I think that I’m afraid to do so because I think that it won’t look like it did many many years ago, I know that it will be hard to comb, and (this is a biggie) it will take… Read more »
Loved the episode and loved the way the message was delivered. I know when I saw that perm box I gasped out loud, lol! But Carla/ Tracee held it down — wasn’t preachy, just straight talk and I loved it.
The show is definitely getting better (I wasn’t a fan of the first episode, but it takes time for new shows to find their groove and I think it will continue to get better).
AT THE SAME TIME THIS sounded fake a real. “it will change your curl patter” come on! i did not like that line. It didnt see realistic for a person to say eventhough it is true. I didnt like how this scene was acted out at all
+1
I LOVE Tracee Ellis Ross!!
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/TraceeEllisRoss62008.jpg[/img]
The writing, on this show, still has a long way to go; but this was one one of the better story lines. I have two daughters, 18 and 3. Both are natural. My 18 year old actually never asked to perm, her hair, because she had so many options. However, my 3 year old, has such a different personality, I can see us having this conversation.
I agree, the show has a long way to go. The dialogue was a bit irksome to listen to; didn’t sound natural. But we’ll see if things can improve.
Yeah, the writing on this show is really unfortunate! It has so much potential, but is very poorly written and executed for the most part. And this is the first time that the oldest daughter didn’t seem as flat, uninteresting, and uninspired as she has in the previous three episodes.
I’ll keep watching — but only because there’s no coonery in the mix. But I’m really hoping things pick up as the season progresses.
Wow! I don’t think that we’ve ever seen anything like this on TV before. Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to check the show out.
When I saw this I got so excited, because I dont think I’ve ever seen natural African American hair discussed on BET, (or on any tv channel) in that way before, and I’ve certainly never seen anyone try to give themself a box perm on tv, lol. I was waiting for my fave hair blogs to discuss the topic. I didn’t think the exchange came off as fake at all. I thought it came off as a mother who happens to be very knowledgeable (remember Ross’ character Dr. Reed is a psychologist) giving her daughter sound advice about her hair and… Read more »
Agreed!
Awww, that was great. I haven’t had a chance to watch the show yet. I really hope people don’t take the message the wrong way though. I think its very important to talk to young black girls about relaxers just because of the potential problems that can happen. I also really liked that Tracee’s character told her they would do it the right way and go to a professional.
you had given a nice message to all of us.Thanks alot for the post
The fact that this conversation would EXIST on TV is landmark. There will always be someone who takes issue with the details of the conversation, but I think it is awesome that the discussion was made on the air in the first place. Too many of us are changing our hair (and have been doing so for far too long) because we are trying to fit into a beauty ideal which we could never be a part of. To have a beautiful, natural actress encourage natural hair through her character AND real life hair care practices, is wonderful. I hope people… Read more »
+ 1
From a scientific standpoint, the dialog in the video is not altogether accurate, but I can appreciate that this is TV and some drama is added into the situation for effect. Perhaps some drama is good for those of us who refuse to get the message about the potentially damaging effects of relaxers- especially when not done by someone who knows what they are doing! A relaxer permanently changes the texture of the hair that is already on your head. Unless there is permanent damage to the hair follicles, as a result of the relaxer, new growth is unaffected. To permanently… Read more »
Just in time was about to put in a texturizer
Wow, very interesting! Great way of sensibilizing!
Unfortunately I don’t have cable, so I haven’t been able to follow Reed Between the Lines. But I am a Tracee Ellis Ross fan for LIFE (can we bring back Girlfriends??)
Regardless of whether or not you like the show, the message this clip sends is really powerful. It’s so refreshing to hear black women speak as though they actually have an OPTION when it comes to hair!!
I was glad that the whole topic of natural hair was discussed in such a way. I went back natural last year March and I have not had one regret (except not doing it sooner!) I liked that in the episode, Tracee’s character didn’t make it seem that it was wrong to want straight hair, in fact she encouraged her daughter to flat iron it if she wanted that look. She just didn’t want her to change it permanently without thinking it through properly,and she especially didn’t want her to change it because of a boy. Black hair is so… Read more »
+ 1
I saw the first part of this episode, and now I wished I had kept watching! Kudos to BET for addressing the issue and for producing quality programming…lets continue the standard!
I am DYING laughing. REALLY???!!!! I love me some Joan Crawford, but… Why does it sound like a Family Matters episode about drugs? My favorite line: “Honey, if you’re going to make this decision. Let’s do it RIGHT. Let’s go to a professional.” Damn, did I just watch a commercial about getting the HPV vaccine or what? I am so tickled! I thought I wanted a relaxer when I was little, but I didn’t understand what I was really asking. What I wanted was straight hair some times, so my mom took me to the salon and got my hair… Read more »
Agreed. This ish is crazy. And, I don’t get why the daughter is trying to put a relaxer on hair that is already straight. Am I missing something?
She’s normally natural but she had straightened her hair for a play
That was the most pitiful, and overdramatic scene I’ve ever witnessed, like ever.
.….And this is coming from a woman whose never had chemically treated hair before. Not some newb all excited to be “natural” today.
I mean seriously.…LOL…
Let me go gather myself before I seriously comment rofl.
[…] other “crucial part can be found here. But after that episode of Reed Between the Lines aired, my girlfriend, Big Slim hit me up, kind of […]
Very interesting!
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