Beauty and DIY vlogger AlexandrasGirlyTalk’s “rope trick” tutorial was featured on Bustle.com yesterday. The only problem is that her “rope trick” is literally the same thing as a twist out – a style achieved by creating two-strand twists in small, medium, or large sections depending on the desired curl size. The twists are then unraveled after they completely dry, creating curls that last for days. In the video, Alexandra washes her hair, applies product and proceeds to two-strand twist her hair in small sections. She even flat twists the front (of course she doesn’t call it that.)
Some think the re-naming isn’t a big deal. Sort of like hair tie vs. pony tail holder. Others argue that black women with natural hair started the twist out trend and her “rope trick” idea isn’t original and should be called by its real name…a TWIST OUT. This reminds me of that time Marc Jacobs tried to convince the world that the twisted mini-buns his models sported weren’t bantu knots.
The first time I ever heard of a twist out was 9 years ago when I was researching natural hair salons. Since then, I’ve seen a boat load of natural ladies like TheChicNatural and Naptural85 demonstrate the twist out on their YouTube channels.
It is mind-blowing that Alexandra, who states that she is half Colombian and half white, is unaware of the origin of this style. A search for “twist out” on YouTube brings up 220,000 results, virtually ALL featuring black women. Alexandra’s video has and has been viewed 600,000 times and re-posted by excited women who believe it to be a new and innovative technique.
YouTuber, AlexandrasGirllyTalk wearing two strand twists.
Before and after photo of Alexandra.
If you watch a twist out tutorial by a natural YouTuber and adapt the technique for your own curls, that’s awesome! Glad it’s working for you. Shout out the natural hair community, or whoever you got the idea from, and keep it moving. And at the very least call the style what it is – a twist out.
Ladies, what are your thoughts?
My best friend (who is white) use to twist her long blonde hair like this–for the curly effect, back when we were kids in the late 80’s. She liked the results so much that she begged her mom for a perm so her hair could be curly all the time. Neither she or I had any idea what a twist out was.. my hair was permed and broken off at the time, but the way she did her hair did not bother me. Point is, why are we assuming this girl ripped off our hair style?? Who says only natural… Read more »
I’m a black woman who grew up in the 80s with only white people or black people with chemically straightened hair. No Youtube tutorials and no natural hair care information beyond plaits. Yet, one day, playing on my own at 9 years old, I did a twist out on my own. It’s not that revolutionary of an idea that more than one person or group of people could have thought of this idea. It’s also not that serious.
I don’t really mind her calling it whatever she’s calling it. Isn’t imitation the highest form of flattery. Now don’t get me wrong, I get that African American culture gets appropriated all the time and then we don’t even get the credit for it- twerking seems to be the latest thing. For some reason, this video doesn’t bother me though. She doesn’t even look right with the twist out. It’s like when “people” go on vacation and get cornrows- they just look silly. That’s how I feel about this. So she took an idea and re-branded it something else? She’s… Read more »
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flatter”? Why do they then, get so mad when a black actor dares to play a fictional, long held white role? Remember the outcry at the fantastic 4 remake, and the stars movie? Yet they can portray our real life, history making heroes and sacred Egyptian gods and claim “it’s art” or “I’m expressing my creative freedom” and we’re just supposed to accept it, what, cuz white folks can do whatever and take from whoever they want?! Nope, sorry, I’m not here for that. Too much self respect. What she did is no different… Read more »
This is absolutely disgusting.
[…] And at the very least call the style what it is – a twist out. *This article first appeared on BlackGirlLongHair.com – written by Portia of […]
I’m not surprised. They steal and rename. Smh
You really think she’s unaware of the 1000’s of video’s by black girls on YT who have featured twist-outs? She knows. Just means she tailored it for herself.
Not surprised. They are always stealing our ish and pretending they don’t know where it came from.
White people always want to steal our image and ideas, rename and repackage them, and sell them to the world as new inventions by white people. It is sick.
I first saw twists and a twist out in 1987 when one of my classmates whose parents came from a Caribbean Island turned up to school with twists for 4 days then a twist out for the last day of the week. All the girls were impressed by them. When the black girls like me asked her about the hairstyle she said it was nothing new. Even then white girls knew if they braided their hair left it a day and undid it they would have curls. Unlike black girls, who didn’t have to do this, they knew they had… Read more »
I’ve done twist out and braid outs before I knew they were really a thing. Here’s another person trying to jack styles from Black women. Smh. She is truly ignorant if she doesn’t know that sisters have been doing twists. Never seen a white girl do this. Pure nonsense.
I think it is White America, once again, appropriating ideas that are not theirs!
Black women with sense are not worried about what a white woman like herself is doing and what praises she’s getting from other white women. These hairstyles like the twist outs and cantu knots have been around since forever. Centuries before the slave trade and cross communications between nations, Asian, Native American, and European women were doing these hair styles. In Ancient Greece and Rome, these styles were the norm. Most of the races on Earth with long hair have had some type of braiding style within it’s history. The “natural hair” community did not create twist outs. It’s articles… Read more »
So, because we’re Black women, we’re not allowed to get angry?
Thank you!!!!!!
the smartest comment on this thread!
Old lady chiming in here… The first time I saw the term “twistout” was in Pamela Ferrell’s book Let’s Talk Hair (1997). However, at least five years prior, Lonnice Brittenum Bonner was demonstrating the same basic technique in her book Good Hair and she called it the Corkscrew Crimp. But even before THAT…back in the 80s I knew girls with looser-textured hair who would braid or twist their hair overnight and let it out in the morning so they’d have some texture. Pretty sure the style didn’t have an actual name back then but the technique’s been around for a… Read more »
& it was started by…afro people all over.
Theoretically, “afro people” started EVERYTHING.
And you know this how.….
Lonnice Brittenum Bonner was so ahead of the curve with her books. I bought them when I first went back natural in the early 90s and I wish I still had my original copies of Good Hair and Plaited Glory. I especially liked her down-to-earth humorous writing style.
Exactly. Barbra Streisand was doing twist-outs way back in 1975 for her albums like Classical Barbra. She talked about how she would braid her hair the night before and then wear it unbraided the next day. So these styles have been around forever.
fucking white people.
Being Colombian doesn’t make her white, she doesn’t even look white
She looks White as all get out w/ surgery forcing her to LOOK Black. And considering how bigoted most Colombians are toward Darker peoples of their own ethnic group (Colorism), it’s no wonder this occurs.
uhh…
She is part white and calls herself so, therefore she is white. Plus, who knows which part of her family raised her.
half colombian/ half white.
They (white or nonblack media) do this all the time and you can especially expect their never acknowledging black women. They have to be pretty much forced to acknowledge us and they are just so..off… I barely care anymore and would rather give props and attention to black women who showcase the diversity and beauty of black beauty. Sort of OT but that girl’s face sort of creeps me out, I’m sorry.
i’m confused by what she means when she says she’s “half white, half colombian”. one’s a race, the other is a nationality, but she’s conflated them.
THANK YOU! i said the same thing.
No offence, but the style she is trying to achieve looks horrible. Let her call it a rope twist, because if that was called a twist out, that would be a disgrace
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/beauty-hair/hair/advice/a34625/twist-outs-afro-hair-trick/
Ain’t Columbian a nationality? Like.…. okay… Anyway. I could care less about white women and their crazy antics. I know its a cry for attention when others are out shinning them and right now natural hair is bold, an attention grabber and really ourshines everyone. White women don’t like it. We are taking away from their constant spotlight lol. So these white people who wanna be “edgy and different” and “created” something they took from Black people is like entertainment. Eventually they will get bored and find something else to keep the attention on themselves like a child who cries… Read more »
Yes yes yes! I love this comment!
I don’t know… I don’t think this is a big deal BECAUSE it is totally possible that she didn’t know about the technique. Heck, I’m half black and I didn’t even know about it so is it so crazy that a non-black person wouldn’t either?
It’s ashame how much hatred there is out there over a hair style … smh. lol!
I was ready to go a roast her but this was posted 6 months ago so the job was already done for me by others LOL
Twist outs are even older than 9 years. I’ve been getting and doing them since the 90s. They love Columbussing all of our culture but don’t like us or giving credit where it’s due.
someone needs to link this trick our twist-out videos that we’ve had on YouTube for years now.
I am so sick and tired of ppl taking our ideas and styles and calling it there own and having all these cluesless girls think that this is brand new.…sigh
I remember watching her video, excited to learn a new technique! About two minutes in…the realization hit me…I’d been bamboozled.
So, at the first sign of moisture, sweat, wind, etc., the “rope trick” on straight hair will go straight to crazy town lol. Let ’em keep on trying. Po’ thangs…
LOL. They are not stealing anything. I believe black naturals stole it from them, just like the curly girl method. Braid outs are quite common and white women with straight hair have been doing it to get “beach waves”. Folks need to get over this BS. It makes black naturals look petty and foolish. My WHITE college roommate was doing this in 1992. How long have ya’ll been natural??? No shade.
if she didn’t know about all the black woman who made this same tutorial how did she know about drying her hair with a tshirt?
Nobodys surprised right? I remember doing twist outs as a teen in the 80s. It wasn’t called anything as I recall. I simply noticed after un-braiding my hair I liked the deep crimp of the curls and I started buying gel and mousse to set it overnight. Funny how it eventually got a name which shows how long it takes for a technique to finally get a name even when ppl are doing it for a while. and I agree with some of the other people on here I looked at those before and after pictures it looks horrible!and that’s… Read more »
It still looked a mess afterwards *shrugs*
I’ll admit, I didn’t take the time to watch the tutorial (mainly because I don’t think the end result looks pretty). Does she claim to have invented this new style? If so, then I have a real issue with it. But if she is just show-casing another way to style her hair, re-naming it doesn’t change the origin of the style. And regardless, I have tried the two-strand twist on my very fine and limp, almost wavy hair…it was a great way to reduce frizz when I’m letting my hair dry naturally…but it will never be the stunning, glossy and… Read more »
I’m black and could care less. White people have been braiding their hair and unraveling it to get wavier hair since forever. But thats a braid out!! Um, no, its a method of getting straight hair to have waves. This technique is no different. Please, there are more important issues in the world.
she watched a black girl.…then did it herself.
NO OTHER WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow I went on this story to get some ideas for my biracial daughter. I should have been prepared for all the hate. White folks aren’t the only racists and you have proved that. God Bless you all I won’t be returning because frankly stealing an idea, copying or any non important issue you want to rant about really isn’t that important.
Shut up. Stop pulling out a “racist” card b/c a black woman called out a white one for stealing a hairstyle.
Not pulling anything racist–listening to you speak Racist
Pathetic racist
please dont return.
I did return ignorant hateful ugly woman
Good for u! Also.. no one cares.
Lol white people announcing their absence from a black space as if
a) they have a right to said space, and
b) as if we care
Bye!
You are full of it. There is no biracial daughter. You just come in here to see what Black women are talking about and feel like it’s your duty to correct us. No one cares what you think, go find some hairstyles for your “daughter” somewhere else, take notes and shut your mouth.
Lmao! Your comment has me laughin’ in tears, it’s too true! They do this pathetic mess all the time, it’s the entitlement of their white privilege. Glad I’m not the only one calling them out on it. (y)
It is NOT true ignorant hateful woman
I don’t know if any of the 17 stupid hefers who liked this comment are still trolling but I do have a nine year old. To protect her I posted a partial picture. MY hair is naturally curly I DONT need any styling tips from anyone, especially stank @$$ racists. All of your issues stem from the fact that you do not support other women –PERIOD. I appreciate the young lady who apologized fro this hate. I went on this site for my daughter because I love her. Her black father is not involved so I do my best to… Read more »
Tammy your daugther is beautiful and she’ll be fine, but you are out of your element dear. This post is about cultural appropriation, which is not for the faint of heart.
ALL of you are hateful women I don’t have a need to lie and I am happy that my daughter will never be as miserable as all of you. I didn’t post our entire pic for obvious reasons
Hon, you seem a little confused. You are aware of what racism is right? Please tell me when white people have ever been enslaved or systemically oppressed by black people? Here, I’ll let someone white explain it to you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYrMvnwbw8U No one cares if this living blow-up doll wants to try and pass off her dumpster bedhead as “the new look”, no, people here are once again upset because we continually see pale skinned individuals copying and stealing from our culture and to add insult to injury they NEVER acknowledge where their newly found ideas came from, not once. It’s… Read more »
Daaammnnn!!!! You’re brutal.
Pathetic
Because she schooled you? You’re right, you are pathetic.
If you are going to continue to go back–then go ALL the way back when the Egyptians enslaved the Jews.
I mostly see comments by BLACK WOMEN speaking out against people accusing the lady in the video of “stealing,” yet you decide to focus on a few negative comments because you want to conveniently GENERALIZE AND DEMONIZE black women. I actually think it is for the best if you never come back. Do not slam the friggin door on your way out #ByeFelicia
Nobody cares if you dont return you stupid white frog faced cow, white women like you should go to other sites to learn about your ‘biracial daughters hair.’ When you had immaculate conception with her black father you should have thought of the consequences of raising a ‘HALF BLACK CHILD’ you WW love to tell BW what to do just because your black father humped and dumped! Then you have the nerve to look down at BW? GTFOH you ugly old white hag.
Girl, please. I wish your daughter luck growing up as a Black woman in America if she has you to guide her social compass.
I get attacked for not having a daughter and then you attack my “social compass”
Tammy, I’m really, really sorry about the rude and despicable comments being thrown your way. Please don’t think we’re all rude, racist and non-inviting people. Every race/culture has their own share of despicable people. I’m glad you’re trying new styles out for your daughter and I hope she learns both sides of her heritage as well. I really hope you read this and have no hate or derision for us. It is a touchy topic.
Thank you, I am just seeing all this 4 months later because it showed up in email I had not checked. I am really upset. I should have ignored it all. I dont have any racial hate for anyone. I grew up luckily in the diverse military and was military myself. The problem is how women hate other women. These women will trow out the same hate to anyone they do not agree with. I know this. What made me so angry is the fact that they accused me of using my daughter. Thank you
Black Girl with long hair why won’t you post my replies to the racists?
Like really … we own the twist out? “Twist out” is just a name Black Americans have recently started calling this ancient hairstyle that many cultures or races have utilized. Naming a technique does not mean ownership. Calling the style twist out doesn’t give us ownership just as how calling it a rope trick will not cause white to own it. Much ado about nothing!
RIGHT! Black naturals are embarrassing. Especial new ones. There is NOTHING that you are doing that has not already been done. Guess what? A lot of so called “natural” hair styles have been “stolen” from non-blacks. Curly girl method, co-washing, henna, essential oils on hair and scalp, braid and twist outs come from NON BLACKS like whites, Asians and Latinos! These chicks have had relaxers since they were 2 and they think they are qualified to say what is “natural” or not. The natural hair community continues to be an embarrassment and a joke!
Yeah, and the fact that perm sales are down by 26percent, and many Black salons have closed due to lack of training in order to serve that natural hair is a joke as well, right? I take it you either perm your hair, own a struggling salon, or both?
“Curly girl method, co-washing, henna,”–You’re right about these systems not original to the black natural hair movement.
But as far as theses: “essential oils on hair and scalp, braid and twist outs”–you are wrong. Oil, Grease on black hair and scalp goes as far back as Africa. These things are indegenous to black hair care, as well as the twist outs and braids.
If you’re going to call out the “embarrassment” coming out of the hair community, at least be factual.
But.. did we CLAIM that those things were new innovations that were created by us or did we give credit to the original cultures that we got them from?
No one said that Henna was a ‘black people thing’. Even on this website, credit is always given to the original source. Whether it’s Ethiopian hair practices, Ayurveda practices, Indian hair and beauty secrets etc. We RECOGNIZE and APPRECIATE the original source.
Wait…are you implying that Black women world over never used oil on their heads before we “borrowed” them from non-Blacks, to paraphrase you? Maybe if you didn’t, that’s fine, but I and millions of others have been oiling our hair with natural and/or bought products. Co-washing, yes, it was borrowed from curly girls, Black and non-Black alike. Henna is and has been used by several African cultures since the dawn of time as it’s a natural product. Heck, in my country, some ethnic groups use henna on a bride-to-be as beauty decorations and such, and others use them as a… Read more »
Yes but what are the chances of this white woman knowing about twisting hair. I’m done with people trying to make excuses for white women. They know what they are doing, who they are watching, whose style they are trying capture, what music they have on replay. This woman probably spent hours on YouTube looking at hair tutorials and as it goes happened to end up in the black hair section. These things don’t happen coincidently. Most races love taking black culture and then acting like they are the ones who have invented things. I know not everything is created… Read more »
Calm down sista soldja.…..jeesh.….its a bloody hair style.…I wonder what whites think of all the weaves, blond and otherwise that Black women don.…or maybe they don’t give a damn cause they have lives with more important things to worry about.
It’s not about the hairstyle, it’s the principle of the matter. This woman did not make up this technique, she no doubt saw it on a YouTube video presented by the many, many Black women who do these styles.
That’s fine, if you find a technique you like cool, but then to take the technique imitate it and present it as your own brand new idea? No. That’s not acceptable.
Anywhere else she’d be called a plagiarist for such fuckery. When it’s a hair video the ignorant cape for the perpetrators of such a fraud.
Whites think it’s a little something called assimilation to a white beauty standard, that’s “what.” And they’re perfectly fine with perpetuating a system that upholds their perceived allure.
They probably don’t feel anyway as they’re wearing the blonde weaves themselves. Black women didn’t invent weave, yet are the only group bashed for it when a simple Google search will show you all women of all races wear weave, it’s a little different with the twist out because it is designed around afro textured hair, and when someone without that texture attempts to use the technique but call it something else, that’s cultural appropriation. The point is, every time black people try to set themselves apart, her come the white folks “supporting” us. Say what you want, but the… Read more »
It is the principal it is not about the damn hairstyle. As a white woman she would be applauded and if she was black you would hear crickets Everybody wants to be black but nobody wants to be black.
She’s not white.
Yes she is. And she doesnt identify with anything else.
She’s half white and Columbian, so where did the white side go?
I agree that this hairstyle is not for her, but being half-Colombian makes her Latina. Latinas are not white; Mexico and South America were full of indigenous people who were colonized, and endure racialization in the US. I just don’t want WOC, even if they’re half, to be erased either.
I just want to know what will cause her to stop trying to pass a jacked up hair style as a tutorial? The real trick is ignoring bullsh** when you see it.
THANK YOU! Honestly this is a complete joke. It seems that some have forgotten what ‘appropriation’ actually means. Was the Youtuber in question derogatory in any way towards black women/people? Did she make fun of, put down, mock, dismiss, or implicitly claim blacks as inferior ? Because if she was doing all that, whilst claiming her ‘rope twist’ to be a new and original invention that looks “better” cause of her whiteness, then yeah, she’s appropriating and that’s a problem that needs to be called out. But she hasn’t. She didn’t insult any black naturalista! Yes, she may have watched… Read more »
“black naturals”??? Are you one of “passe blanches”? lil You sound ridiculous.
There have been Black people with natural hair before the Natural hair movement lol. My Cameroonian grandmother did what people call now twist out and braid out.
Who cares? Are black women the only one that can do a million and one things to their hair? Whenever a white woman does something that’s deemed as a “black owned hairstyle” it makes headlines. Grow up. We don’t own a particular hairstyle with the exception on an Afro seeing that how most black people hair grows.
Let me reiterate, you can say black people don’t own twists, just like Native Americans don’t own eagle feathers, but certain styles and traditions are associated with certain cultures.We do certain styles to keep our hair neat, and clean, and manageable, such is the nature of our hair, it is a necessity for us. For those who do not have our afro textures these styles and techniques are nothing more than an attention seeking, novelty. The benefits of such styles are lost on silken, straight-haired individuals like the idiot girl in the video above. Look no further than her finished… Read more »
she can do whatever she wants to with her hair and you will deal. Naturals don’t own the twist out or braids. get over it.
i agree. watching her do it, i was just lost. like, why was she bothering? she must have run out of video content. watch out, because she’s gonna be sampling more of our stuff to pimp out to her white fanbase.
Nope. You can’t do that. Follow through missy. You just said “We don’t own a particular hairstyle” and then you say “with the exception on an Afro”. Whites were rocking the afro, too, so that hairstyle isn’t ours either. ** sarcasm**
re-read my statement “missy”
Black WOMEN DID NOT INVENT THAT!!! Ya’ll need a serious wake-up!
naw im sleep. thanks!
The racism and exclusion that, unfortunately, are visited upon Black women make some, let’s say, extremely sensitive, especially when a white chic shows up…and Black women feel they have to defend Blackness and prove how Black and proud they always are.….and avenge their ancestors…etc.…etc.….We GET appropriation.…imo, this is not it.…..
Black naturals are embarrassing. Especial new ones. There is NOTHING that you are doing that has not already been done. Guess what? A lot of so called “natural” hair styles have been “stolen” from non-blacks. Curly girl method, co-washing, henna, essential oils on hair and scalp, braid and twist outs come from NON BLACKS like whites, Asians and Latinos! At least research before writing and posting this stupidity! And despite what MOST believe WE did not invent locs. There are pictures from 500 to 1000 years ago of Vikings, Scotish and Irish people with “locs”. The more you know!
Where do you think the Celts and the Norse got locs from, considering they were sea-faring peoples? There are a multitude of anthropological publications that discuss early trade (and raid) between the Celts, the Norse, and African tribes. That’s why you get the “Black Irish”–people of Gael descent with darker features. It’s the result of millennia of passing down tiny fragments of African DNA.
Wanna try again with where White people got Black hairstyles? Are you bothered by us calling out appropriation because you’re embarrassed about your own Blackness?
But do any of these groups of people receive the same backlash as black people do for wearing their hair in those styles? Do any of these groups of people honestly need to keep their hair in these styles to keep it manageable and moisturized? I mean, you can’t ignore the fact that black people in Africa have done everything to their hair long before anyone else on the planet, at least as far as braids and twists are concerned. But that reality doesn’t put your prized white people on a pedestal. And you say black people stole co-washing from… Read more »
Older blacks like you are embarrassing, blacks has had our rights for what, 50 years? Yes. We’re going to stand up for our culture, no, we wont allow it to be stolen. How about you stop brown nosing about people who truly dont give a crap about you?
You are embarrassing yoyrsrkf. You refuse to acknowledge that inventing something or popularizing something gives you some rights. Even if pasta or spaghetti sauce didn’t originate in Italy, try renaming spaghetti or pasta sauce ” the red sauce” . Try adding one new Ingredient and saying “its not the sane” and say you invented it.… See if Italians don’t call bulls*it. If a culture popularized it or invented it…you must acknowledge their Contribution. To do anything less is insulting and theft. but I guess it’s ok bc black ppl are expected to let society pick our cultural staples clean like… Read more »
Thank you for your appreciation. I also agree with your opinion. Stay blessed and unbothered <3
Black women really can’t throw stones about an issue like this…come on now…
Uncle Sophia, why do you keep repeating the same coonery again and again? If you hadn’t noticed, no one cares! If white people invented hair styles and techniques for managing and protecting hair they don’t even have on their own head please show us all some proof. I would love nothing more than to see a photo of a slave master rocking the same cornrows and Ghana braids they denied their slaves from wearing. And your one experience with your white roommate doesn’t change the fact that whites as a whole, constantly steal from other cultures, not just black people’s,… Read more »
This just seems silly to me. I went to high school in the 90s. Sometimes our school would take overnight trips. I saw white girls braiding their damp hair before bed and taking it down in the morning for beach waves. I don’t think I heard anyone of any race using terms like twistout or braidout back then.
Yes I have seen the do it.
I hate that White and non-Black people have infiltrated this site to the point that most of the comments are telling us that we, as Black women, have no right to claim something that started on the mother continent. We’re not talking about an effing braid out, we know White people also use braids. Let’s not even try to get into where they come from, because I know someone will pull some “fact” out of their rear about how White people created it first because they were doing it in the ’80s *side-eye*. We are talking about twistouts–something that, as… Read more »
Agreed.Some blacks just scare me with their slave-minded talk. I’m all for sharing styles across ALL cultures but it’s obvious where the style started, why it started and by who. We’ve already done enough groveling and begging for acceptance; it’s time to start knowing whats up and knowing what we’ve done as a people. I mean, half the beat down on the black race is psychological, and the same message they breed out is “you aint never done shit, you aint shit and you will never be shit.” Like come on black folks!–recognize your own creation. Pretty soon they’ll convince… Read more »
How exactly does one “steal” the Curly Girl Method when it’s a book that is marketed for sale to anyone. Have you read it? there are articles with black people included in the book. I have the Curly Like Me book too which is about the tightly curly method. I paid for it. Not stolen.
“You don’t own this style! I’m so tired of oversensitive naturals who clutch onto terms and styles like they themselves invented it. [Insert comparison citing centuries-old practice from Eastern Europe] Gosh!”
You’re right. We don’t own anything. No one will let us. Not even other black people. Remember that when you think about who is recording history. It’s BHM for shit’s sake. Eric Clapton is forever known as “popularizing reggae”. Could’ve fooled the millions already listening but that’s cool too. It’s a twist out. It’s part of our vernacular, our routine hair practices and we popularized it.
No, black women don’t ‘own’ a hair style, but give credit where it’s due. I mean, just watch her video…she explains that style works best for naturally curly hair, she uses Carol’s Daughter products, uses a t‑shirt to pat dry her hair, and the ultimate catch that I found HILARIOUS was the Iggy Azalea backtrack, lol. It is JUST like every twist out/two strand twist video I’ve ever seen…ever. The issue is she’s presenting it was if it’s an original and innovative idea, and it’s not. The fishtail braid is innovative (as far as I know), the messy bun, all… Read more »
What makes fishtail braids innovative? I remember doing them 30 years ago as a kid.
I looked into this and it seems the term ‘rope twist’ is not new after all. There are videos with black women calling a style of twisting and rolling the hair a rope twist. There are also some doing a basic twist and calling it rope twist. And there are some older videos with some white girls doing their hair in one twist and calling it a rope twist. I also googled the term and it comes as well a few times. So perhaps this article should have been researched better because it seems most of us are not aware… Read more »
I have done rope twists on my hair. I learned to do it from a hair stylists at a natural hair event in New Orleans years ago. That was the exact term she used “rope twists”. It is a little different than how I do my regular twist because I spin one section around tightly using my fingers then twist it with the other section. Again then again. It looks like a rope. It makes for a tighter twist than my other technique and it holds up better if I plan to wear them awhile.
Yes, but she didn’t call it rope twists nor is she actually doing rope twists. She said “rope trick”.
As a woman with natural hair I understand how many feel about this seeming like it was misappropriated. Yet if you look at Alexandra’s “questions” video she speaks about her being adopted, she’s white and Colombian and both of her adoptive parents are white. She had to learn how to do her curly hair basically on her own, like a lot of us do, and she learned different techniques. Honestly in her mindset she probably wasn’t thinking “let me steal this tech we from black women and name it something else”. How many of us honestly watch YouTube videos of… Read more »
It’s not about “Hair”! You guys know that!!!!
This is nothing new. Black culture has been taken and re-named/re-branded by white culture time and again. The issue with it is that if all of black culture is just re-named then it will cease to exist. I believe Azaleia Banks called it ‘a cultural smudging’ Our culture is being smudged out of existence.
The real question is, why not call it what it is? People don’t want to give black people credit here it is due. We came up with these styles, give us the credit.
I just think it is funny that she used the word “ropes.” I don’t know what she was thinking, but to me she may have seen that black women were calling them twist-outs and decided to name hers “rope trick.”
MAYBE, She didn’t want to call it twist-out in fear that black women would comment on it saying those aren’t real twist-outs and that she’s appropriating. Maybe calling it the rope trick was her way of showing respect? does really all media have to be super PC approved for us to be able to enjoy any of it? like gosh
Jesus! Like why is this a big deal????
Because black people can never get recognized for what we do if white people take it, rename it and claim it for themselves. Then they have the audacity to call us inferior and say we never invent or innovate.
But WE DID NOT INVENT “twist-out” tho. Like, girl, STOP!!!
God. Im black myself and all i can say is wow. Take your fake ass weave out, rip those lashes out and see what you have left. Why dont you go post a twerking video on fb too because thats how much of a stupid ass ho you are sounding like.
You’re not black, though.
P.S.A not all Black women have fake hair and fake lashes, White and Mexican and even Asian women do too. AND ANOTHER P.S.A I have seen my share of FB/VINE post of white girls twerking. LAST P.S.A you sound like a hate-filled black girl with no edges!
exactly! And thank you for saying that so much better than I would.
Well, if you wish to discuss more pressing issues you can always find a site where they discuss those issues. This site talks about hair so you complaining about there being more important issues is ridiculous.
And it’s besides the point. I really hate that deflection.
This is actually hilarious. Why do they always try to be slick when they appropriate?
Who cares! Let’s keep doing what we do. I’m 30 y/o, and the first time I heard of twisting and twist outs was when I was in the 3rd grade (I think). I remember seeing it in the book “Good Hair” by Lonnice Brittenum Bonner and my mother styling my hair this way. I think we should spend more time uplifting ourselves within our own community anyway as opposed to always shouting about what others are doing. Is it that deep for you? Don’t spend your money or time on Marc Jacobs or Carol’s Daughter (feat. in the video) or… Read more »
White women really have no stle, culture, flavour nor ideas of their own. Thats why THEY hate us BEAUTIFUL black women and wished they could look like us. It sucks to be a bumsheila with lank hair, thin lips and sour faced skin LOL.
Goodness. People with attitudes like yours are the reason why there is a vast separation between races. Instead of pointing out what you dislike in another race, you should try to be more inclusive and strive to educate. The You sound like a sour, lank racist woman. Practice inclusiveness and maybe we can start to see a change. Because someone has “no culture” we should educate and share what a rich culture we have.
And you are an intergration idiot I dont NEED to share my culture with ugly white women so girl bye and talk that BS to somebody that cares. You coconuts are a detriment to the black community.
I swear, it’s just ridiculous! The vitriol on here just saddens me greatly…and we wonder why the divide is growing larger by the day. It’s from both sides now. The intolerance and all of that.
Please. Beautiful black woman? Once you take off your fake ass hair (or should i say weave) and fake lashes you end up looking like a fucking monkey. Go back to some jungle where you belong.
Your disqus profile name( Half black Half Spanish ) indicates that you have some black heritage. So, If Africans look like monkeys, What are you.. half monkey?
Don’t throw stones at others when you have a glass house. The stones may just come hurling back.
How is your comment any better than what she said? How?
I actually saw this video and immediately commented that this method, not trick, already has a name. I was really upset at the fact that she twisted a well known hair style method to promote it as something original in order to keep her channel relevant. She absolutely blows me away with her spin off DIYs and method and tricks than are been there done that. This is the definition of cultural appropriation.
How sad to read this. I am completely saddened to read such negative comments about this issue. Comments such as “slave mentality” white people with their “thin lips” etc, saying white people shouldn’t be allowed to use this site. I completely understand that this may be seen as a misappropriation of a black cultural style.… Do you honestly think that it is offensive that she has done a rope twist & not said “and this is a twist out & it is exclusively an Afro style”. I’m sure I will be hated on for this, but my daughter is of… Read more »
Where I understand how you feel as concerns your mixed heritage daughter, misappropriation is just that. The same way you wouldn’t listen to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and then call it “that scary song’. I don’t believe in saying nasty things ( re: thin lips), but I don’t think we should neglect to call a spade a spade.
Nobody cares about your god damn mixed daughter man this is why I cant stand ww, you honestly believe you have the right to police BW when you dont. Gtfoh and go talk to somebody that gives a ?
You are a disrespectful person and your kind of foul language and negativity is unecessary. Go make peace with yourself. Something must not be right inside you if you stoop as low as to insult someone’s daughter and their efforts to to be true to their daughter’s culture even when it’s different from their own. You want to disagree? Fine. Do it like a decent, educated, respectful humanbeing.
This is insulting. first, they steal people, the riches, then an entire continent and erase us from its history, basically stealing it too and now miss over here is trying to steal our hairstyling technique and rebrand it as one of their marvellous inventions…
There should be police for this kinda stuff
Mvumikazi ¬ Urban Mnguni ¬
I was doing the same thing back in the 80’s, my mother before me and my grandmother before her. I’ve been natural for over 20 years and for the first 18 years of my life. My mother has never not been natural because perms were not popular with her and her circle of people. And her coming from the Caribbean natural products were in abundance. It’s only when she and others like her emigrated to Europe found difficulty in managing their hair because of the poor manufactured products they had access to didn’t agree with Afro textured hair. Don’t forget… Read more »
I’ll go better than that with photos of me in twists and twist outs from the 80’s.
This is absurd, maybe she stole the idea, maybe she thought it up on her own… Maybe her mom showed her how to do it when she was a kid, and called it that. I’ve been doing a so-called twist out since I was a kid, I never called it that and I don’t care to. I’ve been doing this, before the birth of YouTube and I didn’t need a video to teach it to me because I figured it out on my own years ago. Quit it, any adult with curly hair has probably either tried this themselves or… Read more »
You can have a seat with this post racial “it’s a human thing” bull s!!! This is clearly cultural appropriation and when WE see it, we are going to call it out!!!
Whether it’s a ‘Black’ thing or not, this is just another incident that we file under ‘Things that are Considered Negative/Ignored when done by Black people that are Later Reinvented/Popularized by White People’.
and that’s why we get upset.
Clearly you are also delusional. Corn rows, individiual braids, locks, twists, and twist outs were invented by black women. Stop thinking like a slave and have a real vice instead of acting like a puppet.
Once again they jack stuff, make money then we get called racist for correcting them. Once again, just ignore it and sing kumbaya.… OK. ..
Looks stupid, but okay.
And why do my comments (in which I never use racial slurs or anything) get moderated but the racist comments below, calling black folks monkeys, etc., were allowed?
I really don’t care if she’s a non-black. She is certainly welcome to wear her hair how she pleases. What I do take offense to is the idea of it being something new and renaming the two strand twist a rope trick. Knock it off!!!
Everyone is missing the main issue here… What does half wife, half Colombian even mean? El Oh El, She’s funny
Omg, thank you. I can’t.
Of course.
Are you really Black or a troll pretending to be to start some ish?.…If you are Black, then I hope you get some T.H.E.R.A.P.Y.
YES I AM BLACK ALL DAY EVERY DAMN DAY UNAPOLOGETICALLY BLACK!!
I can tell
B*tch yes i am black!!!
Jackpot joy I wish you luck in this world girl. You are no better than the “ugly white women” you put down. You are proof that racism is real on both sides and that we will NEVER progress. Power to you in your struggle and i say struggle because you are clearly not winning.
Bia*chhhh I cant be RACIST! I dont care about god damn ugly stink faced WW that so desperately want to appear brown and healthy and adopt a culture they were never apart of! Just stfu
You’re so pitiful. She does not even have a picture up yet you choose to call her these names. I hope your comments get flagged down until you are forcibly stopped from posting future comments. I can’t believe the owner of this blog allowed this comment to be posted.
LOL! For all those saying that black people didn’t invent twist out or maybe she came up with it on her own are VERY unfamiliar with black history when it pertains to our hair. Also, you can tell by the way she talks (ride or die) and the product brand she uses ( Carols Daughter) that she is familiar with black culture. Also, you cant consider something a part of culture if it didnt ORIGINATE there. Either way, I understand the frustration but this in NOTHING new. They are always being recognized for things that started within other cultures and… Read more »
We are missing the point of it all… This has nothing to do with that young lady… It’s about product branding and placement. Carol’s Daughter is trying to cross over into a different market and become a staple in those households and not seen as a black product. How do you do that? Start making the product more identifiable among the audience you are trying to connect with. Nothing wrong with this lady trying this style although I think she makes it look extremely difficult. IMO
Are you for real!? I didnt diss her daughter I said nobody cares about her daughter. Trying reading the text CORRECTLY instead of jumping to conclusions FOOL!
You mexicant european mutts are not indigenous! The darker skinned mexicans are the REAL people of mexico not you imported spanish rats.
I love the twisted. But to call t the rope trick, that would be another thing. Whoever wishes to have her hair twisted the same way I think they can do it freely but the culture originally remains to black women. What about if you try this new adopted by culture, the new fantastic fake Ultrasound design hahaha yes its fake! From fake ababy. Its awesome and funny.
Give me a break, no one has “jacked” anything! She can style her hair however she wants & call it whatever the f she wants! Different cultures & regions have varying names for clothes, food, hairstyles etc. Who’s to say she had never even heard of a “twist out”?? Black women GET A LIFE PLEASE! There are more pressing issues out there. This will be my last visit to this site. P.S. no one appropriates black culture more than Japanese people (Google it) yet you people seem to only care when it’s a white woman. This is due to the… Read more »
Bish please. If it’s been done before, it’s not original. Call it what you want but give credit where credit is due. That’s how life works. And white women aren’t taking black men. You’re getting the one’s they don’t want anyway. Worry about the black women taking white men. That’s on the upsurge.
Bish please. If it’s been done before, it’s not original. Call it what you want but give credit where credit is due. That’s how life works. And white women aren’t taking black men. You’re getting the one’s they don’t want anyway. Worry about the black women taking white men. That’s on the upsurge.
You have no idea what I look like so why would you attack me? I actually do not not look like a frog or a cow. LoL
BUT IF SHE HAD CALLED IT A TWIST-OUT YALL WOULD BE MAD ANYWAY COS SHE’S WHITE AND SHE CAN’T MAKE A VIDEO NAMED AN TRADITIONAL AA HAIRSTYLE RIGHT? COME ON… WHY DOES IT MATTER WHAT SHE CALLS IT WHEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, HER HAIR TEXTURE ISNT EVEN THE SAME AS AA WOMEN, AND THEREFORE THE RESULT HAIR STYLE ISN’T EVEN A PROPER “TWIST-OUT”… HAD A BLK WOMAN MADE A VIDEO CALLED IT THE ROPE TRICK YOU WOULDN’T BE MAD THOUGH. SOMETIMES YALL JUST LOOKING FOR THINGS TO BE MAD AT…
Of course we rock we are the worlds trendsetters
[…] coint. But you ain’t low beloved, we peep. You, my dear, are no different than the “rope trick,” “hair tattoos” and all the other facades of Black culture. So good riddance […]