Black People : 'Vigorous head motion'

[unclejefrey]

Hello there. Let me start by saying this post is in no way meant to offend or provoke a flame war. It is a question i have had on my mind for quite a long time and I believe this is as good a place as any for an answer. Anyway, while watching TV chat shows such as the Steve Wilko show, Jerry Springer and Maury, something dawned on me. A lot of our fellow black sisters were yelling, screeming and not one... and i mean it! NOT A SINGLE ONE of them could keep her head still while speeking. Every time they spoke thier head would be bobbin and thrusting around, accompanied by a lot of hand gestures. Now i dont want to offend but why do they do that with thier head? Can one of my brothers or sisters here please exsplain why? Is this a part of our culture that ive missed somewhere allong the lines? I find this rather annoying and it makes me embarrased to be a member of the black community sometimes. Maybe its because i dont understand the reasoning behind it. Please help me to understand. White people dont do it, so why do we?

 

[KWABENA]

Hello there. Let me start by saying this post is in no way meant to offend or provoke a flame war. It is a question i have had on my mind for quite a long time and I believe this is as good a place as any for an answer. Anyway, while watching TV chat shows such as the Steve Wilko show, Jerry Springer and Maury, something dawned on me. A lot of our fellow black sisters were yelling, screeming and not one... and i mean it! NOT A SINGLE ONE of them could keep her head still while speeking. Every time they spoke thier head would be bobbin and thrusting around, accompanied by a lot of hand gestures. Now i dont want to offend but why do they do that with thier head? Can one of my brothers or sisters here please exsplain why? Is this a part of our culture that ive missed somewhere allong the lines? I find this rather annoying and it makes me embarrased to be a member of the black community sometimes. Maybe its because i dont understand the reasoning behind it. Please help me to understand. White people dont do it, so why do we?

First and foremost, I want to Welcome you to the Family! Please do feel free to make yourself at home here as you are (or should I say, have already done! lol)

OK now - I was gonna start this thread by mentioning I too shared a similar experience. I was at a laundromat the other day washing clothes, and found good ole Maury himself on the TV playing the game that never ends called "is he cheating on me?" with everyone involved.

I can not answer your question seeing as how I honestly do not understand what specific gesture(s) you are referring to, and even if I did I would have to say there are many things to address within your post - sistahs nodding their heads a certain way definitely not being on top of the list. In any event I was [indirectly] paying attention to the show, and got to thinking, but my thing is why do we continue to give that stuff our attention? Maury has had people on that show asking who's the mommy or daddy since probably the daddy-Bush Administration, and nothing has change since outside of more participants. Personally I think the purpose of it all is to further keep poor folks distracted and dumbed down (mentally), but then at the same time give them a little entertainment at the same time.

I'd say we look into things like that before how we express ourselves through hand and body gestures, but that's just me.

Very good post for someone who has just joined, and we would like to continue seeing more of this from you, Brotha!

KWABENA

 

[Gin&Tonic]

The moving about is about class rather than race. Some white people move about a great deal- although maybe not in the exact way that some black women do.

I was taught as a child to have poise. Women tought to behave as a lady know that is low class to move around a lot and they do not make wild gestures. They are also taught that loud voices are repulsive.

The less poise the more the head moves and the louder the woman talks. Sorry to say that many of our parents are too busy trying to put food on the table and have little time to teach there little girls how to be charming.

 

[jamesfrmphilly]

this is silly and offensive.....

are you a troll? the quick solution to your problem is to stop watching those low class TV shows.
anybody who gets their information from jerry springer is going to have a problem.

get that TV garbage out of your head.

 

[Gin&Tonic]

My post too was silly and offensive. I did not process that the implication was that black people in some way are flawed. I was just responding in the spirit that I was raised that women should not move the head much or gesture. Women of all races do it, ( it is natural to move around) unless taught not to.