(idea submitted and written by Stephanie K.)
This one is mostly for the ladies, but gents, feel free to join in and enjoy.
The plight of the “Jew Curl” has haunted Jewish girls for centuries. Many a Rachel and Sarah have asked themselves, “Why does Lindsay have straight blonde hair, and I have curly brown hair?” Or, “Why is Suzie’s hair so flat and mine is so frizzy? Could my hair look like that?” Thanks to the invention of the Flat Iron, the answer is now, yes!
Commonly referred to as the “hair straightener,” JYA females go crazy for these two hot metal plates. Whether it be a Bat Mitzvah celebration, a Friday Night Shabbat,or a NFTY social, the flat iron is a prerequisite for preparation.
So, why do Jewish girls feel the need to straighten their hair? Though they have been blessed with luscious curls, they choose to fry them to straightness. Some Jewish girls may feel their curls make them look “too Jewish”, and straightening makes them blend in more or hide their botched nose job. Others believe it simply makes them feel more confident. Others may just enjoy the change now and again, as the flat iron provides a new and exciting look, bringing compliments and shock from friends and family.
But the real reason Jewish girls straighten their hair? To look pretty for Jewish boys. Being able to go from cute and curly to sexy and straight in less than an hour can have a magical affect on the JYA male. Very few young Jewish males can really say they love Jewish looking girls (as evident in their penchant for Dating Non-Stereotypical Jews). The young adult age is a common time for rebellion, bringing home any shiksa that will piss off Mom.
The flat iron is an open door to a sleeker look, sans frizz; a lifeline to hide the “Jew Curl.” With the combination of John Frieda’s FrizzEase hair products and the standard $74.99 Chi 1” Ceramic Flat Iron, Jewish girls around the world can successfully have the straight and smooth look they so desperately desire. The flat iron has changed the hair of Jewish girls forever.
I own a CHI straightener and I feel so much guilt every time I use it. Farouk Shami, the owner of Farouk Systems and the inventor of the CHI, is extremely anti-Israel and funnels money to an array of causes and extremists in the West Bank and Gaza. I can’t wait for it a break so I can buy a FHI or something not made by Farouk Systems.
stuffjewishyoungadultslike.wordpress.com is cool, bookmarked!
unlock blackberry
I hope that I can leave my plea here to all the Jewish girls! The straightener is an abhorrent tool. Jewish women, like all women, should be able to be proud of who they are and not feel like they have to be like Suzy or Lindsay, whose straight blond hair is almost undoubtedly fake. Personally, I find the “Jew curl” (as you put it) beautiful and distinctive (after all, it aids the J-dar…;-)). Please don’t join the mass of artifiiciality in our society at large!
Sincerely,
A Young Male Jew Who Appreciates “Jewish” Hair
Josef, why is wanting straight hair considered being artificial? Just because I have an ethnic background, why should I let that interfere with the person I want to portray myself as? I’m not blonde and I don’t have a tan, but I enjoy having not-frizzy, monstrously untamable hair. Maybe you “enjoy looking at it”, but you’re not the person who has to live with it, work with it, be seen with it.
And I’m not saying this to discourage women being proud of their natural beauty; More power to them! But why look down on those of us who aren’t content with the cards we were dealt?
Haha, I’m a half-Jewish guy, when I grew my hair out, I used a flat iron to tame my frizzy Jew curls into badass Gene Simmons (famous Jew!) looking hair.
Why are Israelis in general better-looking Jews than the American variety even though we are the same people? Because Israelis don’t have this need to blend in and change their appearance. You are beautiful right now just the way you are. If you don’t believe that then you are sending that message to yourself and to everyone you meet. Changing your nose or radically changing your hair is hiding who you are. Being beautiful as yourself means accepting your real beauty!