Hair Stories
So we here at Media General were told that we had to begin blogging as another way to connect with our readers, who I might add are some very wonderful people. I don’t really mind the forced blogging, in fact, I like when those who agree or disagree with my arti-cles call, write or email me to let me know. As long as you all reading this can deal with the babbling, hey I'll blab. Sometimes I'll have something topical to speak on and some-times like today...I won't have anything going on in my world. Well...here goes.I took on a position here at the Morning News as strictly a newspaper reporter in May 2007. Before that time I was a TV reporter in Columbia, Missouri and I did some free-lance stuff in St. Louis. For me not being on a television screen would be a break from makeup and heavy use of styling products, and since my hair is naturally curly I could finally sport my beloved AFRO. NO more having to straighten my hair everyday. There are still some things that I have to do in front of a camera like web posts and we now have a segment on Fridays in the 5 newscasts called Sunday Spotlight . Even with these things, I don’t feel a need to go back into what I call “TV mode”. If I want to wear my fro on camera for a Sunday spotlight I will. If I want my hair to be strait I will as well.
I guess through all the blabbering what I’m trying to say is that even for those still in television, sometimes those of you at home watching feel that person on the screen is supposed to look a certain way and will call or write to tell how you don’t like the shirt someone wore on tv, or their hair wasn’t curled the way you like to see it, but the thing is, it’s their hair and their clothes. We love you all out there and if the next job I take is in television I will remember all the constructive and not so constructive comments I get about my writing and on air presence.
Back in September I had an interesting woman write me, my boss and his boss to let us all know that she didn’t like my afro. She went to town on my hair and that of a reporter and anchor over at 13. I’m pretty sure that over in TV land and the Webland people also have to hear a lot about my afro and apparently the other two employees hair as well. The poblem though is what people fail to realize is that it’s my afro and I’m the only one that can change it, so if you love it…Great! But if you hate it and think that it is an atrocity well, that is unfortunate but it won’t keep me up late at night.
I guess my question would be for those speaking honestly, how much does a person attire affect you paying attention to what the person is saying, be it a 30 minute newscast or a five second web post?
Well I hope I didn't offend anyone because that was not my intent. Have a blessed week all.
Posted by Candace Jarrett on 01/16 at 11:35 AM
I happen to think your afro is great. It suits your personality and now without it you just seem a little less Candace-y to me. I miss the ‘fro!