to disagree with dh who thinks calling a product for thick curly hair 'R & B' is racist

[Petticoatsandviolets]

'Lush' have a conditioning product targeted at those with afro hair that I was thinking of trying out on dd's mixed race hair, as it gets so dry. When I told dh (black)the product's name, R & B, he became incensed and duly informed me he'd chuck it out if I ever bought it! He's of the opinion the name and association of R & B music with afro hair's racist and stereotypical. I'd actually really like to try it out on her hair, and not sure if I agree with him, athough I do understand his sensitivity.

What do you think?

It's more 'stereotyping' than 'racist', I'd say. In the same class as 'Reggae Reggae Sauce' which is heavy on the Rasta references to give it authenticity. And 'Dolmio' products which have no connection to Italy but use stereotypical Italian images and italian-sounding words to make us think it's the genuine article.

A reference to african music to sell a product for afro hair... same thing.

Yes. It is a bit stereotypical. A bit lazy.

I also think that if it bothers him that much, it's just not worth it. It's only a hair product. Get a different one.

I think he is over-reacting a bit!
I used to work at Lush and they are the last company on earth who would deliberately call a product an offensive name, they even changed the name of one of their facial scrubs from 'hell's angels' to 'dark angels' because of the famous group!
R & B, in this case actually stands for 'revive and balance', it even says so on the pot! If he was really that fussed you could always ask for a sample, which comes in a tiny plain black pot, and that way you can see if it helps dd's hair without him getting upset :)

Bloody hell and I thought some MNetters were sensitive souls...he sounds positively bonkers!!

Reggae Reggae sauce by the rastafarian reggae singer....not surprising he called it that, hardly the same thing!

Buy it and put it in a different pot/bottle! He will never know.

Not according to my black DH! Just read your post out to him and he says that yours is over reacting a bit and taking a name way too seriously.

If he feels it's racist, and feels offended by it, then he has every right to feel so. Sorry but you have no right to tell him what he should or should not be offended by.

Bogey not all black people are offended by the same stuff so your husband is wrong to judge what another black person does or doesn't find offensive.

Some people seem to look for things to be offended at. Gawd.

Sorry but you have no right to tell him what he should or should not be offended by

Perhaps not but she at least has the right to tell him to grow up if he's serious about chucking the product out instead af 'allowing' the OP to use it on their daughter's hair?

Being over sensitive is one thing, but massively over reacting in that way is quite another imo.

I know that hairy but was simply trying to put the opinion of someone who is more similar to the OPs DH than I am!

He isnt judging anyone, merely stating that in his opinion it is an over reaction.

I just think things like this undermine real cases of racism.

Thank God that Extremepie has posted on here!

I was going to ask what does R & B stand for as surely that is the whole issue.

Tell your DH that the product is called revive and balance but is shortened to R&B. Problem solved surely.

Buy it, try it and then post back here, so I can use you as my guinea pigs

So do I Hammy

(Waits for a crowd of angry guinea pigs to post saying they're offended by Jaquelines comment

well now that we know what R & B means, tell him and see what he says.

Oh and another one here who's DP isn't at all offended by the product, but he is offended by the idea that somone can shout racism at the term R&B being used.

No offence was intended to any guinea pigs and none were harmed in the posting of my comment.

I think 'Revive and Balance' being shortened to R&B is a stroke of advertising genius and will appeal to the younger people totally.

I might try the product for my DD. I'm black and don't find it at all racist. Maybe I just don't get it.

DH has just come back and said that he had thought about it (in the loo, lovely!) and said

"Some people just look for reasons to be offended, if someone calls him a N*** then fair enough, smack them in the mouth, I'd help him! But to take offence at something like that is fucking stupid"

So there you go. It has incensed my DH too now but in a different way :o

Try KMS products - really good for afro + curly dry hair. Also Kerastase. Expensive but worth it.

But did he have a good shit, Bogey?