"A" mark. "B" mark.
What's a hair day?
There are so many different types of hair days.
I feel like when Black women think of hair day,
they think of wash day, they think of sore arms.
Detangling to conditioning to hot oil treatments.
When I was a kid, that meant, like, leaning over a sink
and my mom... like, at awkward angles,
and my mom putting my head in the sink
and running water and shampooing my hair.
What comes to mind for me are the Saturdays,
every other Saturday,
when my mom would take my sister and I to the hairdresser.
Nope.
We're gonna be late!
Diane, what are you doing?
Oh, my God. Are you doing this again?
You don't need a perfect ponytail.
Yaya is gonna be doing your hair in an hour.
Says the woman who Swiffers before the housekeeper comes.
That's 'cause I don't want her to think we're gross.
Okay, let's go.
Get a hat. Get a scarf.
We got an appointment!
Are you really gonna try to cover Black hair in 22 minutes?
- Yeah. - Good luck.
Synced & corrected by kinglouisxx www.addic7ed.com
06x11 - Hair Day
Diane, why are you dragging your feet?
You love the salon.
We love the salon.
The salon is our thing.
I thought me stealing your makeup was our thing.
Okay, that's new information.
But we also have the salon.
Mom, I don't like having my hair done,
I like my hair did.
I would say 10 to 11 hours
to get my hair braided in this style.
You literally will go home probably from a headache
because your braids are too tight.
We would go, and there was hair burning
all through that hair salon.
But you know that they say beauty sees no pain.
Well, then, why don't you just look at this as an opportunity
to spend some quality time with your mom?
Yes. Quality time with Mom changes everything.
You know, sometimes I just take out your old barrettes,
and I look at them.
When I was younger, my mom used to always love
putting my hair in two-strand twists
with little bobbles at the end.
Usually, it was a center part
with two pigtails and barrettes on the end.
Most of the time, it was two ponytails
that would end up like this.
She'd put it together on my hair and then put me under the dryer
and took it out and started with the little natural comb,
and we had naturals together.
- Ah, ah, ah, ah. Don't scratch. - Oh.
You got a relaxer coming.
Unless you want that head to be on fire,
you better just pat.
You know when you guys tell me not to scratch,
it itches more.
This is torture.
Torture?
Oh, sweetie, your generation got it easy
with your latex gloves and your Vaseline.
In my day, they'd hold you by the ankle,
dip in you in lye like a candy apple.
That is absolutely not true, Ruby.
You weren't there.
Okay.
Are you guys coming back from an ugly T-shirt contest?
Huh? You know every time I bring out
the 1995 Johnson Family Reunion T-shirt,
I'm about to barbecue.
I've thrown that shirt away like four times, Dre.
I know.
I've dug it out four times, Bow.
- Respect the uniform, okay? - Okay.
I'm about to teach my son how to barbecue.
- Mm-hmm. - We're gonna cook a butt.
Yeah, we're gonna put our foot in that butt.
Technically, son, it's a shoulder,
but I love your enthusiasm.
I love you, baby, but it's been a minute
since you've been on that smoker.
What you gonna do next,
break out the Bowflex?
Remember that?
It's an entire home gym, Mama.
- Yeah, well... - No regrets!
♪ I do my hair toss, check my nails ♪
♪ Baby, how you feelin'? ♪
♪ Feelin' good as hell ♪
♪ Hair toss, check my nails ♪
♪ Baby, how you feelin'? ♪
♪ Feelin' good as hell ♪
♪ Whoo, child, tired of the foolish ♪
♪ Go on, dust your shoulders off, keep it movin' ♪
- Hey. - Hey.
- Oh, hey. - Hey.
- How are ya? - Hey.
Hi, Diane. Hi, Bow.
- Hey. - Hi, Bow. Hi, Diane.
Um, y'all are early.
Oh, no, we're actually 35 minutes late, Yaya.
So sorry.
Like I said, y'all are early. So, um, have a seat.
Oh, okay, okay.
The stories in the salon,
definitely, it's like a family environment.
Everyone's talking about their man and their problems,
and it's just funny.
Somebody always comes in, selling, like, fake Prada.
They asked me so many different things
that made me feel like they were just family.
Our mothers would get their hair done also.
So it was always, like, a fun day.
To be able to share things and laugh about things,
and your hairdresser is your shrink.
♪ Feelin' good as hell ♪
I knew we could've stopped for a latte.
♪ Feelin' good as hell ♪
Here we go, son.
Jack, meet Proud Mary.
Uh, hold up. I thought this was garbage.
Does this look like garbage to you?
I feel like I just answered that question.
Oh, wow.
Proud Mary is looking real crusty.
You sure we don't need a tetanus shot
before we eat off this thing?
Why don't you save yourself the trouble
and get an electric smoker?
An electric what?
What are you gonna do, vape some ribs?
I'm teaching Jack to be a Pitmaster,
and a Pitmaster's job is to tend to the fire,
for without fire, there is no smoke,
and if there is no smoke, there is no barbecue.
Anybody can season meat and put it in an Easy-Bake Oven.
Look, Dad, you know I respect your outdated beliefs.
I don't even say anything when you call meetings powwows.
- Mm. - But electric smokers?
They're the future of barbecue.
You know what? I'll show you.
Let's have a good old-fashioned cook off.
Fine.
Loser puts his hand on a hot grill.
I was thinking more like a trophy
with, like, a little pig on it.
Bet.
Okay, ladies remind me what you're getting.
I'm getting the usual with a little bam on it.
Oh, I-I want the braids with, like, the jewelry in it.
- And... And Diane is gonna get... - Oh, Mom, got this.
- Oh, okay. - Same old, same old.
Just getting my relaxer touched up.
What a relaxer is... it is a creamy chemical substance
which takes kinky, curly hair, and straightens it.
I got my first relaxer when I was 7.
I begged, begged for straight hair.
Getting a relaxer can be very painful.
And you'd sit there while it burned in little, bitty parts,
and then she'd say, "Hold on.
Ba... Just... J-J... Don't be tender-headed."
Oh, Diane, I'm gonna make you look great.
Okay, boo?
Okay, so, are we up soon?
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're next.
- Oh, good. - Okay.
Um, let me just rinse out Carol and put her under the dryer
and then I need to dust up Lisa a little bit,
and then I need to get Carol from under the dryer,
and then I got to have a three-piece.
You know what I'm saying.
And then after that, y'all next.
Tha... Thanks, Yaya.
See? We are next.
Diane?
Yaya's finally ready for you.
Boy, you were really knocked out there.
Yeah.
Ms. Yaya.
- Hmm? - It's kind of tingling.
You are so tender-headed.
Okay, it smells like something's burning.
I think my hair's on fire.
You are crazy, Diane.
There's still hair. I still have hair.
Not if I have anything to do with it.
What's wrong?
I'm never putting that stuff in my hair again.
I am done with relaxers.
Okay.
Are you having a hair freakout?
Here we go again.
Y'all ladies really need to start
having your hair epiphanies at home.
- I... I just can't do it. - Okay.
- I-I had this dream, right? - Mm-hmm.
And my hair was on fire and it was falling out,
and the relaxer was trying to kill me.
- What? - I think the dream was a sign
that I need to move beyond relaxers.
- Yeah. - That sounds fine.
Sounds like you're ready for some sort of big change.
Maybe we should go home, have a conversation about it.
We can pull out some hair magazines,
Google some stuff,
maybe make a Pinterest board,
get your sister on the phone, ta...
Or we can just consult with the professionals here.
Yeah, we could do that.
We could definitely have that very intimate conversation
with a whole bunch of people who did not give birth to you.
All right, Diane.
What are you thinking?
Okay, well, just spit-balling here.
A press and curl.
- Okay. - I can have the same look,
and my routine is relatively unchanged.
But you know what that means, right?
- Ugh. - Yeah.
Right.
It's Diane Johnson's Celebrity Hot Tub Party!
And now, here is the one and only Diane Johnson!
Ta!
One, two, three, four!
Hey!
♪ Hot tub, gonna make me sweat ♪
♪ I say, hot tub ♪
Whoo!
♪ Rub-a-dub in the, in the hot tub ♪
Can I ask y'all something?
Yeah!
- Can I get in the hot tub? - No!
- Can I get in the sauna? - No!
Can I go swimming?
Try a swim cap.
Well, well, well.
Well, all right, sounds like you are ready for something new.
A new choice.
What about...
You want to go natural?
In thinking about my own hair journey,
it's been such a long process.
It started... Well, the year was 1985.
You know Yaya has other clients, right?
- Yes, I was... - Oh, finally. Somebody had to say it.
Okay. Okay.
Um, just give me the real here, all right?
Um, if I decided to go natural...
- Mm-hmm. - ...how would this go?
Well, you would start with the big chop.
The big chop?
Oh, did somebody say "the big chop"?
Oh, my chair is open.
I can get you natural in less than 10 minutes.
What is she talking about?
Basically, the big chop means
that we cut off all the relaxed hair,
and what's left is a really cute short haircut.
It's the only way to go.
I have to shave my head right now?
No, Diane, you do not have to shave your head right now.
You can transition at your own pace.
You can let your hair grow out,
and then, when you are ready,
then we can cut off the relaxed ends.
Yeah, but don't wait too long.
Right, Angie?
I just want to grow it out a little bit more.
Okay, girl.
Oh, you see that, son?
The low flame is doing its job.
Ah, fantastic, Dad.
W-With all the smoke,
I haven't been able to see for two hours.
Dre, when you asked me
to come over here for barbecue,
I thought it was to eat barbecue, not watch barbecue.
This is better.
I don't know why you guys are stressing.
This is super easy for me.
Now, tell me how this works.
If you don't have to nurture a smoker all day,
how else do you get that delicious, smoky smell
that seeps so deeply into your pores
that carcinogens show up in your blood work?
You don't.
Yeah.
Well, that's not real barbecue.
Okay, fine.
Jack, you stay here with these elderly gentlemen
and discuss how things have always been done.
Me? I'm gonna go run an errand
at, uh, I don't know, Dave & Buster's.
Ah, uh, funny.
Well, I also have an errand to run at Dave & Buster's.
You got this, right, Dad?
Really, Jack?
We're trying to pass down Black culinary tradition,
and you want to dip out on it to go whack-a-mole?
Uh, yes?
Uh, no. You're grounded.
And your punishment is to sit here and watch smoke,
just like all the other great Black men before you.
Trust me, son.
One day, you'll thank me.
Well, gentlemen, I'm off.
Enjoy your prison of tradition.
Ah, silent resentment between father and son.
Now we're barbecuing.
So, what do you think?
Let's talk more options.
I've got braids.
Dookie braids. "Poetic Justice" braids.
And I have three different...
no, I have four different colors in my braids.
Twist outs, braid outs, bantu knots, kinky twists.
I love my hair. It's versatile. I can do what I want.
If I want it straight, I can do that. I can do this.
Updos, down 'dos, ponytails, pigtails.
So, what do you think,
now that you've heard all the options?
Incorrect.
There's one more option you haven't talked about.
Oh.
You know, people ask me
how I keep looking so fresh, so young, so hip.
And I usually say to those people,
"Mind your own damn business."
But today, I'm happy to let you in on the secret.
Welcome to my wigs.
This is LaTavia.
She's a workhorse.
Perfect for a cup of coffee or a trip to The Grove.
Danita, my getaway wig.
Oh, she holds on tight.
Kelly.
Now, I don't wear her often, but when I do,
it's typically to court
or a White person's funeral.
And I call this one Stella
'cause she helped me get my groove all the way back.
My daughter does not need a getaway wig.
Well, what else is the girl gonna do, Rainbow?
Definitely not wear a wig, Grandma.
Exactly. Put the girl in braids, and call it a day.
Yeah, that's a good idea.
And when she's grown her hair out,
I can hook her up with some locs.
How's that sound, Diane?
- Oh, well... - You all need to stop treating this
like an opportunity to poach my client.
Diane needs to make her own decision.
That's right. Let the girl decide.
And if she decides to chop it all off
and she ends up liking the way it looks, then she...
- I will cut you, RochZe. - Come at me.
Okay, everybody, back off.
Diane, this is your decision.
You don't have to listen to any of these people.
It's up to you. What do you want to do?
Forget it. It's too much.
I'm just gonna keep it the same.
Give me the touch-up.
All right, it's just me and you.
What's really going on?
I didn't know this decision was gonna be so hard.
Now I just want to go back to what I know.
Well, okay,
if you want to go back to relaxing your hair,
that's fine, I'll support you,
but is that really how you feel?
I feel like I'm gonna make the wrong choice.
Oh.
There is no such thing as a wrong choice.
And despite what the world tells us,
all Black hair is beautiful.
Truly.
Let me show you.
There's so many styles to choose from.
♪ Doesn't matter if your hair is short or long ♪
♪ Deep conditionin' will keep it strong ♪
♪ Dye it blonde or wear it down ♪
♪ Do what you wanna ♪
♪ You'll still be melanin brown ♪
♪ Don't matter, you're still a Sistah ♪
♪ With a beautiful crown ♪
♪ Doesn't really matter how you wear your hair, little sister ♪
♪ Just remember to take care of it, my sister ♪
♪ Wear a silk bonnet and 'greaze it at night ♪
♪ And don't let um pull your edges too tight ♪
Listen to me, honey. I know what I'm talking about.
- That's right. - Fabulous.
Yeah.
Gorgeous.
Go ahead, girl.
Fresh.
- Sexy. - Mm-mm-mm.
Fine.
Regal.
Bad to the bone.
♪ Hair or not ♪
♪ If it's kinky, curly, or cropped ♪
♪ Box braids, Senegalese twist ♪
♪ Straight weaves down to my wrists ♪
♪ Doesn't matter if your hair is short or long ♪
♪ Deep conditioning will keep it strong ♪
That's right, girl.
♪ Dye it blonde or braid it down ♪
♪ Do what you wanna ♪
♪ You'll still be melanin brown ♪
- ♪ No matter, you're still a Sistah ♪ - ♪ Melanin brown ♪
♪ No matter, you're still a Sistah ♪
♪ With a beautiful crown ♪
♪ Buy Black ♪
You know we really should be doing that.
Wow.
So, there's no wrong choice.
Trust your instincts, and you've got this.
So, do you know what you want?
All right, let's get to
the actual reason we're here...
the taste test.
Oh, thank God.
- Yes, let's get to this meat. - Mm.
Start with the one on the left.
- Mm-hmm. - Okay.
- Mmm. It's nice. - Mm-hmm.
- Tender. - Mm-hmm.
I like how I can tell that this is pork.
Okay, the next one.
- All right. - Oh.
- Mmm. - Mmm.
This one has a little kick to it.
Mm-hmm.
I like how I can also taste that this is pork.
- Mm. - Oh, wait a minute.
Is that salt? Ooh, la, la.
So?
Mm.
Uh, I don't know.
It's kind of a tie for me.
A tie?
No.
You have to choose one, all right?
Which one tastes like it had the most love in it?
Um, the first one?
Yes, I would also have to give it to number one.
Boom! You just got beat by a lightbulb, old man.
Charlie, you know barbecue.
How could you do me like that?
Your son has made beautiful barbecue with his magic box.
Try it, Dre.
Okay. It's good.
Good as...?
Fine.
It's good as hell.
Congratulations, Junior.
I'm gonna go put Proud Mary down 'cause I'm done with barbecue.
But, Dad, isn't this just like the story that you told me,
the one where you challenged that one guy
to a dance battle at Freaknik?
Yes, son, it is.
And he handed me my ass.
But I can't be mad, though.
I should've never challenged a dude
who brought a whistle to a dance-off.
Didn't you say what happens at Freaknik stays at Freaknik?
How did you get these stories out of him?
I guess when you're going on hour six
of watching a fire slowly burn,
the stories just kind of spill out.
But I'm sure you had fun playing Skee-Ball.
Oh, my God.
- So, I'll do twist outs... - Okay.
...then maybe braids for a little bit.
Then I'll just cut my relaxed hair when I'm ready.
All right, that sounds like a plan.
- Yeah. - Can I tell you something?
You look amazing, and I'm so proud of you.
Thank you.
- Can I give you a hug? - Yeah.
All right.
Oh, I love you, sweetie.
- I love you, too. - Ah.
Oh, and, Mom?
Yes.
- You were right. - Huh?
I do like getting my hair done.
Oh.
Wow, Diane. Look at you.
You got new shoes.
Don't think I wouldn't notice.
Thanks.
- After all of that? - I know.
They have no idea what we go through.
I love the way I look.
And I think this is gonna be a cool phase
of my lifetime hair journey.
Wait, question for y'all.
Did everyone see the salon transform
during that musical number,
or was I high on salon fumes?
Mmm.
Dad, honestly, it was razor-thin.
Your barbecue is so good.
The secret is the sauce, son.
Mr. Fatts BBQ.
Never trust a sauce that doesn't
have a Black man's face on the label.
Oh, Dad.
I think that's just one of those companies
that slaps a random Black person on the label
to seem "authentic."
What? No, boy.
Me and Mr. Fatts have been rocking for years now.
Hell, I've known Mr. Fatts
longer than I've known your mama.
Yeah, I just looked it up,
and this is the owner of Mr. Fatts.
That's Mr. Jeremiah Fatts?
That's a white man laying on a hammock with his shoes off,
wearing Tommy Bahama.
Yep.
Looks like you've fallen for the Blackface of barbecue.
I've been bamboozled!
Synced & corrected by kinglouisxx www.addic7ed.com