by Kenny of Skinny-Kenny.com
Konnichiwa! Many of you may have seen my “on the couch” that was posted a few days ago. It was a bit awkward for me seeing as how I have never owned a couch in my entire life. The closest I have come to owning a couch, and the status it brings, is having a bean bag chair…
BALLINNN!
Why am I here? AND Why are you reading this?
Why am I here?
I am here to provide a male perspective on various things. And maybe stir up some controversy.
I have two sisters and occasionally I see the magazines they buy. You know the magazines I am talking about, where women are telling each other advice about men…
That makes as much sense as me asking a group of my male friends to describe pregnancy in detail pain and all.
Why are you reading this?
You will have to answer that question for yourself. I am in no position to tell you why you are reading this.
And now I would like to officially open up with a discussion. Awhile ago I read a story in which the surgeon general said, that Black women were forgoing health, mainly exercise, because of their hair.
In my case exercise comes first and foremost. I am an avid runner. And I think getting my hair sweaty and subsequently letting it remain sweaty for days on end helps to shape my hair. If you want to talk about going natural, then I believe this is going natural to the extreme. I don’t wash my hair so I rely on the sweat to clean it. Once or twice a month I will pour some water on it, but this is just because I like to shake my head violently like a big ole shaggy doggy.
So how far are you willing to go to maintain that cute hairstyle?
Will you put your health on the back burner to squeeze a few more days out of a particular hair style?
CN Says;
Unrelated… dude is funny as hell. This post– Rising from the Ashes
#dead
Kenny to answer your question as it relates to how you are viewed trying to obtain a job, I chopped all it off with 1.5 inches of kinky hair them a job called me for an interview, I started to worry about perception an how they may think I was going against the normal view of our western culture. I'm happy to report that I got the job an one year later I'm still there. Now don't get me wrong I don't think they treat me any different cause of my good an bad hair days, but every now an then I catch then looking at it a little off. But I learned from this experience is that it was my perception on how I thought they was going to veiw me, not really how they did:)
*giggling hysterically*
That is extreme, sweetie!
I don't love EVERY post on CN. A few I skip over. For those who don't "get" Kenny or his humor, I suggest you do the same.
But I'm not telling Nikki what she should not feature if *she* likes it. Last time I checked it was HER blog.
Funny!!! I will need him to do more than run water through his sweat ridden fro but what's good for the gander may not be good for the goose. I have just started working out (walking/running mostly) and have a twa'ish fro. I have no issue with co-washing and moving along.
S/N: His sense of humor may not be your cup of tea but I find it extremely easy to scroll past any article that is not of interest to me. I thank Curly Nikki and other contributors for providing this site with a wide array of information, lifestyles and perspectives.
Good addition to the sight Nikki! Welcome skinny kenny!
OMG… I love me some Skinny Kenny!! He had me in tears yesterday from laughin so hard. I really needed it too. Welcome…
I think that a male point of view will be helpful
WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!SKINNY KENNY !!!!!!!
Health is more important than hair
Oh man Kenny your blogspot is funny! Nikki I love it when you throw somin new in the mix 😉 To answer your question Kenny- I am a runner as well (Black Girls Run- Atlanta group). I set my hair for the week in flexirods and as my roots get bushier throughout the week – I moisturize, throw on a headband on and keep it moving until wash day. Being natural has pushed me even further into my healthy living phase so I have no problem sweating it out!
@K3NNY
Uwaaa thanks for the response senpai! I really really want to go to Yokohama or Nagoya! Heck, I'll take anywhere. My majors are Enviromental Engineering and Computer Science, I'm looking to move as soon as I'm done with graduate school. I'm also learning Korean and Portuguese on the side. I'm going to look at your blog for motivation.
Gammmmmmmbaru ne~?
-Tomi.
Wow Kenny, your story on your blog about 'craigslist living' is one of the the wildest things i've ever read!! I'm glad your here & whatever you want to do with your hair is your thing man. And yes, i've used any & every excuse not to work out. A fresh perm is one of the best excuses.
I noticed on a lot of natural hair blogs a lot of women get excited when a man shows up. Dude runs water through his hair once a month, doesn't comb it (the fork story WAS funny) and women on that other thread are telling him how much they love his knotted hair?- It would be hilarious if Kenny did a Youtube tutorial on how to get a "dread afro".
Love Kenny! LOL
I exercise almost everyday, so my health is definitely more important than looking "cute." Since I work out regularly, I don't waste my time doing difficult hairstyles that require too much attention, because it would be a waste of effort. On average, a simple wash 'n go is good enough for me. Besides…I've been told my hair looks its best when I don't put much effort into styling it. Go figure!
*waves* hi skinny kenny! love Love LOVE your blog lol. i love your hair too. glad to meetcha and welcome to CN! i have neglected workouts as a permie and as a natural sometimes. if i have a tight blow out or superbly stretched hair i've been known to skip it. but i'm getting better. working out outside helps cuz you don't sweat so much. whoever had the idea you had to sweat to lose is wrong. in fact you burn more calories working out outside because of all the fresh oxygen.
i've always loved CN the most because it's such a positive environment to uplift and encourage each other on our journeys. so….. what's up with ya'll TODAY? some of the comments are way unecessary *side eye*. actin all funky in front of company smh lol. (@najmaj you wouldn't be confused if you read the blog. ijs…)
He seems hella annoying. Not interested! Nikki please do NOT start featuring him. If people find him amusing, let them visit his blog or whatever. I don't want to see him here. I come here for relevant hair info, not advice from a wise-cracking nobody who refuses to wash his hair.
He said he was here to offer a "male perspective", but does he mean gay male?? I'm confused…..
Oh Kenny – you are HE-LAR-RE-US. I literally stayed up past midnight reading every post and enjoyed every minute of it. I turned my best friend on to it who is a prosecutor and you almost had her jailed for contempt in court today for laughing out loud. I would pay big dollars to see you whisper what you said you wanted to in that old ladies ear on the subway. So please keep it coming. I never understood why people who have already determined they dont like something, read it and then post something negative. Have you nothing better to do????
I have never taken my hair into consideration when deciding whether to exercise or not. This is mainly due to the fact that when my hair was relaxed I wasn't even aware that there was a certain 'care' required for it's maintenance. Now that I'm natural, and I've heard that exercise helps hair grow longer, I'm all for it.
My biggest hurdle is and has always been my own laziness. I don't understand why I have to run if the Zombie Apocalypse isn't upon us yet. Unless, of course, I'm training for said apocalypse.
I have never read Skinny Kenny's blog, but I'll check it out now.
To respond to the follow up question: it seems that my workplace hired me *because* I'm natural. LOL I just received a minority internship even though I have been there for a year already. The other two African American women (yeah… count us… three) I work with are also natural; they're curlies and I'm loc'ed.
Maybe some "mainstream" populations expect African American women to be, er, "ethnic-looking" and that includes so-called "exotic" hair or hairstyles. Of course the other equally valid and highly probable scenario is that we were the only qualified candidates of color to begin with. Maybe we didn't have to compete with women with more "acceptable" or mainstream hairstyles because only candidates with natural hair applied.
Frankly, in the professional world, I have only ever had jobs where neatness and professional decorum were expected of me. Beyond that, I think the boundaries of my personal look were pretty porous.
Hi Kenny! I think that you have and will continue to add richness and texture to this already fabulous site 🙂 Welcome!
The care and nurture I put into my hair is just apart of my efforts to care and nurture my entire being- although I don't really work out (living off of the residuals from about 10 years of intense weight lifting) but I am attempting to develop a solid yoga routine- but again my focus is always on the holistic side of things…but I would not sacrifice my physical health for the sake of a fly do…that is only one part of the picture…can't wait to see what else you will bring 🙂
Kenny, dude, you are HILARIOUS! I just read some of your blog during my break and my coworkers were giving me crazy looks as I laughed out loud.
Are you Japanese & Black? Nice exotic look!
Love him! He's HILARIOUS! Thanks for introducing Kenny to us, Nikki!
I don't get your sense of humor either, but I think you make a good point about health and hair. You are a guy but it is still gross (in my opinion) to only run water through your hair once or twice a month? Really! You must be single. As much as I love men who are masculine and a bit rough around the edges, stinky is just not an attribute that is attractive. Glad it works for you.
So excited to see you here, the natural hair community needs more men. Welcome!
I am crying laughing @ my desk… SMH! Skinny Kenny is HILARIOUS 🙂 You are welcome here brother!!!
Sometimes when I have a huge meeting or event the next day I won't exercise so it can last until then (Usually doing my hair a day before the meeting/event). But right after I am done I go work it out. The whole point as to why I went natural was to free myself from hair and do the things that I wanted to do without hesitation of what might happen to my hair.
@babyu21: That is the same post that had me in tears. Especially the shower part.
His tweets actually make me LOL!
Welcome Kenny!
Back in my relaxed days, I definitely sacrificed my workouts. One of the major benefits of going natural is being able to workout without worrying about my hair. I agree with you Kenny in that my hair seems to get better after a workout. I think it has something to do with the heat generated in my scalp from the workout, but whatever it is, my hair always looks more fierce afterwards. Also, I have fine strands and working out gives my hair more volume and the appearance of thicker hair. I workout 5 to 6 days a week and by the end of the week, my afro/puff is off the chain!
Bridget D.
Run on Kenny! Run on to the Finish Line! Get your work out on! Who cares about how fabbbbuuulloouuss a twist out or braid out is when you got four toes in the grave and the other foot on a banana peel because of lack of exercise and poor diet. In my best Spike Lee (School Daze's voice)..WAKE UP BLACK PEOPLE!!!!!!!
Your blog is hilarious!
OMG his post about looking for a place to stay and picking the spot with all the random folks strolling in and out had me rolling. I really needed that laugh today. Welcome Kenny and I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Konnichiwa Kenny! Hn, the main thing natural hair has effected is my wallet (read: Hn, this is thicker than it used to be!) and it made me change my eating habits a little bit. Working out was important pre-natural coils as well as post-natural coils. As for the bread and butter situation, I'm thankful that my job accepts natural hair!
Thanks for posting! Sooooo glad that a male perspective is here! 😀
Hi Kenny,
Glad to see your follow up post! I had a chance to view your blog and it's very funny.
I've never sacrificed health for hair…not even when I was relaxed. I always strength train and work up a good sweat 3-4 times a week. My scalp and hair get sweaty but I just rinse it with conditoner and then put it into a damp bun until I can restyle later that evening.
WMH 🙂
トミーさんどうぞよろしく~
日本語めっちゃうまい！スゲー！！
でもCurly Nikkiの人は英語だけ読む。。。そして日本語たいへん。
私は大阪市に３年間住んでいました。ほんまに楽しかった！どこに行きたい？ ありがとうこのブログ一所懸命書く。
Thanks everyone for the comments. Even the people who are a bit hostile. I'm a comedian, so I'm used to it. There have been times where I speed through my final joke and bolted out the front door to escape a beat down…
I think going natural is not only beautiful but healthy! To people going natural do you face any hurdles/setbacks from your job?
I would hope that jobs would weigh the pros and cons. I know some jobs are more comfortable if you have straightened/westernized hair, but I think that they would have to weigh in any increased health costs on the insurance side, from exercise foregone to maintain that western look. But then again most jobs are slashing benefits. Like transvestites with box cutters out back of a waffle house.
Yes….I did! Back in my relaxed days, I got my hair done professionally every two weeks and that first week I avoided workouts. I never really thought missing a few workouts was jeopardizing my health…but looking back maybe it was. I think the black woman obesity issue is much deeper than saving our hairdo…..its a factor but not a cause.
Now I take Bikram Yoga (Hot yoga) 3 or 4 times a week and sweat buckets…..my hair is not an issue. I give my hair what it needs. If my scalp is itchy, my hair is dry or icky….I wash it and start over again…I am a WNG Queen. Thats the beauty of natural hair.
Lol,Please kenny water rinse or co wash at least. i dont mind wetting my hair everyday so i can sacrifice the style.
I like him already
Hi Kenny!! You are soooo right when it comes to women, hair and exercise! It is truly sad that some of us are eating ourselves into oblivion while having great hair and absolutely NO interest in exercising.
As for me, I am training for a marathon and am currently spinning 5x per week and running 4-5 mi 6x/per wk. Sweat city, right? Hair gets sweaty, but conditioner and a nice high bun helps keep the lower buns tight.
I am so HAPPY to hear your perspective and commentary on this important issue, as I think as a whole, the women in our community have been pegged with stereotype that we are willing to sacrifice ANYTHING for our hair. Some of us do not!
I would never sacrifice working out over a hairstyle. But in the past, I would have to spend HOURS doing my hair because I would workout so much and after a good workout, a straight hairdo is pretty much ruined. Now that I'm natural, I love the simplicity of doing my hair and being able to wash it whenever I want.
On a side note, Kenny I agree with the ladies that you might want to start co-washing just for health reasons. But then again, whatever works for you is cool too. Love your hair!
*chucking at some of the comments*
Hi Kenny, welcome. To answer your question, I don't put hair over health. Not even when I was relaxed. Then again, I've never worn elaborate hairstyles. Ponytails, braids, and twists. If I sweat my brains out during a workout session, I gently blot my scalp with a towel and KIM. I may or may not remember to wash my hair when I get home, but I have never experienced scalp funk from this.
I know there's a lot of discussion about the drying effects of sweat on the scalp, and how the scalp needs to be rinsed immediately, but for me personally, I don't pay it no mind.
I'm sorry, I was too busy staring at your pretty face and hair to listen to what you were saying…
Nah, I work out between 3-5 times a week depending on how exhausted I am. It doesn't really affect my hair, forget it if I have twists. BodyRock.tv all day. Or for half an hour or so, I'm a busy person.
Not really feeling this…
I concur Nikki…this guy is funny! Men really are from Mars and women from Venus! Because no women would be caught dead without washing her hair (rindsing only about twice a monthly,only with water and letting the sweat clean thier hair…what about the "salt" that accumulates? Hun???? He also didn't mention any use of products…I don't think he uses those either!lol I guess men (some men) aren't into as much up keep as we are! Lol
How were we supposed to know it was SARCASM? It just sounded like a rude comment with no "just kidding" or "ha ha ha" after it.
Let's try this: lildee is annoying and not even funny. Why is she here?
@ anonymous 11:44
It's called SARCASM. I know why he's here. I can see from the posts plenty of ladies love him and that's fine. I don't and that's fine too. But whatevs, I'm not about to get into a blog debate. It's my comment, it stands, it's over. I would never demand anything of Nikki…I too greatly appreciate the service she provides. Again it was SARCARSM. Man…looking for a fight ain't cha! Not gonna get one here. Have a fantastic day!
Um you're a cutie Kenny, but that sweat 'cleaning the scalp' thing….boyyyyy….no…just no. lmao
Have you tried co-washing? lol…you don't even have to conditoner afterwards, just find a silicone fr-…you know what, just find any conditioner, LOL…and wash like you'd do with shampoo.
Skinny Kenny, welcome aboard!! Actually exercising is the reason I decided to go natural one year ago. I looked up one day and realized that I had packed on about 20 pounds since having two kids over a six year span. Not good. So, off I went to lose the weight; however, the perm was suffering the more I would sweat. My stylist —bless her heart tried to work some styles that would be more accomodating (without doing braids or weaves). After doing much internet research and coming up empty handed, I decided to stop perming my hair altogether. One year and minus 30 pounds lighter I am natural, happy, healthier than I have been in a while and wondering why I did not do this sooner. So…..for me exercise is way more important than a so so fly do!
@lildee.. Lol, you have a lot of nerve demanding explanation from Nikki. He was added to give a man's perspective, to entertain, to test out something new. His post on the couch received a lot of comments and request from readers (gasp, sorry, you're not the only one who reads this blog) to talk about natural hair from a man's perspective. Seriously if you don't like the post, skip it. No need for rude demands. Nikki doesn't have to explain nada, nothing, niks.
He is hilarious im reading his blog at work and i have tears in my eyes and yes exercising is more important than a hairstyle <3
Lol. I read his blog during class today nikki! Had me snickering and snorting in class! Lol. Especially when he was looking for his glasses under a girl's bed and she accusd him of trying to steal her stuff lol. It's funnier when he types it. Back to topic: getting rid of my mike tyson thighs waaaaay more important than a cute hairstyle.
Ummm Skinny Kenny is annoying. Now explain to me again, Nikki, how he is helpful (or even funny).
はじめまして！
私の名前はトミーです～どうぞよろしくおねがいします！
ケンニーお兄さんはとても打つ記しいともいます。。。とにかくがんばるね！子供のときに、日本に行きたい～ In short, I'm jealous. Be my friend, おねがいせんぱい～<3
Alright that's enough of that. 😀 Welcome aboard!
Oh! I forgot to say….私の日本語はあんまり上手です。でも。。。日本語を勉強して一緒にか？日本語を麦価利はなしてください。
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Yay!!!!!!! Glad to have you amongst us Skinny Kenny! Welcome!