The whole trend of Black women dyeing their hair blond or other colors goes back to the 1960s. I remember seeing a movie with my aunt in which there was a Black nurse who had her hair dyed blond. I was astonished to find out that Black people getting their hair dyed blond originally started back in those days, so I asked my aunt why on Earth did that Black woman in the movie have her hair dyed blond. My aunt told me that it was a way for Black people back in those days to be like white people. Another example of this trend is the fact that back in those days, many Black men were still getting their hair relaxed to straighten it out.
The trend of Black women dyeing their hair came back in full force in the late 1990s when many Black women in the music industry began to dye their hair blond. Originally, this trend was more of a fashion statement than Black people trying to imitate white people; whereas, after the 90s, the trend began to get out of hand with many people making fun of certain Black celebrities who dyed their hair in colors that seemed to them to be outlandish.
Nowadays, it's very hard to walk or drive anywhere in America and not see a Black woman who has her hair dyed blond or some other colors. In many ways, it is still a way for Black women to express themselves and a way to enhance their beauty in the eyes or opinions of others, but in other ways, it's a way for many Black women to pretend they are not "really" Black or 100% Black, which in fact many of them aren't as a result of years and years of interracial relationship dating all the way back to slavery.
Many Black women in the music industry of this new millennium have either caught flack for dyeing their hair certain colors or have simply just further accelerated many people's disdain or lack of respect for such artists. Take the recording artist Nicki Minaj, for example, an artist who has a reputation for displays of outlandish or bizarre behavior that is a part of her persona as a recording artist. She has been seen with her hair dyed in colors such as pink, red, or blue, hair colors that are not possible for any human being on Earth to have. She even had portions of her hair dyed different colors of the entire rainbow all at the same time. However, all of this behavior is acceptable on the part of Nicki Minaj because of the simple fact that she is a "successful" recording artist. Kudos to you Nicki Minaj . . . I mean she does come out with some nice singles every now and then.
When it comes to dyed hair, many Black women take great pains to get it or maintain it. Take the example of Beyonce, she is not a natural blond. No Black woman is a natural blond. However, ever since she came out with the hit single "No, no, no, no," her first debut single when she was a part of the singing group Destiny's Child, she has had blond hair. Has anyone ever noticed this or said anything about this? No, they haven't. Why hasn't anyone said anything about this? Because we're talking about Beyonce. That's why. Also, did I mention the fact that she's always had her hair that way? No one really ever cared about Beyonce's hair to begin with.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
#6 Oversized White Ts
There are several issues with this entry. For example, Black people obviously are not the only people who wear White Ts. Also, wearing the White T was a very popular part of the style of the 50s and, furthermore, many white people wear white Ts, especially the V-neck White T. I chose, however, to put the White T as an entry to this for several reasons. Among these reasons is the fact, in the 90s up until nowadays, Black people have contributed to the popularization of the White T through street and hip hop culture which are basically one and the same thing.
The populariztion of the White T has made it so that many Black people will wear a white T almost everywhere they go. In addition, the popular form of the white T is not a regular sized T-shirt but a white T-shirt that is made as large as possible for the particular consumer. The fashion statement of the white T is also obvious to anyone who is "hip," meanning anyone who knows about and fits into street and hip hop culture. The most obvious message is that of the persons social class standing.
The white T, as a result, is in direct opposition to the suit and tie. The suit and tie says that I am a part of the "system," which many white T fanatics are basically against. It also says that the person is a conformist and agrees with the values of mainstream America. The white T is not fancy, it's not luxurious, and it's not neat. If you notice a person wearing the oversized white T, it is possible that you may also notice that the T that the person has on is not exactly the most orderly or neat shirt on Earth.
Because of the nature of the oversized white T in street and hip hop culture, the fashion statement is obvioius. The white T says "I am not a conformist," "I am not a suit," "I am not a part of the system or the establishment," and "I don't necessarily agree with mainstream American values." This opposition is evident in the fact that the oversized T is not acceptable wear in corporate America or for almost any job and mainstream society dictates that collared shirts are more acceptable. Just go to any restaurant, office, convenience store, or any place where people are working. You will notice that everyone had on at least a collared T shirt if not a long sleave shirt with a collar. Even mechanics wear collared shirts for Christ's sake.
The popularization of the oversized T is also a direct result of institutionalized racism and oppression, in other words, "the system" that so many people in street and hip hop culture complain about. It's a form of expression. It says that the person is "down with it," "down for whatever," or "hip to the game." All of these phrases basically means that the person is ready for what social situations may come about within the social circles that are a part of in street and hip hop culture.
The populariztion of the White T has made it so that many Black people will wear a white T almost everywhere they go. In addition, the popular form of the white T is not a regular sized T-shirt but a white T-shirt that is made as large as possible for the particular consumer. The fashion statement of the white T is also obvious to anyone who is "hip," meanning anyone who knows about and fits into street and hip hop culture. The most obvious message is that of the persons social class standing.
The white T, as a result, is in direct opposition to the suit and tie. The suit and tie says that I am a part of the "system," which many white T fanatics are basically against. It also says that the person is a conformist and agrees with the values of mainstream America. The white T is not fancy, it's not luxurious, and it's not neat. If you notice a person wearing the oversized white T, it is possible that you may also notice that the T that the person has on is not exactly the most orderly or neat shirt on Earth.
Because of the nature of the oversized white T in street and hip hop culture, the fashion statement is obvioius. The white T says "I am not a conformist," "I am not a suit," "I am not a part of the system or the establishment," and "I don't necessarily agree with mainstream American values." This opposition is evident in the fact that the oversized T is not acceptable wear in corporate America or for almost any job and mainstream society dictates that collared shirts are more acceptable. Just go to any restaurant, office, convenience store, or any place where people are working. You will notice that everyone had on at least a collared T shirt if not a long sleave shirt with a collar. Even mechanics wear collared shirts for Christ's sake.
The popularization of the oversized T is also a direct result of institutionalized racism and oppression, in other words, "the system" that so many people in street and hip hop culture complain about. It's a form of expression. It says that the person is "down with it," "down for whatever," or "hip to the game." All of these phrases basically means that the person is ready for what social situations may come about within the social circles that are a part of in street and hip hop culture.
Friday, September 2, 2011
#5 Louis Vuitton
"What's wrong with liking Louis Vuitton," you might ask. A lot, I might say for reasons that I can very easily explain. Let me just start by telling a story. Once upon a time, in a far away land called the Bronx, a young man was at a laundromat doing his laundry when he happened to notice another might who was maybe five to ten years older, with a Louis Vuitton hat on.
"Well, why would this man feel the need to wear a Louis Vuitton hat just to go to the laundromat," you might ask. Because he wanted to be noticed at the laundromat with his stupid Louis Vuitton hat on. That's why. To top things off, after a few minutes of parading around the rant down (yes, I said rant down, because it was rant down) laundromat in his brand new Louis Vuitton hat, the old man left the laundromat for the sole purpose of going home to put on a different Louis Vuitton hat so that he could parade around the laundromat in that Louis Vuitton hat too.
Let me explain something about Louis Vuitton. I have a big, big problem with them. You might be wondering why I have a problem with Louis Vuitton. "It's a very expensive, high-ended retailer," you're probably saying. That means nothing to me and I can explain why. You see, a couple of years ago, I was watching video fashion daily when I happened to see a Louis Vuitton show on this channel. I was shock, appauled, and horified that it was legal for human beings to parade around in the trash that they put on their bodies in that show. I have to find the trailer for that show because it's just real disgusting to the point that the rating to my blog will only increase simply because of the horrifying things that people will see in that trailer. Shame on you Videofasion Daily! Shame on you Louis Vuitton! You both know better than that!
Now, to get back to my point, Black people love Louis Vuitton. Why? Because it's a very high-end, expensive retailer, because Black people feel that they deserve everything because they want it, and because if something is expensive, nine times out of ten, a Black person will want it. Oh, also, did I mention that Black people love European designers? They may not even be able to pronounce the name of the designer, but they will like it anyway. Hence the tendency say things like "Fa-Sah-Chee" instead of "Ver-Sah-Chee" for Versace. Also, Louis Vuitton is European ergo Black people love Louis Vuitton in droves. Once again I don't mean to say that all Black people love Louis Vuitton, however it is safe to say that, in the U.S., Black people alone probably help Louis Vuitton's revenues remain in the billions.
And another thing . . . many Black people are fashion victims. Many of them will buy things just because it matches with what they have on or just because it was made by an American or European designer. Therefore, whatever Louis Vuitton makes, Black people will forms lines just to purchase these items because they are supposed to have the best things in life. I know Janet, the best things in life are supposed to be free, but evidently somebody lied to you because so many Black people are spending thousands of dollars on the atrocities (see above comments about Louis Vuitton and Videofashion Daily) that Louis Vuitton commits on a daily basis.
"Well, why would this man feel the need to wear a Louis Vuitton hat just to go to the laundromat," you might ask. Because he wanted to be noticed at the laundromat with his stupid Louis Vuitton hat on. That's why. To top things off, after a few minutes of parading around the rant down (yes, I said rant down, because it was rant down) laundromat in his brand new Louis Vuitton hat, the old man left the laundromat for the sole purpose of going home to put on a different Louis Vuitton hat so that he could parade around the laundromat in that Louis Vuitton hat too.
Let me explain something about Louis Vuitton. I have a big, big problem with them. You might be wondering why I have a problem with Louis Vuitton. "It's a very expensive, high-ended retailer," you're probably saying. That means nothing to me and I can explain why. You see, a couple of years ago, I was watching video fashion daily when I happened to see a Louis Vuitton show on this channel. I was shock, appauled, and horified that it was legal for human beings to parade around in the trash that they put on their bodies in that show. I have to find the trailer for that show because it's just real disgusting to the point that the rating to my blog will only increase simply because of the horrifying things that people will see in that trailer. Shame on you Videofasion Daily! Shame on you Louis Vuitton! You both know better than that!
Now, to get back to my point, Black people love Louis Vuitton. Why? Because it's a very high-end, expensive retailer, because Black people feel that they deserve everything because they want it, and because if something is expensive, nine times out of ten, a Black person will want it. Oh, also, did I mention that Black people love European designers? They may not even be able to pronounce the name of the designer, but they will like it anyway. Hence the tendency say things like "Fa-Sah-Chee" instead of "Ver-Sah-Chee" for Versace. Also, Louis Vuitton is European ergo Black people love Louis Vuitton in droves. Once again I don't mean to say that all Black people love Louis Vuitton, however it is safe to say that, in the U.S., Black people alone probably help Louis Vuitton's revenues remain in the billions.
And another thing . . . many Black people are fashion victims. Many of them will buy things just because it matches with what they have on or just because it was made by an American or European designer. Therefore, whatever Louis Vuitton makes, Black people will forms lines just to purchase these items because they are supposed to have the best things in life. I know Janet, the best things in life are supposed to be free, but evidently somebody lied to you because so many Black people are spending thousands of dollars on the atrocities (see above comments about Louis Vuitton and Videofashion Daily) that Louis Vuitton commits on a daily basis.
#4 Check cashing places
Several years ago, when I was working this job I had, I met this guy. He was a black man. He also did not have a bank account. When I first heard him talking about the fact that he did not have a bank account, I asked why he didn't have one. He didn't really want to say. It took some time for him to realise that he really needed to get a bank account. Other people at work had to stage an intervention with him to get him to realise that nothing was going to happen to his money once he had it directly deposited into his account, which was another thing he was against.
Okay, Black people across America, I am not trying to say that all Black people like check cashing places, that would be impossible, but they are popular among many African-Americans. Why is this the case? Some Black people just are not able to open a bank account. Yes, it happens. Many of them run into financial problems that are so bad, banks do not even want to open accounts in their name. Therefore, many black people turn to the only logical alternative they have.
Just think about it. If you can't open a bank account, where else are you going to go to get the money from your check? The only place I can think of is the check cashing place. If you try to go to a bank to cash your check, the bank will require that you have an account with them or that you create one upon cashing the check. This creates a problem. If you don't have an account or you can't even create one to begin with, the bank is not an option at all. Alas, alas . . . that leaves a person in the clutches of the crowded check cashing place around the corner.
Another reason that many African-Americans like check cashing places is because they want to have the money from their check in their hands immediately. I have heard many Black people say this. Even after I tell them that they can still have immediate access to their money with a checking account and a debit card, they still say "no" to checking accounts. It's just a mentality that many African-American people have. Go figure.
Also, many Black people, just like many people in general, do not trust banks. Why is it that they don't trust banks? Have you seen what has happened to the financial industry in the past couple of years? Many Black people don't trust banks because banks are a part of the "system" and anything about the "system," which enslaved Black people over a century ago, is not to be trusted. Why is the "system" not to be trusted? Because the "system" is controlled by the "Man", meaning the "White man" and, for many Blacks, white people aren't to be trusted because of racism and oppression. In other words, the "system" is designed to oppress Black people and keep rich people, a.k.a. white people, rich. It may sound like I am going out on a limb here, but try talking to many Black people. You will find that a lot of them feel this way about banks and most of them are poor, undereducated people.
Okay, Black people across America, I am not trying to say that all Black people like check cashing places, that would be impossible, but they are popular among many African-Americans. Why is this the case? Some Black people just are not able to open a bank account. Yes, it happens. Many of them run into financial problems that are so bad, banks do not even want to open accounts in their name. Therefore, many black people turn to the only logical alternative they have.
Just think about it. If you can't open a bank account, where else are you going to go to get the money from your check? The only place I can think of is the check cashing place. If you try to go to a bank to cash your check, the bank will require that you have an account with them or that you create one upon cashing the check. This creates a problem. If you don't have an account or you can't even create one to begin with, the bank is not an option at all. Alas, alas . . . that leaves a person in the clutches of the crowded check cashing place around the corner.
Another reason that many African-Americans like check cashing places is because they want to have the money from their check in their hands immediately. I have heard many Black people say this. Even after I tell them that they can still have immediate access to their money with a checking account and a debit card, they still say "no" to checking accounts. It's just a mentality that many African-American people have. Go figure.
Also, many Black people, just like many people in general, do not trust banks. Why is it that they don't trust banks? Have you seen what has happened to the financial industry in the past couple of years? Many Black people don't trust banks because banks are a part of the "system" and anything about the "system," which enslaved Black people over a century ago, is not to be trusted. Why is the "system" not to be trusted? Because the "system" is controlled by the "Man", meaning the "White man" and, for many Blacks, white people aren't to be trusted because of racism and oppression. In other words, the "system" is designed to oppress Black people and keep rich people, a.k.a. white people, rich. It may sound like I am going out on a limb here, but try talking to many Black people. You will find that a lot of them feel this way about banks and most of them are poor, undereducated people.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
#3 The Holy Ghost
Okay, with this post I am going out on a limb. "Ha, ha, ha. Hee, hee, hee. Very funny, you say." Yes, I know some white people feel like the get the Holy Ghost too. Yes, and so do some Asian people. However, nobody gets the Holy Ghost like a Black person gets the Holy Ghost. Also, Black people are some of the most religious and churchgoing people I've ever seen on Earth.
Have you ever been to one of those churches where the people there get the Holy Ghost? It gets very loud and normally the church has a band too, which makes the church even louder. The people get real hype and some of them start to speak in tounges, which is a hole 'nother thing I could write about. Anyway, emotions are running high and there's a lot going on in the church.
Religious blacks love to evoke the spirit of the Holy Ghost. Have you ever seen those commercials on BET that ask you if someone put a root on you? Those commerical are so silly to me, yet many Black people believe in such things as the fact that a root can be put on somebody. The Holy Ghost is supposed to combat a "root" and many other ills that people can or will face in life.
On a more serious note, the Holy Ghost is also a very popular figure in African-American culture because the Christian church has always been a central figure in African-American life. This fact is due in large part to the experiences of Black people since they arrived in North America as slaves. Christianity was the only thing that brought hope and peace to most of the slaves. What would you do if someone came to you and offered you eternal life and salvation when all you see around you is nothing but hopelessness and despair, not to mention hostility, hipocrisy, and also crimes against humanity? I mean really. It wasn't like slavery was a picnic in the park for Black people. Slavery was hard as hell and some people just could not and did not make it. The ability of the African-American community to get through terrible times like slavery was only a testament to the fact that God, in the figure of the Holy Ghost, actually existed.
Have you ever been to one of those churches where the people there get the Holy Ghost? It gets very loud and normally the church has a band too, which makes the church even louder. The people get real hype and some of them start to speak in tounges, which is a hole 'nother thing I could write about. Anyway, emotions are running high and there's a lot going on in the church.
Religious blacks love to evoke the spirit of the Holy Ghost. Have you ever seen those commercials on BET that ask you if someone put a root on you? Those commerical are so silly to me, yet many Black people believe in such things as the fact that a root can be put on somebody. The Holy Ghost is supposed to combat a "root" and many other ills that people can or will face in life.
On a more serious note, the Holy Ghost is also a very popular figure in African-American culture because the Christian church has always been a central figure in African-American life. This fact is due in large part to the experiences of Black people since they arrived in North America as slaves. Christianity was the only thing that brought hope and peace to most of the slaves. What would you do if someone came to you and offered you eternal life and salvation when all you see around you is nothing but hopelessness and despair, not to mention hostility, hipocrisy, and also crimes against humanity? I mean really. It wasn't like slavery was a picnic in the park for Black people. Slavery was hard as hell and some people just could not and did not make it. The ability of the African-American community to get through terrible times like slavery was only a testament to the fact that God, in the figure of the Holy Ghost, actually existed.
#2 Chicken
Okay, do I really need to say anything here? Black people do you know any Black people who don't like chicken. I actually did meet a Black person who didn't like chicken. It was a long time ago back in 1997 or 1998. Yes, I know that's a long time ago, but I was young at the time. Anyway, it was this girl that I knew in high school. No she wasn't cute and no I wasn't interested in her. I was just with a group of people and we were at school at the time and I brought up the fact that Black people like chicken and then she went on to say that she was Black and she didn't like chicken and then I told her that she wasn't really Black and then she was like, "my skin color says different" and then I said, "no it doesn't . . ."
Let me tell you something about Black people and chicken. KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominoes, Church's Chicken, Purdue, Boston Market, and that chicken place around the corner are all involved in a multi-billion dollar conspirical (yes, I said conspirical) industry that has Black people eating their food. I don't know how many billions of dollars these companies are oozing out of the palms black people, but it has to be more than one or two.
The real reason why Black people eat so much chicken is simple. Who on Earth doesn't like chicken? Chicken is cheap, it's hard to mess up, easy to make, and it's neither bland nor overly tasty all by itself. You really have to go out of your way to mess up a chicken recipe. Also, it does help that chicken is not that expensive. Have you ever tried buying some shrimp or lobster only to look at the price and thinking twice before putting that shrimp or lobster right back where it was? See, I thought I told you I know what I'm talking about.
Furthermore, chicken is just chicken. Have you ever tasted it? Just taste it, and you'll see how hard it is to mess up chicken. You can eat chicken with basically anything and you can make it anyway you want. You can eat it with mustard or honey mustard, katchup, hell . . . even mayonnaise. You can fried it, bake it, steam cook it, broil it, grill it, sautee it. There's also barbecue chicken, popcorn chicken, jerk chicken, honey mustard chicken, chicken cacciatore, chicken cordon bleu . . . I mean the list goes on and on and people are always coming up with new chicken recipes. Next to rice, chicken is one of the world's most popular foods on an international scale. It also helps that chickens are much easier to kill than many other animals that humans eat.
Let me tell you something about Black people and chicken. KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominoes, Church's Chicken, Purdue, Boston Market, and that chicken place around the corner are all involved in a multi-billion dollar conspirical (yes, I said conspirical) industry that has Black people eating their food. I don't know how many billions of dollars these companies are oozing out of the palms black people, but it has to be more than one or two.
The real reason why Black people eat so much chicken is simple. Who on Earth doesn't like chicken? Chicken is cheap, it's hard to mess up, easy to make, and it's neither bland nor overly tasty all by itself. You really have to go out of your way to mess up a chicken recipe. Also, it does help that chicken is not that expensive. Have you ever tried buying some shrimp or lobster only to look at the price and thinking twice before putting that shrimp or lobster right back where it was? See, I thought I told you I know what I'm talking about.
Furthermore, chicken is just chicken. Have you ever tasted it? Just taste it, and you'll see how hard it is to mess up chicken. You can eat chicken with basically anything and you can make it anyway you want. You can eat it with mustard or honey mustard, katchup, hell . . . even mayonnaise. You can fried it, bake it, steam cook it, broil it, grill it, sautee it. There's also barbecue chicken, popcorn chicken, jerk chicken, honey mustard chicken, chicken cacciatore, chicken cordon bleu . . . I mean the list goes on and on and people are always coming up with new chicken recipes. Next to rice, chicken is one of the world's most popular foods on an international scale. It also helps that chickens are much easier to kill than many other animals that humans eat.
#1 The Layaway Plan
Ok, Black people, please do not get mad at me for this because I am telling the honest-to-God truth. You know this. I know this. If you are a black person from the U.S., an African-American, chances are you or someone you know has and/or will put something on lawaway. And it's no coincidence that I put the layaway plan as the first entry on my list because when I think of a list of things that Black people like, putting things on layaway is one of the first things that comes to mind. That's just how it is.
Don't get me wrong, there are many well-to-do African Americans who can afford to pay for all their clothes and other layawayable (yes, I said layawayable) items upfront, but let me tell you, a large majority of Black people in the U.S. have or will, at some point in their life, put something on layaway or will have known someone who has put something on layaway.
Why am I claiming that this trait is characteristic of so African-Americans? Because I know what I'm talking about. How do I know what I'm talking about? Because I'm Black and I've met many other Black people who have put stuff on layaway. Hell . . . even I've put stuff on layaway. It took place a long, long time ago when I was a teenager. I was still in high school and I wanted this really nice Nautica Challenger© coat. It was yellow and it had Nautica Challenger© written across one of the sleeves. This type of jacket was extremely popular among young people in the 90s. For some odd reason, I felt that I just had to buy it. I didn't have all the money to pay for it up front, but I wanted it so very badly, so I put it on layaway and decided to pay the rest of what I owed later when I got the money to do so. I think I was working at one of those hamburger joints at the time.
Now, for all those non-Black people who are out there reading this post, don't go asking all of your "real" or "trophy" black friend(s) it they've ever put anything on layaway. You may run the risk of losing your friendship(s) by seeming racist, ignorant and/or insensitive. If you want to talk about Black people in reference to the layaway plan, it's better to bring it up in a more roundabout, more indirect fashion. Like bringing up the fact that someone else besides the Black person(s) you're hanging with put something on layaway. This will almost always make the black person you're with talk about how Black people love to put stuff on layaway.
Why do so many Black people put stuff on layaway? It's very simple. It's so simple to the point that it almost seems like the layaway plan was invented by some ingenious Black woman who sold the rights to this idea to some large conglomerate retail company just like how many medical researchers give up the rights to their inventions to pharmaceutical companies.
Black people love the layaway plan because many of them (just like most Americans) live from pay check to pay check and they have to make ends meet and, like the infamous Tupac Shakur used to say in one of his rap songs, many of them have to "make a dollar out of fifteen cents." In other words, they have to make their dollar stretch as much as it can so that they can buy more using less money.
The layaway plan is also popular because it allows Black people to feel that they can technically have what they want right now. In reality, it simply allows many Black people to afford to pay for things that they could not pay for up front. It makes the Black person feel like the item they put on layaway is kinda sorta theirs even though they know that they still have to make the payments on the item.
When Black people put something on layaway, it's usually clothes or some large very expensive product like a big screen TV. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that Black people love clothes and love to dress and look sharp or real hip. The whole philosophy behind this idea is that people have to where clothes and if you have to wear clothes, you might as well look good with what you have on. It is important for a Black person to look and dress sharp because he or she will also think very highly of his or herself, especially with regard to how they look. In this case, the clothes make the man or, in other cases, the man makes the clothes.
Also, Black people (and some white people too) . . . have you ever gone to a high-end store with one of your Black friends or relatives only to discover that your friend or family member wants to try to put something on layaway at that store? Many Black people will actually go to high-end stores and actually expect to be able to put something on layaway there if they believe it is possible that the store might have a layaway plan. Like I said, it is very likely that you may have gone through the agonizing experience of watching your friend, cousin, or aunt at a Nordstrom's, a Filene's, or a Neiman Marcus asking if he or she could put something on layaway. Okay, I am finishing talking now . . .
Don't get me wrong, there are many well-to-do African Americans who can afford to pay for all their clothes and other layawayable (yes, I said layawayable) items upfront, but let me tell you, a large majority of Black people in the U.S. have or will, at some point in their life, put something on layaway or will have known someone who has put something on layaway.
Why am I claiming that this trait is characteristic of so African-Americans? Because I know what I'm talking about. How do I know what I'm talking about? Because I'm Black and I've met many other Black people who have put stuff on layaway. Hell . . . even I've put stuff on layaway. It took place a long, long time ago when I was a teenager. I was still in high school and I wanted this really nice Nautica Challenger© coat. It was yellow and it had Nautica Challenger© written across one of the sleeves. This type of jacket was extremely popular among young people in the 90s. For some odd reason, I felt that I just had to buy it. I didn't have all the money to pay for it up front, but I wanted it so very badly, so I put it on layaway and decided to pay the rest of what I owed later when I got the money to do so. I think I was working at one of those hamburger joints at the time.
Now, for all those non-Black people who are out there reading this post, don't go asking all of your "real" or "trophy" black friend(s) it they've ever put anything on layaway. You may run the risk of losing your friendship(s) by seeming racist, ignorant and/or insensitive. If you want to talk about Black people in reference to the layaway plan, it's better to bring it up in a more roundabout, more indirect fashion. Like bringing up the fact that someone else besides the Black person(s) you're hanging with put something on layaway. This will almost always make the black person you're with talk about how Black people love to put stuff on layaway.
Why do so many Black people put stuff on layaway? It's very simple. It's so simple to the point that it almost seems like the layaway plan was invented by some ingenious Black woman who sold the rights to this idea to some large conglomerate retail company just like how many medical researchers give up the rights to their inventions to pharmaceutical companies.
Black people love the layaway plan because many of them (just like most Americans) live from pay check to pay check and they have to make ends meet and, like the infamous Tupac Shakur used to say in one of his rap songs, many of them have to "make a dollar out of fifteen cents." In other words, they have to make their dollar stretch as much as it can so that they can buy more using less money.
The layaway plan is also popular because it allows Black people to feel that they can technically have what they want right now. In reality, it simply allows many Black people to afford to pay for things that they could not pay for up front. It makes the Black person feel like the item they put on layaway is kinda sorta theirs even though they know that they still have to make the payments on the item.
When Black people put something on layaway, it's usually clothes or some large very expensive product like a big screen TV. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that Black people love clothes and love to dress and look sharp or real hip. The whole philosophy behind this idea is that people have to where clothes and if you have to wear clothes, you might as well look good with what you have on. It is important for a Black person to look and dress sharp because he or she will also think very highly of his or herself, especially with regard to how they look. In this case, the clothes make the man or, in other cases, the man makes the clothes.
Also, Black people (and some white people too) . . . have you ever gone to a high-end store with one of your Black friends or relatives only to discover that your friend or family member wants to try to put something on layaway at that store? Many Black people will actually go to high-end stores and actually expect to be able to put something on layaway there if they believe it is possible that the store might have a layaway plan. Like I said, it is very likely that you may have gone through the agonizing experience of watching your friend, cousin, or aunt at a Nordstrom's, a Filene's, or a Neiman Marcus asking if he or she could put something on layaway. Okay, I am finishing talking now . . .
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