Let’s Not Forget About Jada
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Last weekend, viewers and audience members alike watched the Oscars in shock when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in response to a joke Rock made about Jada Pinkett Smith. The media reacted immediately with articles detailing the incident as the world began to discuss, condemn and debate the actions of Smith, the Academy and Rock. Amongst all of this chaos, most commentators brushed past the joke itself and seemingly forgot about Jada.
Rather than responding with violence, Smith could have stood up for his family by taking an opportunity to talk about his wife’s journey with her hair and why it is something not to be mocked. But now, this moment is more about himself and Rock, with Jada’s story pushed to the background.
So, let’s talk about Jada.
Jada Pinkett Smith has alopecia — an autoimmune disorder causing complete or partial hair loss all over the body that has no cure. Pinkett Smith has been open about her condition since early 2018, when she discussed her struggle to come to terms with the reality of hair loss on her podcast “Red Table Talk.” Before going public, she often rocked turbans, but she made the decision to shave her head in July 2021.
Just a couple of months ago, Pinkett Smith posted a video talking about her hair journey and said, “I don’t give two craps what people think about this bald head of mine because guess what, I love it.”
She discussed how her bald head grants her a sense of freedom because she no longer feels the need to conform to society’s conventional standards of beauty. For many individuals with alopecia, she serves as an inspiration to embrace their condition rather than feeling pressured to hide it with wigs, hats, turbans and other methods.
In the past, Pinkett Smith discussed how being a Black woman in Hollywood meant that she never felt like she had control over her hair. She said, “I liked my hair out wild and curly… but nobody wanted that.”
Alopecia disproportionately affects Black women, as around one-third of Black women develop alopecia at some point in their lives. In 2009, Chris Rock produced a documentary called “Good Hair,” focusing on the significant role of hair in Black culture and the pressure to conform to Western beauty standards of what is considered “good hair.” In the documentary, he interviewed a woman named Sheila Bridges about her struggles with alopecia.
After the incident at the Oscars, Bridges was upset about the joke made by Rock. In an Instagram post, including the clip from the documentary, she wrote, “Shame on you @chrisrock. Didn’t we sit down and talk at length about how painfully humiliating and difficult it is to navigate life as a bald woman in a society that is hair obsessed?”
Image Courtesy: Instagram
As Bridges mentioned, we live in a society that loves to talk about, critique and obsess over hair. We personally identify with our hair color and our hairstyle, and we portray our personalities through it. We style it to feel sexy, we dye it to change up our look, we impulsively cut it short or get bangs because we can and because our friends tell us, “well, if you don’t like it, it will always grow back.”
But what if it won’t grow back?
Individuals with alopecia lose this sense of control and identity that is rooted in their hair. Although many women wear wigs, which can grant them greater control in terms of styling, dyeing and cutting their hair, they are often uncomfortable and expensive.
For many individuals who suffer from alopecia, having a public figure like Pinkett Smith embrace her condition openly and unapologetically is so important. Even for those people who might continue to wear wigs, she helps them feel accepted and leads them to understand that if they want to take their wig off and feel confident in their natural beauty, they can.
Although Rock reportedly did not know Pinkett Smith had alopecia, that only further highlights why no one should make jokes or comments about someone’s physical appearance. And rather than responding with violence, this incident should have been used as an opportunity for awareness and understanding.
Pinkett Smith helps people with alopecia feel like they can love themselves and feel beautiful, in spite of what society might tell them is beautiful. Whether they want to rock a wig or embrace their bald head, they must be welcomed and accepted, without fear of criticism or jokes. It is time for society to learn from this moment, to reflect and to love them back.
Someone close to me has struggled with alopecia for about 10 years now, and I’ve watched them try every treatment available. I’ve seen the strength that it takes to cope with the reality of hair loss. And I just want to tell them, and everyone who struggles with alopecia, hair or no hair, I think you’re beautiful.
Strike Out,
Writer: Katie Sharp
Editors: Kimani Krienke, Natalie Daskal
Writing Director: David Kramer
Blog Director: Helenna Xu
Notre Dame
