Is 'Nappy' a derogatory term???

[Cichelle]

Yes, I do think it is derogatory. I think when most people use it, they don't mean it as a compliment.

I have no problem with people embracing the word and changing it to a positive. If someone wants to refer to their hair as nappy, then go for it. But saying it about other people's hair is another story, IMO.

 

[Syrah]

Nope. My hair is nappy and I love it. And sometimes my hair is nappy and I hate it.

In popular culture it does have a negative connotation - usually refers to something that is unmanageable and un-combable....

But we can change that.

 

[hotparatha]

I know that not everyone means it as derogatory..but I still cringe internally when I hear the word. I guess I'm sensitive like that. I don't mind using frizzy, kinky, coily, tightly curled, etc. Its just the word nappy that brings back a mental image and subconscious feeling of racial inferiority. I think the hair is linked to self-esteem esp. in little ones. So if you tell a child that he/she has nappy hair normally they would be hurt or offended. There are some who teach their children that nappy is beautiful..which is great! But the majority of folks out there use it in a negative manner. It just comes down to personal preference though. Now in a joking manner I would definitely use the term "beadie bees"

 

[mkstar826]

it only bothers me when ppl use it in a negative way. like equating nappy w/ "Bad" hair and all that BS. i think a lot of people hear it and automatically their mind goes to the history of the word and they dont like it. i can understand it but i also think we have to get past that too.

i've used nappy to describe my hair and have had it used around me by others (in a postive way) and i don't mind it. it is nappy and there's nothing wrong w/ that.

i really don't like the word kinky though (no offense to anyone ) it just sounds weird to me. my mind atuomatically goes to a dirty place when i hear it lol

 

[kristina]

Must revive thread....
Thanks everyone who participated thus far- each contribution has been enlightening. All I can say at this point (and part of the reason I haven't anything til now) is that this is obviously not a cut and dry issue for many of you ladies. Which is a relief for me in a sense because I'm really not sure how I feel about the word nappy. But just to keep some dialogue going, I'll reveal some of my very preliminary thoughts
In my real life I never used the word nappy to refer to hair but anytime I heard the word being used it was being used in a pejorative way. I grew up attending mostly non-black schools and I never heard anyone non-black use the term.
In my online existence, I have seen people use the term to refer to natural hair and without any reflection on the term, I have also used the term myself to refer to my hair. I guess this would suggest that the term was merely a description of a hair type. But as I mentioned I didn't actually think about the term at all before using it. And now thinking about it, I don't really see the point of using a word with such historical negativity-it seems to make things complicated because it's a description to some and an insult to others. Thing is, I don't think I'd want to make nappy the accepted term for non blacks to use in refer to my hair. Why not? I still thinking but I think that the term will never be stripped of it's pejorative connotation. Why use a term that I wouldn't want mainstream America to take and use in stride?

Like mentioned by some, I preferred the term kinky to nappy (though my mind wanders to the perverted sense too) just because it's not as racially loaded.

I don't find the word nappy inevitably offensive but there is so much potential there.

And no, I don't think liking or disliking the term has anything to do with accepting your hair texture necessarily.

OT but I have to say that I find it funny in retrospect the whole curly v. nappy debate I've read on this site and Nappturality or the insistence of using coily instead of curly (when, according to my dictionary, coily isn't actually a word).

 

[KiniKakes]

Great comments!!!

Must revive thread....
Thanks everyone who participated thus far- each contribution has been enlightening. All I can say at this point (and part of the reason I haven't anything til now) is that this is obviously not a cut and dry issue for many of you ladies. Which is a relief for me in a sense because I'm really not sure how I feel about the word nappy. But just to keep some dialogue going, I'll reveal some of my very preliminary thoughts
In my real life I never used the word nappy to refer to hair but anytime I heard the word being used it was being used in a pejorative way. I grew up attending mostly non-black schools and I never heard anyone non-black use the term.
In my online existence, I have seen people use the term to refer to natural hair and without any reflection on the term, I have also used the term myself to refer to my hair. I guess this would suggest that the term was merely a description of a hair type. But as I mentioned I didn't actually think about the term at all before using it. And now thinking about it, I don't really see the point of using a word with such historical negativity-it seems to make things complicated because it's a description to some and an insult to others. Thing is, I don't think I'd want to make nappy the accepted term for non blacks to use in refer to my hair. Why not? I still thinking but I think that the term will never be stripped of it's pejorative connotation. Why use a term that I wouldn't want mainstream America to take and use in stride?

Like mentioned by some, I preferred the term kinky to nappy (though my mind wanders to the perverted sense too) just because it's not as racially loaded.

I don't find the word nappy inevitably offensive but there is so much potential there.

And no, I don't think liking or disliking the term has anything to do with accepting your hair texture necessarily.

OT but I have to say that I find it funny in retrospect the whole curly v. nappy debate I've read on this site and Nappturality or the insistence of using coily instead of curly (when, according to my dictionary, coily isn't actually a word).