Read: Yes
Length: 285
Quick Review: Robinson writes her funnily serious memoir about comedy, culture, and being a black woman in America.
Phoebe Robinson isn’t afraid of being funny or getting honest about the realities of blackness in America. Within the first five pages, she had me laughing, but then sobered me up by talking about police brutality towards black men and women, the dream of living in a postracial world, and Obama’s optimism sparking resistance if not regression in regards to race.
If you can’t tell by the title You Can’t Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain she talks about black hair. I was blessed with a black roommate my freshman year of college, who explained so many things I, as a white lady, did not understand about black femininity. Black hair is not white hair, not even close. Care, styling, perception, and more is vastly different than white hair. It’s important to understand these differences WITHOUT touching a black girl’s hair. Just don’t.
Miss Robinson is an absolute feminist. I loved reading her opinions. There was one moment of utter worshipping at Miss Robinson’s feet when I read: “But in all seriousness, the infantilization of women perpetuates inequality, and when that is conflated with sex, it’s easier to reduce women to objects and strip them of the power they have over their bodies.” Yesssss. This is such an important concept to understand and have articulated. It is especially true for black women throughout history, but it is true for all women. This statement stopped me.
You Can’t Touch My Hair is honest, funny, sobering, and quick. I couldn’t put it down. Her prose and ability to draw the reader in is fabulous. I can’t wait to watch her career grow especially in these changing times.
Known as @dopequeenpheebs in the Twitter and Insta-sphere, she proves herself a queen in her memoir. Queen of pop culture. I’m about a century behind in pop culture, so I found myself with an open Google page 96.461% of her book. Basically: Thank you Phoebe for helping me learn about the world I live in! Also… Thanks for the thumb carpal tunnel.
Complete sidenote. If for some reason, Phoebe Robinson reads this. I’m from Iowa! You said Bumblefuck, Iowa. There are tons of Bumblefuck places. Iowa is totally underrated. Nebraska (outside of Omaha) is Bumblefuck. Montana, North Dakota. Tons of Bumblefucks!!! My hometown is Ames Iowa. George Washington Carver worked and researched at Iowa State, which is less than ten blocks from my front door just pass the horse stable. He is the reason everyone loves peanut butter.
Memorable Quotes
“why Forever 21’s adult-sized leggings are so small they could double as condoms for sea turtles.”
“I also love that when other people see you on boats, they think your life is literally cunnilingus from unicorns”
“I just kept this reoccurring conversation going in my head throughout my time in high school, hoping that one day, I would go to bed, wake up, and magically do something, anything, different with my life.”
“but black women have their own unique battles, a Molotov cocktail of racism and sexism.”
“I felt like I wasn’t being me but a version of me that was as nonthreatening and inoffensive as possible. But that’s the thing. Being true to oneself shouldn’t be considered threatening.”
Title: You Can’t Touch My Hair; And Other Things I Still Have to Explain
Author: Phoebe Robinson
Publisher: Plume Books (PenguinRandom House)
Copyright: 2016
ISBN: 9780143129202
