No you aren't ignorant, you would be ignorant if you saw a point to this video or could see some value to what she was doing. TO reiterate what Nappy Curly has said it could be even more confusing if you watched it without sound becuase the amazingly obvious verbal abuse combined with the blatant physical abuse is what makes it come together. This was meant to be abusive, this woman does not like this little girl and WANTS to hurt her.
Oh and I can talk, please don't believe all kinky hair detangling has to hurt or has to be this bad. My mother had NO idea how to do my natural hair but she never hit me or treated me like this. But once we leqarned the proper technique there was no pain whatsoever and I have a very kinky hair type. Hitting a child is abuse. Cussing a child out is abuse. Telling a child that they are nobody and they have no daddy is abuse. Let's see what specifically in this videos is abuse becuase physical and verbal abuse ran rampant and some people are trying to defend it or can't see it:
1. (Attempting to) Running a comb from root to tip in kinky/curly hair that is pretty much dry. If you have the technology to upoad a video on youtube.com you know how to look up how to properly detangle kinky/curly hair on the internet.
2. Ignoring genuine screams of pain. (I don't know how any one can mistake pain for a tantrum. I know some kids act up and I can tell the difference). This child screamed WHEN the comb ran through her head is a good clue (and cried tears the rest) there is a difference. She ain't faking.
3. Telling a child they are nobody. This is in there (I gotta get rid of these naps to make you somebody).
4. Telling a child screaming for their daddy that they have no daddy.
5. Cussing a child out repeatedly.
6. Pinning a child on the floor and attacking them.
7. At one point not even making the barest effort to to pretend you were trying to detangle her hair. Insterad letting your true intent and purpose slip through by doing nothing but stabbing her head for a full minute.
8. Check out background scenery. Granted this takes some intuitive ability and/or experience of abusive situations but I'm sure most people can see it if they try.
~There is a boy child of same age whose hair looks well taken care of (defined curls, shiny, long) and at no point is being treated as bad. This woman know how to do hair and treat children. She has a PERSONAL vendetta against the little girl. This theory is supprted by the fact that most of us can see this child has a hair type that naturally curls when wet and would LOOK exactly like the little boys if the woman hadn't combed it out. Nothing wrong with nappy hair (as we know well) but this girls' hair isn't nappy. But at various point she refers to girls' hair as nappy in derogative way and little boy's hair as "curly". She has something against this little girl to create a division, a difference that doesn't exist. I would be willing to bet that when it comes time for the boy's turn this evil woman takes her time, goes gentle and reiterates the whole time (in the little girl's hearing) that he has GOOD hair, he's such a good boy for not being a brat like his sister. I wish I didn't know the mind of people like this but I have met entirely too many mothers or step moms who were pros at pyschologically breaking a certain child down. Picking favorites and the ones they hate and breaking the ones they hate down at every opportunity. I could never see what makes them so hate one of their children and lavish love on the others but it happens.
~She has on weave and is darker skinned. So is camera woman (as seen from myspace pics). Little girl is lighter skinned (possibly mixed) and has long hair. Anyone with a knowledge of history of colorism ,etc can see there is something going on here with jealousy.
~This one breaks my heart. Look closely (or even not so closely) and you can see there are huge chunks of hair missing at little girls' temples (also note not present on little's boy har who has simliar hair type). This is called traction alopecia and happens becuase of pressure on the hair line. This happens over a LONG period of time. I know becuase I had it from wearing sew in weave for 2 YEARS nonstop. Probably a result of many many "detangling" sessions like this one. Forcing weave on the little girl or pulling her hair back in repeated buns like the one at the very end. Did you see that? I'm surprised I couldn't see the little girls hair lines popping out before our very eyes, that thing was so tight. This more than anything indicated to me this is systematic abuse that has gone on for months/years so the excuses for this woman that every now and then you might lose your temper DON'T hold up.
~Several people have said they can see a bruise on one of the girl eyes. This along with past experience tells me this abuse doesn't end at the end of hair detangling time. This kind of abuse is probably 24/7.
9. The anger and hate in momma's voice increases as she is reminded of the father. She also combs even more roughly. She is taking out anger at child's father on the daughter.
10. Pulling child up at several points BY her hair.
11. Taunting little girl throughout with something she wants, holding it out of her reach (I couldn't see what it is) and making fun of her (her pain, her hair, and the fact that you have something she wants) throughout. Now to be fair I'm sure siblings of a like age might do something like this to each other. But what say to me this isn't just all in fun is this is a 17 YEAR OLD (the camera woman) taunting a girl who can't be no more than 4. At some point an age difference goes from "messing around" to abuse and they are way past that line.
12. Having done something that would make a child of that age scream they hate you. I don't think I even knew the word hate then.
13. And finally laughing and smiling while the above is ocurring. If you are frustrated you don't smile. And at no point would a good parent smile at ANY of what happened above. This woman is malicious.
14. Oh yeah filming the whole thing and posting it on youtube.com so others can enjoy it as much as you did.
Yeah there is always the danger it won't make a difference but then I guess it comes down to the fact that I couldn't live with myself if I DIDN'T report it.