When curly-haired Boston TV anchor Natalie Jacobson recently allowed her hair to do its thing rather than straightening it, Channel 5 was flooded with calls from distressed viewers. Ms. Jacobson was looking for a way to deal with her curly hair and – heaven forbid – gave the natural look a try.
This is disturbing to us at NaturallyCurly.com on several levels. Why does it matter what an anchor’s hair looks like? Straight or curly, she still delivers the news. She’s the same smart person you’ve trusted for years to tell you what’s happening in the world. Why does her hairstyle matter?
And, despite all the strides curlyheads have made in the media, it sends a message that when it comes to the world of TV journalism, curly hair is not acceptable. You better fight those ringlets into submission so you can look like Paula Zahn or Katie Couric.
We hope that this won’t discourage others in the world of television journalism from letting their hair do what it does naturally. Viewers will become comfortable with a wide range of looks rather than the homogenous, generic anchorwomen that now flood the airwaves. And isn’t that really what being fair and balanced is all about?
