Beauty Company Nivea says “Look Like You Give a Damn”, Cut Off Your Fro | Black Girl with Long Hair Black Girl with Long Hair | Natural Hair Styles and Natural Hair Care

17 August 2011 ~ 129 Comments

Beauty Company Nivea says “Look Like You Give a Damn”, Cut Off Your Fro

WTF??

Haircare and beauty company Nivea is under fire for this face and body shaving product ad, showing a black man tossing his former face with fro and facial hair beside the caption “Look Like You Give a Damn” and “Re-civilize Yourself.”

This ad is an epic fail, not only for its message. But it’s… awkwardness. A dude throwing his face? Really?? But I’ll stop here… cuz I know the comment box will be ablaze in 5… 4… 3… 2…

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129 Responses to “Beauty Company Nivea says “Look Like You Give a Damn”, Cut Off Your Fro”

  1. CandyceNoelle 19 August 2011 at 4:30 am Permalink

    OMG!!! I am sooooo sick of complaining. Black people loveeeee to find something to itch about. Like really, if it was another ad, with a WHITE man looking like David Beckham, holding a head looking like 90s grunge/college scruff with long hair and etc…NO ONE would say anything. Look at the head the man’s holding. Hell, I would take the “Re-civilized” man too! If anything, it’s funny. There are so many more things to be bothered with. God, get over it. I’ve been hearing about this all week but this is the first time I’ve actually seen the source of the problem…and I see none. Not to knock other people’s opinions, but really…if two dudes, one looking like the head and one looking like the model walked up, who would YOU pick? And who would be looked at as more presentable. Be real with yourselves and society.

    Reply
    • JJ 19 August 2011 at 9:19 am Permalink

      I hear you but black people have a history of being seen as unacceptable or uncivilized just because they wear their hair naturally or grow out their beard. Black people are constantly told that their natural hair is inferior to having straight hair, or a shaven face. It is seen as dirty, lazy, and yes, uncivilized.

      Glad you didn’t have to experience being told that what grows out of your hair naturally is uncivilized but I have, no amount of patting flattens my fro, and I have had to walk out of the house with an ‘unruly’ fro so as much as I’d like to move on, the media (e.g. this ad) and people with such mindsets won’t let me.

      Reply
    • Locs4life 20 August 2011 at 11:47 pm Permalink

      PERMALINK,

      I think white men with facial hair and curly hair is sexy. But I would as I am a black woman with locs. Picture this: You are applying for a position that you KNOW you are well qualified for. You research the company and feel you would be a perfect match. You gain an interview and on the day of said interview you walk inside the building to find everyone Black….professional, well educated, wearing their various natural hair styles, but everyone is Black. You interview well but later recieve a thanks but no thanks letter. Why didn’t you get the job? It wasn’t your education. It wasn’t your references. Then what was it? ……You weren’t the best fit for “our” company structure. Translation…. your hair was too straight. THIS is why MY PEOPLE will NEVER get “over it.” ….How about YOU get over us being proud to not put chemicals on our hair!? Thank you.

      Reply
      • CandyceNoelle 21 August 2011 at 9:10 am Permalink

        I don’t have chemicals in my hair and i am very proud of that fact thank you, so before you make a assumption on me and how I feel on that ask about it – Thank you. Anyways, your people are MY people so chill out. The whole company scenario…is sad but once again, true in some cases. So it’s just how things are, people have the right to hire who they feel is best fit in their work environment – affirmative action set aside. This is about men. I always hear about the black man’s plight so if that is true, go interview where u think you will fit in or start your own business where you can look how you want. But a lot companies have dress and hair guidelines. Even men in corporate who have locs or twists still keep themselves lined up and neat. That’s what it comes down to. Don’t be delusional to this fact is all I ask.

        Reply
        • Marilyn 22 August 2011 at 12:03 pm Permalink

          I’m gonna pray for you, CandyceNoelle. SMH.

          Leave it up to your type and folks would still be shuck-N-jivin and wearing black face. Right now you’re probably thinking…”what’s wrong with black face? It’s just make up”? Try not to be so simple…(Again, SMH)

          Reply
          • Kapri 2 September 2011 at 2:21 pm Permalink

            I actually agree with CandyceNoelle. People are getting mad about this ad saying that a mad with an Afro and facial hair is unprofessional… I attend an HBCU and am in the business program. The FIRST DAY you get there, the professional (who are black, in case anyone asks) tells the males in the auditorium that a lot of facial hair and Afros or non-clean cut hair is not professional. It is ok for an esteemed black institution to tell black people that… but when an ad says the same thing, people are upset. I can believe that the person who made the ad was black because he was taught that by HIS community and he thought it was ok… I’m not saying its necessarily right to have this mentality… but don’t get mad a the company for saying the same things we tell each other…

            Oh yea and i’m 100% natural… since that seems to come to question if you don’t have a problem with the ad…

            Reply
            • CandyceNoelle 4 October 2011 at 3:27 am Permalink

              Thank you for understanding Kapri. That’s all I was saying is that every look is not for everyplace…it has nothing to do with race. The bushy face Russell Crowe and Brad Pitt would even be told to clean it up in a particular corporate setting.

              Reply
          • CandyceNoelle 4 October 2011 at 3:25 am Permalink

            Although it is a month late, please don’t assume to know my type…you don’t know me, my education, experiences or passion when it comes to the mental uplift and independence of my community, generation and peers. I have struggled with seeing wrongs done to the young people these days that no one recognizes, they turn a blind eye to it if anything and act like everything is ok and in the past. I don’t need your prayers either…please keep them to yourself. The black face reference was way over the top, once again being extra and dramatic. One has nothing to do with the other.

            Reply
          • CandyceNoelle 4 October 2011 at 3:28 am Permalink

            Although it is a month late, please don’t assume to know my type…you don’t know me, my education, experiences or passion when it comes to the mental uplift and independence of my community, generation and peers. I have struggled with seeing wrongs done to the young people these days that no one recognizes, they turn a blind eye to it if anything and act like everything is ok and in the past. I don’t need your prayers either…please keep them to yourself. The black face reference was way over the top, once again being extra and dramatic. One has nothing to do with the other.

            Reply
    • Derex 15 February 2012 at 11:33 am Permalink

      This arcilte went ahead and made my day.

      Reply
  2. Canteloupe_Brown 19 August 2011 at 11:42 am Permalink

    It was a black man who came up with this ad according to Clutch Magazine. Damn, damn, damn.

    Reply
    • anastasia 19 August 2011 at 12:37 pm Permalink

      Black folks are often more brainwashed than whites…Damn, damn, damn is right..SMH and RMFE!

      Reply
  3. Zyaran 20 August 2011 at 11:16 am Permalink

    Well the ad has now been pulled here’s the site with the detailed info..

    http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/nivea-pulls-offensive-ad-185220424.html

    Reply
  4. Louisa 20 August 2011 at 5:02 pm Permalink

    I guess they’ve never seen the dance duo Les Twins, who are gorgeous and sport their natural hair (afro and twists).

    There are hundreds of videos of them on YouTube. Here is a link to one of their fan websites http://www.lestwinsonline.com/ where there are lots of photos, if you are interested in seeing them and their hair.

    Reply
  5. Save Em 20 August 2011 at 11:21 pm Permalink

    It’s all colors and races. Good grief. Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-AhRVjbEfQ

    Reply
  6. Tami 21 August 2011 at 12:43 pm Permalink

    I’m horrified at this ad and even more so at the commenters who agree with it! How are you going to celebrate a big fro on a woman (on this site and sites like it) but ‘damn’ a man for it?

    Reply
  7. Cayrê 22 August 2011 at 11:53 am Permalink

    Please study a little about your own history, I’m brazilian and I know american history better then you!

    The Black Power movement was a popular manifest around 60′ and 70′, that defeat racial proud and the criation of a Culture Institute and Politic Institute for black peoples rights. This is not agressive???

    Reanalize your values and principles and read a little before say something…

    Reply
  8. Lorreen 22 August 2011 at 9:19 pm Permalink

    Nivea issued an apology!

    http://www.fashionist.ca/2011/08/nivea-apologizes-for-questionable-ad.html

    Reply
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