If you have a Sesame Street fan in your home, or even if you don’t, you’ve probably heard the hoopla surrounding the latest Muppet hit: “I Love My Hair.”
The superdooperschmooper cute music video went viral after it debuted on Sesame Street earlier this month. Now all I hear All.Day.Long. is my 6-year-old begging to watch and re-watch, and re-watch the skit that features an adorable brown puppet singing her heart out about the versatility of her tresses.
The video was inspired by Sesame Street’s head writer and puppeteer Joey Mazzarino, who is a dad to a 5-year-old daughter with an afro similar to the one the Muppet sports in the uber-popular music video. Mazzarino and his wife adopted their little girl from Ethiopia when she was an infant. The lily white pop tells reporters that ever since then he has tried to get his daughter to embrace her hair, despite her complaining that she prefers straight, blond “princess” hair.
Ironically, my daughter has straight brown hair that she would rather shave off than shake in the wind. However, after watching the “I Love My Hair” video for the bazillionth time she too is learning how to embrace what God gave her.
Mazzarino says he never intended to start a hair revolution when he penned the following lyrics:
“I love my hair, so I must declare:
I really, really, really love my hair.
Wear a clippy or in a bow,
Or let it sit in an afro,
My hair looks good in a cornrow,
It does so many things you know, that’s why I let it grow.”
Still, the words make up a song that has become an international phenomenon, especially among African-American females, who unabashedly admit that hair issues are a big deal.
“I Love My Hair.” It’s the little song that empowered a nation of hair haters, which includes many, many non African-Americans. After all, does any girl really love her natural hair?
You can watch the entire video here, though I warn you that the catchy tune will stay with you for-EVAH!