Comments on: HairWatch: Ecuador

By: Jim McCulloch

Jim McCulloch — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000

It’s a funny story. I’d like to say, though (humorless leftist mode on) that the poor women of Ecuador are being screwed by the IMF and the World Bank, as well as patriarachy, and the vast majority of them could no more afford to have their hair colored orange in a salon than they could afford to vacation in Switzerland. If your friend was there, when was it, a couple of months ago, she might have noticed barricades of burning tires–not a fiesta with Andean music, but the public, tired of being screwed by the IMF, overthrowing the government. It might be reasonable to think of the IMF as the financial arm of patriarchy. (Humorless mode off, hopefully. Sorry.)
Anyway, when I can afford to travel I write about stuff like this too. No criticism intended, just some context.
Her hair looks fine, but, um, orange–it wasn’t black originally, was it?

By: Twisty

Twisty — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000

I’ll let Stingray speak for herself if she wants to, but as I understand it she was in the thick of the demonstrations to which you allude. Check this out.

By: jenna

jenna — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000

I grew up in a small town, and had my head shaved for at least part of my adolescence. Crowds never gathered around me like that, but children (and parents) would sometimes point and stare. It was disturbing. Because it’s just hair. It grows back. What’s the big deal?

Thanks for your comment over at my site, your blog is definitely my new favorite blog! I blame the patriarchy too, and it feels pretty good.

By: stingray

stingray — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000

As for Twisty, I will indeed be kicking your ass. The photo, which she so lovingly posted, was taken in Austin a couple years pre-Ecuador.

As for the women of Ecuador and their hair, salons are as prevalent here as Starbucks on any corner in Manhattan. Plenty of home styling also occurs, but on the whole, most people can and do afford to get their hair done in salons.

I am very familiar with the fact that all Ecuadorians are being screwed by the IMF, but I don’t think your ideas of the economy here are completely accurate. In the last three months here, I’ve documented protests in both Quito and Cuenca and interviewed countless people about the political situation. CNN isn’t calling for a consult, and I’m far from a pundit, but I’ve witnessed a very heated process here that, as you know, did put the president seeking asylem in Brazil. However, the IMF alone is certainly not the only culprit. The reason the people in this country threw out Lucio GutierrÃ©z and numerous others that came before is because they’re tired of every corrupt president sucking the dick of the ‘ol U.S. of A.

That would include lifting import taxes to benefit the U.S. while devestating domestic social assistance programs, and the IMF bail out of the monetary unit which led to several years of economic devestation. Now the American dollar is used, and in a country that has every resource being sucked out by monopolies and dirty politicions, they now have an IMF loan compounding interest and draining still what capital exists. Politics here are an even dirtier business than dirty politics elsewhere; it’s little more than mobsters robbing the poor.

The country has made a remarkable ecnomic recovery, but there is still a GREAT deal of progress to be made. More than this, it is imperative that they maintain the democratic state that they now have- the last president was making bold moves seeking a more dictatorial role.

As for my hair story, at no point in time did I imagine Ecuador as being a “fiesta with Andean music”, but I have been lucky to enjoy moments a little more light-hearted than the reality of more violent times. The original piece was more of a social comentary than of politics, but JM got me worked up.

Just so you know, I’m a natural blonde and have few similarities to any Baywatch chick.

By: Jim McCulloch

Jim McCulloch — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000

Stingray:

Sorry about the crack about tires with folkmusic. I should never make smart remarks unless invited, and unless they are smart.

Maybe I could reconcile your view of the problem of the Ecuadorian govt sucking the dick of the US of A, and my view of the role of the IMF, by suggesting that the IMF _is_ the dick of the US of A. But I would be breaking the rule I suggested for myself, above.

Anyway, I agree with you pretty much. Sorry if I gave offense.

–Jim Mc

By: stingray

stingray — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000

No offense taken, and I could agree with your analogy. Please excuse my typos, it’s rather difficult in moments to keep my mind in English.

By: redhead ecuatoriana

redhead ecuatoriana — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000

Twisty, thanks for the great blogging! My bf broke up with me bc he is “tired of hearing about the evils of porn and prostitution”. He felt like I was subtly blaming him for his usage of both. Is there any way you can send him your blog in digest form, delivered daily to his email (hopefully with detonation upon retrieval) now that I am no longer around to blame the patriarchy within earshot?

By: Twisty

Twisty — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000

Dang, your boyfriend used porn and hookers? I recommend sending him a dead rat in the mail and never thinking about him ever again.

Oh, and get an HIV test.

By: pegi p

pegi p — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000

i was encarcerated in quito ecuador for quite some time. i actually had a salon inside the womens prison. i was the 1 st american female in such a predicament. yes i am all too familiar with the staring etc associated with the ecuadorian folk! hahahahaha ! huge long story if anyone wants to write a book or movie of the week. heehee understatement. iand yes i have short punky hair! heehee. i was so intrigued when i pulled this up ansd started reading … hahahahahah .