海角大神

Some people say there鈥檚 no manual that teaches parents how to raise their children 鈥� that such a great responsibility requires on-the-job training.聽

I wonder if Matthew Cherry, the author of 鈥淗air Love,鈥� which later became an Oscar-winning short film, knew he had created a legacy piece in the first few words of his initial father-daughter tale:

My name is Zuri, and I have hair that has a mind of its own.
It kinks, coils, and curls every which way.

Cherry鈥檚 depiction of a Black father styling his daughter鈥檚 hair has turned into a much deeper journey. 鈥淵oung Love,鈥� an animated series that debuted Sept. 21 on Max, maintains its focus on the immediate familial relationship between mother Angela Young, father Stephen Love, and precocious Zuri Young Love, while engaging generational and community dynamics.聽

Self Love, Just Love, Work Love, and Charity Love aren鈥檛 just the names of the first four episodes. They are also opportunities to watch Angela, a cancer survivor, get back in her personal and professional groove. Stephen, a struggling musician, endures the weight of fatherhood and finances under duress from his father-in-law 鈥� and landlord. Zuri is at the center of it all, whether it鈥檚 a battle of the sexes between her grandparents or as the ringleader of in-school mischief.

The show is cute 鈥� and sometimes cursory, rough around the edges. So are we, unintentionally. We are doing the best we can, true?

As someone who works in the arts, I can鈥檛 help but empathize with the Black father who balances the gnashing of capitalism with pursuits far more intrinsic. His sense of parenting 鈥� a more modern approach 鈥� seems abstract and yet makes him remarkably relatable to young people. We describe people who approach life in this matter as 鈥渄ancing to the beat of their own drum,鈥� which fits Stephen, a music producer, to a T.

I hear the word 鈥減roduct,鈥� and I don鈥檛 just think about a finished song or the work of one鈥檚 hands. I also think about the work that it takes to style my own children鈥檚 hair 鈥� and how much spritzing is required to manage their looks. Through my personal experience and this show, it becomes clear that 鈥渉eir鈥� and 鈥渉air鈥� are more than near-homonyms. They are strands of a bigger fabric, helixes that make up the biology of our being.

Sometimes, detangling is required.

I know how that process goes at my house. When washing my oldest child鈥檚 hair, I am sure to not get soap or water in his eyes. There鈥檚 the scrubbing of the scalp and the meticulousness of getting all of the soap out of the hair. This follows with a gentle pulling apart of still-wet hair, getting to the roots of the matter. Finally, there鈥檚 the addition of detangler to heir 鈥� oh wait, hair 鈥� that has a mind of its own.

鈥淜inks, coils, and curls every which way鈥� is a great way to describe the Black experience. 鈥淵oung Love鈥� offers a glimpse into that experience, and not in only superficial and commercial ways. The beauty shop dialogues are important, as is the unspoken struggle characterized in the two-toned, midsize, 鈥渙ld-school鈥� car that Stephen and Angela share.

Where 鈥淵oung Love鈥� has the potential to be great is in the detangling of tradition. When Zuri鈥檚 grandparents switch roles as landlord and homemaker, we see empathy and appreciation. In a time where angst between men and women is a selling point, humanity prevails in the name of 鈥淟ove.鈥�

The show does its due diligence to push back on tradition, and we should do the same. Black folk are a deeply religious people, and that reminds me of how love can and should outweigh 鈥渓aw.鈥澛�

鈥淟et no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law,鈥� offers Romans 13:8. This idea covers a multitude of mishaps in families and communities.

Hair 鈥� and heirs 鈥� is a perfect way to describe how we should use love to manage traditions and expectations. The beautiful thing about styling a mass of hair is the near-infinite amount of options for a desirable presentation, and in my short time as a parent, I am learning to appreciate the fact that there鈥檚 no manual that teaches parents how to raise their children.聽

In the award-winning short film, Zuri thought back to a time when her mother styled her hair exactly how she wanted it. The secret to success? 鈥淛ust took a little bit of work, and a whole lot of love.鈥澛�