I used to work at a company where I overheard two white women talking about dreds. One was saying to the other, "Well, they can't wash it because that would wash out the mud." The other replied, "Why do they put mud in their hair?" and the response was, "I don't know, but that's how Tarzan did it in the Disney movie." I pointed out to them that there are actual hair products that black people use and that they do not put mud in their hair and they acted surprised. As if it never occurred to them that black people might have hair care products.

It struck me as odd and insulting that these two women thought that women with dreds were walking around with mud in their hair. As if black people weren't bright enough to come up with something besides mud to put in their hair and that their source was a Disney cartoon. But it demonstrated just how little thought was given to the lives of black people by some. They would rather pass on ridiculously insulting BS about black people than simply "google it".

Thanks to the black woman who wrote this for John Oliver.