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SATURDAY MARCH 18 2006 7:30 PM

Steven Spielberg's Bad Hair Day

Submitted by Rahodeb

Edited by Rahodeb

Steven Spielberg, arguably the reigning king of Hollywood, is having a bad hair day. Apparently an angry Apache family, whose eight-year old daughter worked as an extra on Spielberg's television mini-series "Into the West", is suing the producers of the show. It seems that a stylist cut little Christina Ponce's hair without asking her parents first, violating a Mescalero Apache tradition which dictates that a girl's hair not be cut until her Coming of Age Ceremony. Before it was cut to make her look more like a boy, Ponce's hair fell midway down her back. Her family is suing for $250,000 (for emotional distress) and $75,000 (in damages). Christina's father, Danny Ponce, has suggested that increased multi-cultural awareness and sensitivity might be a good thing.

New Mexico governor Bill Richardson has increased state efforts to attract the film industry there in recent years.

Mr. Ponce said that, while he welcomed this, film-makers from outside the state should try to be more culturally sensitive.

"Just because you're wealthy, you don't do something without checking first," he said.

Oh, Danny. Haven't you learned anything from the history of America? Cultural sensitivity toward Native Americans? Pshaw. Guffaw. Still, I wish you luck in your quest to show that even the disenfranchised, mainly invisible and forgotten Native Americans deserve to be seen and treated as more than Hollywood caricatures. Channel the spirit of young Geronimo, your Chiricahua Apache cousin, who bravely fought for your peoples' freedom, and learn from the older Geronimo's sad acquiescence.

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Comments

Jaklyn

Toronto, ON

January 2004

MAR 18, 2006 07:34 PM

that's kind of ridiculous. it was clearly an accident.

FreakPirate

Canada

November 2002

MAR 18, 2006 07:39 PM

Shouldn't the girl have maybe... said something? I'm just guessing but I doubt the stylist knew it would be a problem.

PointBlank

New York, NY

November 2004

MAR 18, 2006 07:41 PM

FreakPirate said:
Shouldn't the girl have maybe... said something? I'm just guessing but I doubt the stylist knew it would be a problem.

Yup. Clearly the 8 year old is at fault.

FreakPirate

Canada

November 2002

MAR 18, 2006 07:43 PM

PointBlank said:

Yup. Clearly the 8 year old is at fault.

Sorry, I suppose the girl's parents should have probably said something.

It's still ridiculous to sue a stylist for something like this.

PointBlank

New York, NY

November 2004

MAR 18, 2006 07:49 PM

FreakPirate said:

PointBlank said:

Yup. Clearly the 8 year old is at fault.

Sorry, I suppose the girl's parents should have probably said something.

It's still ridiculous to sue a stylist for something like this.

The stylist isn't being sued, the producers are. Secondly, the parents WOULD have said something if they had been asked. They weren't. That's the whole point of the law suit.

Gryphon840

Murfreesboro, TN

November 2005

MAR 18, 2006 08:14 PM

h

[Edited on Mar 18, 2006 8:15PM]

Gryphon840

Murfreesboro, TN

November 2005

MAR 18, 2006 08:15 PM

Gryphon said:
what stylist knows the fucking traditions of some tribe unless someone tells the stylist. It is the fault of the parents for not asking questions about the process. When the child is an employee and no warning has been given by the parents - well tough shit.

The parents don't have to be asked -the kid's a fuckin employee held by contract. Unless it puts the child in danger or a questionable situation, they don't really have to ask the parents anything.

ardour

Canada

March 2006

MAR 18, 2006 08:16 PM

Generally you should ask a parent if you're going to cut their 8 year old's hair.

That's a lot of money!