[TreeSprite]

I recently overheard a conversation between two black women at the store. They were talking about a man they both met, to which one of them was attracted. One said, ‘Girl, what you wanna go out wit him for? He got ashy knees.’ What are ashy knees, and why would this be so bad that one wouldn’t want to go out with a man with them?

User Detail :  

Name : TreeSprite, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 31, City : n/a, State : IL, Country : United States, Occupation : Homemaker, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Wildflower]

Ashiness on dark skin means that the skin is dry and flaky, so it looks ‘ashy.’ It is in very bad taste to leave the house with an ashy face, or ashy knees and elbows … it just speaks to whether or not you have any personal pride in your appearance. It means you are unkempt – although it’s nothing a little lotion can’t fix!

User Detail :  

Name : Wildflower, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 30, City : Long Beach, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Assistant Academic Coordinator, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Mandi]

First, I think you need to be chastised for your use of incorrect spelling and grammar to record what you thought was being said. Most people in America – black, white, Asian or Hispanic – do not properly ennuciate in spoken dialogue. However, had the women been of your own race, I doubt you would have made such a effort to ‘exhibit realism.’ As for your question, ‘ashy’ refers to dry skin. When people’s skin gets very dry, it turns sort of flaky and looks kind of like a thin layer of ash on the skin (there’s a demonstration with a magnifier on a Curel lotion commercial). In the same way that dandruff is more noticeable in darker-haired people than in lighter-haired people, dry, flaky, ‘ashy’ skin is more noticeable on darker-skinned people than on lighter-skinned people. No, that does not mean only black people get ashy, and yes, black people do use lotion.) Whether someone’s dry skin keeps you from wanting to go out with them is a personal choice, just like any other aesthetic quality.

User Detail :  

Name : Mandi, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 21, City : Boston, State : MA, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Lucy-H22660]

When people of color have dry skin it becomes ashy. This is because the thin layers of skin being sloughed off turn whitish and are visible against darker skin, giving an ashy look to it. White people have the same dry skin, but it doesn’t show because their skin is light. Most people can take care of their ashy skin by scrubbing the area well to get rid of the dead skin and then applying extra lotion.

User Detail :  

Name : Lucy-H22660, Gender : F, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Age : 25, City : San Jose, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[ED25444]

‘Ashy’ is a term black folks use to describe dry skin, especially on elbows or knees. Among us, ashiness is practically a mortal sin (especially since Vaseline is cheap and plentiful). A man who allows himself to be ashy is perceived as not caring about his personal appearance. Thus, the women’s rejection of him.

User Detail :  

Name : ED25444, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 43, City : Kansas City, State : MO, Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

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