Deborah Rodriguez - "The Kabul Beauty School"

[Ms4369]

NO WAIT- I dont see how u can call her a hero when she nothing but ignorant: 0:35-0:44? wota hekkk? stupid freek sho?

[mooshmobile]

her voice sounds so much like Drew Barrymore!

What an incredible woman & an Incredible story. Amazing.

[EdithBreezy]

Im a 17 year old which chose to read Kabul Beauty School i have tho say i immediately fell attached to this book. I enjoyed reading this book and finished it in 3days! I felt the pain that came along with reading this book. I felt that many women out there should have a right to freedom and knowing that women in Kabul were living like this broke my heart. I love Kabul Beauty School.

[pollygong]

And for the record "moorejr1400" I don't know if you are male or female or what but just because women's heads are being covered doesn't mean that they don't want their hair to be well maintained or nicely cut for their own self confidence. A woman does not need a special fancy occasion to want to take care of herself and maintain her feminine delicate features and look good which makes her feel good about herself regardless of whether or not anyone else sees her. Open your mind a little.

[Ms4369]

@pollygong tottally agree wih u x

[pollygong]

She also explains her very own personal lifestyle changes and trials faced being married to someone of a different cultural background. She reached out to the women that were discontented with their personal situations, not the ones that were happy and content with their lives. Stop being so ignorant. You are in essence contradicting yourself by trying to put this Ms. Rodriguez down and make it look like what she did was malicious which it quite obviously was not.

[pollygong]

This books tells the story of these women because they will never be able to tell it themselves. Western women can read this book and understand and learn from these women about real trials and tribulations, real hardships that they do not face in the Western world. It also teaches them about different depths of communication and reaching out to do something for humanity in your own way. The women who attended Kabul Beauty School did so because they WANTED to. No one forced them.

[pollygong]

I think you are terribly mistaken by the intentions of Deborah Rodriguez's and of her book.. I have recently read it and not once did she try to get these women to stop wearing the burqa or anything like that. What she did was provide a place where these women can speak freely and express their emotions and shed a tear freely. Hurt about losing loved ones, the struggles of arranged marriage and in some cases physical or mental abuse.

[metaphoricalballs]

I think what she was trying to do with this book was draw people's attention to the situation in Afghanistan so that they could do whatever they could to help, not draw attention to herself. Maybe she screwed up a little, but nobody is perfect and I admire her bravery for going there in the first place. I hope she gets to go back as she said she wanted to.

[soulsinger46]

God Bless Deborah!!! I can totally identify with her, and would love to join her in helping these women in Afghan!! I have also been in an abusive marriage, and am a Licensed Nail Technician, so I can totally identify!!

[estherteng]

Good for you:)).

[afghanistanculture09]

She doesn't seem to be educated bcuz she can't talk even about her self. Just started to say nonsense, how she wrote that book with less knowledge?? Every one goes to that destroyed country uses thoes melow people one way or another. If some thing happens to the life of thoes women, I will take you to the court here in CA. Fuck n Bitch..

[TheAnneelise]

what terrible words you write!

Shame on you!!

[estherteng]

To username afghanistanculture: I think it's you who are the uneducated one who cannot even write or saying anything properly, only knowing how to bash people with your imbecile words... Ridiculous is what you are!

You are the typical wanton, demanding Taliban loser!

[afghanistanculture09]

You are the uneducated person which doesn't undrestand the situation. I totally know what I say. This lady left thoes people in danger by getting their personal stories and make a book out of it. Is it propper if someone gets your personal story and publish it?? By bublishing this book, what she has done for thoes people?? YOU PEOPLE ARE INVADORS & LIARS.. SHAME ON people LIKE YOU!

[moorejr1400]

good, you see it too she is a b*&^^ to put political correctness aside, she actually did worst than exploit those people, she came with an EMPERALISTIC mentality to practice a cultural norm of the west which is not port of their lives, and she calls this helping them? this "rodriguez" used these peoples ignorance, mislead them, lied to them, and they are worst then they were before meeting this woman, while this fool laughs her way to the bank!!! She will answer for that on the day of judgement

[afghanistanculture09]

You fukin bitch, by making your self rich and famous by this book, you put the lifes of thoes poor women in danger. You left the country but don't know what's up there. You helped your pocket not thoes people, left them in a high risk.

[moorejr1400]

good, you see something is wrong with her! but it gets worst than that, that what these so-called feminists do: they go to foreign lands usually in support of western republican propaganda( i bet she voted for mccain and paline), and exploit the ignorant people over seas, thinking this woman is really here to help in reality they come their to try to change the people from what they are and to use this femininist "humanitarian" lie exploit them and get rich by films/books/pop corn, you name it.

[Arapaho53]

I did not speak up for my nieces when they were being victimized by a raging, perverted father and a mother that was a religious, patriarch supporter because I was afraid to make it worse for them and endanger myself. I deeply regret this. Debbie may not be an Angel and 100% right, however I bet her regret list is much shorter than mine and I envy the large chunk of COURAGE that God blessed her with. Christian or Muslim, it takes a lot to swim against the strong current of Patriarchy.

[moorejr1400]

i dont know if you follow islam or not but there is a hadith saying that one is judged by his intentions. This women may be given you some "token" humanitarian resources but she is not really interested in you, she is interested in publicity, look what i did in afghanistan sort of thing.

[TheAnneelise]

AAAAAAAmen!!

[babidiz]

great woman&great book.!

[psKESEY56]

Spunk, humor, an creativity. A remarkable woman. Good book, worth reading for an everyday American's woman's perspective on the Afghan culture from first hand experience.

[moorejr1400]

It not really first hand experience i can read propaganda in all sorts of statements she has made.

[bouzehouane01]

TO APPLICATE THE CHARIA FOR ADUTERY MUST HAVE '4 WITNESS IN THE ACT MEANS SEING THE SITUATION CLEARLY IF NOT WHO ACCUSE A WOMEN OF ADULTERY WITHOUT PRODUCING 4 WITNESSES SHOULD BE FLAGLETED 100 TIMES ,GOD SAID IN THE QUR'AN :

24.4 . And those who accuse honorable women but bring not four witnesses , scourge them ( with ) eighty stripes and never ( afterward ) accept their testimony . They indeed are evildoers

[Anathoniel]

Some people are so nasty and selfish and that when they are confronted with anyone doing the least bit of good, they must demean what that person has done and reduce it to "self-interest".. I guess that is how they make feel themselves good about their own nasty selves.

[jciseashore]

I'm sorry I don't think she is telling the truth. If she did all she said she did she would be dead. I think she is crazy.

[AngelsBrokenWings]

You need to read the book and not put her down.

[jciseashore]

I would never comment on anything I didn't read. No only did I read it but discussed it at a book club with several other woman who also thought the same way. You have your own opinion

[calisunlove]

my dear i did read the book, i wish i hadnt.

[moorejr1400]

I am what the video a couple of times, and the things she said in her video says she is not really interested in afghan people, its more about making a statement.

[estherteng]

Even she didn't care about the Afghans, she wouldn't have gone there a couple times trying to help and even invited her son there either. And in the first place, she wouldn't have looked over the Paul Mitchell bottle to find the toll-free line to ask for help and sponsors, leaving a lengthy message to the its boss and telling them her remarkable ideas, IF she didn't even care!!

Did you actually really read the book yourself??? Get your facts straight then!!

[moorejr1400]

I watched the documentary 3+ times, over thank you very much, and its very sad that you have such a superficial view of life to the point you discuss the importants of a beauty salon instead of given people food, clothing and shelter, where is your mind? SHOULD WE GIVE THE HAITIAN VICTIMS OF THE EARTH QUAKE DIFFERENT HAIR STYLES TOO?!! HUMANITARIANS WHO WENT THERE WOULD TELL YOU IT LOOKED LIKE A WAR ZONE, EXCUSE ME, AFGHANISTAN IS A "WAR ZONE"!!! FIX YOUR THINKING PLEASE!!! >:(

[estherteng]

I know it's a war zone okay? But that doesn't mean people living there have to be denied the right to get their hair cut, permed, washed, done! Can you imagine when men can walk around on the street doing what they wanna do, women have to stay home, even some staying for over 8 years under the roof not being able to see what it's like just to go out, take a walk, and breathe some fresh air, all day long. They cannot even find an OPEN salon out in public for them to go to.

[estherteng]

And to tell you the truth, it's a war zone as it is now, but people still have to live with something they can at least enjoy. You see those grocery stores and bazaars and restaurants, don't you?

It's a foreigner who's willing to go out there in such a war-torn, dilapidated place with little resource and daily necessities to help them go on a path to developing a skill and using it to earn a living for themselves and even their family when the husbands are out of work, NOT for Rodrigues herself!

[moorejr1400]

YOU PUT EVERYTHING ON LOOKS, THAT IS TYPICAL FOR NAIVE AMERICANS!!! remove burqa, make them like us, she is in it for her self, there aroganzation out there giving them "real" skills, in a society where you are not encourage to display your sexuality and you make hairstyles to do the opposite, what are you thinking? answer. emperalist

[moorejr1400]

If afghan women dont show their bodies in public, then who is going to see her "new hairstyle"? other men? are you telling them to violate their family values/culture, just for a &*&& hair cut? why not give them microsoft applicatons, dell, linux, windows, etc, they are smart women dont reduce their womenhood to hair styles lip stick and high heels,

[estherteng]

It's a foreigner who is willing to leave her comfort zone to help out. But unlike you, you can live in a place free of much insecurity, it's because your parents or grandparents brought you where you ARE today. If you wanna help out, why don't you go back to help your own people then?!

[moorejr1400]

you are sold by her *&&, that is an emperialist mentality to control the people "make them like us" mentality, that doesnt help, it sounds niece in theory but in reality this is the same trick that was used on the native americans/africans.

[moorejr1400]

she would not do that if there were no money in it for her. Watch "Clowns at Kubul" a video where humanitarians went to afghanistan whose attempt is the help the chrildren their pscyologically from the war. These humanitarians dressed as clowns and visited children at hospitals, clinics, etc to bring happiness in their lives, patch adams was among them. They didnt go to hurt their culture but to help bring some peace to the lives of their society's most innocent: children. Help is not emperalism

[estherteng]

It's not about hair style either! I was never talking about that, it's about helping the Afghan women to go in a profession and maintain their daily life by contributing to their households or relying on themselves.

If you also want to help them have the ability to work and make a living, well, you have something to teach then.

In one paragraph of the book, it relates to a woman in burqa for so long that not until after a long time in the sun adjusting to the open air can she open her eyes.

[moorejr1400]

its not just about a beauty school, you are telling them to change their "values" way of life to suit yours, when do the west have a law book to determine how others should live, considering our own misygnistic culture, think about that.

[moorejr1400]

that makes it a propaganda book, using situations like this to appeal to your emotions, etc, to control your view of afganistan. why not let the people decide for themselves what is best. You only interprete their culture as inferior and make women sex objects, that is no go for them and you, open sexuality is not liberation its suppression, you have this disease in western lands and many western women die, descriminated against, harassed, abused from this!!

[eve22112]

she's one courageous woman

[ckjune]

i love her book and she is as i imagined her to be as i read the book. Kudos to you my dear, you are a true hero for women..

[KattRiddle]

She only did this for the fame of it! Oh and of course the money ... Simple. End of it.

[PhillAlexandros]

I think she did something amazing out there. I sure as hell don't have the courage she has. I read the book, and I loved it. I don't care if she has fame. Others like football players have fame and don't do crap for anyone.

[NOEMICAS]

im agree with you, EXCEPT.. she left her kids behind! how could she leave the kids and marry a married man!? i really dont agree with that. i shouldnt judge, but this is my opinion.

[AngelsBrokenWings]

It's legal there. There are differences of culture that you must accept. And her children were grown.

[naimpoor11]

keep it up...good job!!!

[obeseolivia]

For all the negative commenters...

Sorry, but what have you done for disadvantaged women in Middle Eastern countries lately? I'm not pretending to know the author's intentions but at least she's done something for the welfare of women! It's easy to critique her because she's white and went into this knowing nothing about the culture. At least she made an effort.

How about instead of criticizing, you peel yourself off your computer chair and do something positive about it?

[HW50]

Just another white american bitch over estimating her importance. She could never achieve anything in her own country so she uses other people to get attention for herself.

[HW50]

I hate these euroshit mofos who try to profit off of shattered nations. I guess it's not enough that americans slaughter Afghans every day now we have this cracker painting herself as some hero of Afghan women because she painted some nails. What a piece of work- may she be damned. Go back to your countries and mind your own business.

[brklynbaybi]

i saw it, was very touching. i have great admiration for this woman to go there. i thought it was rude of the other lady to take the curtains down, when they were there for a good reason. the men were staring at them through the windows! she was out of line.

[masuodyousef]

You just did it to gain something$ and for you own fun and fame.

SORY THERE IS NO MORAL BEHIND IT

[avehna]

Love you Deb We are all Proud of you ..Your cousin Sandi and Mom said to send you her love ..SAndi and Jessica :)

[phaery1]

I believe that this lady is sincere in her desire to help. As for the criticism that she has endangered her former students, well, there is some merit to that. Ms. Rodriguez probably supposed (wrongly, it turns out) that changing the names in the book was sufficent to protect them. But let's put the blame where it really belongs, on the cultural/religious extremists who were a danger to these very women long before Ms. Rodriguez opened her school.

[heavyk187]

yeah yeah.... you will get famous!! next time maybe you should cry a little bit.. it will make it look more "from your heart" ...

[avehna]

well i am telling you this is from her heart We grew up together and your commits are rude sorry but unless you know her you have no right to voice about her feelings

[Shindandwal]

You are lying about Afghan women just like western media. I am Afghan we have more respect for women than you

[coolbeansmellon]

Really? Watch the movie. Lying? Guess the movie was bogus.

[XugaXuga88]

Yeah, why the f-k do you right about people who are still alive and in Afganistan? If the girls' husbands find out what you write, they could be killed.

[coolbeansmellon]

Not her problem, not anyone's problem but the people or the government that does this to people. Learn to speak up! Even if it means your bad fate.

[samirajan182]

She used these Afghan woman for her own gain. She only went to Afghanistan to get fame back here in America. She doesnt give a shit about all the women who can get killed b/c of her. Shame on you!

[coolbeansmellon]

She called attention to their struggles!

[lumpyfurlong]

your work in Afghanistan has endangered the lives of women you pretended were your friends. You are a MURDERER.

[coolbeansmellon]

How does that make her wrong? Women's lives over there are CONSTANTLY in danger. She helped.

[ZIVONZivon]

Your work in Afghanistan is a realistic eye opener and an example to us all. Great job.