118: Nude, rude, and screwed: The Dark History of Nail Salons
51:07 Share

You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean it fits you just right so you wear it all the time but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I

I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman

and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen. And you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

RIP. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

- Hi, so recently I had a valet, look, everywhere in LA, wait, what's that line? In LA, everywhere you go has valet. So I valet, right? And then I have to go and like pick up my car. And the valet guy, I noticed that he had like a really long ass pinky nail. It was super long and I thought to myself, okay, it could be one of two things. Maybe he plays guitar.

Like I've heard that people who play guitar have a long pinky nail. That's just what I heard, I don't know. Or maybe it's a coke nail. I don't know. I've heard about these coke nails. I don't know what they do with it, but look, I had questions. So I asked him, I was like, "Hey, how come your pinky nail is so long?" And he didn't answer me. He just giggled.

So I didn't get much from that. So then it got me thinking about nails in general. Like what's it all about, you know? Nails, long pinky nails. So I get to Google, right? I go to Google, I'm like,

What is Coke Nail? Well, turns out nails in general, like those long ass nails had nothing to do with Coke. It was actually a symbol of wealth, power, and oh my God, Mr. Valet, excuse my ignorance, a king are we? Okay, baby girl.

Listen, because I'm very excited about today's episode because it's got more twists and turns than a slide at Del Taco. It's got a dictator, a famous Hollywood star, and a whole lot of inspirational refugees who did amazing things to chase something called the American dream. So all of this leads us to how we got to today's episode, which is the history of nails. Yeah, nails and like nail salons. I wanted to know.

Hi friends, I hope you're having a wonderful day today. If you don't know, my name is Bailey Sarian and I'd like to welcome you to my podcast, Dark History. Here we believe that history doesn't have to be boring. I mean, yeah, a lot of times it's tragic. Rarely is it happy, huh? It's uncomfortable, but either way, it's our dark history. So all you have to do is sit back, relax, and let me tell you about that hot, juicy history goss. First, Paul, you look incredible. Should I call you Paulina?

You look okay too. Anyways, the other day I was doing a deep dive into nail culture and it reminded me of when I was sick and I was like watching all of these movies. I had nothing to do so I was like let me just go down like the greatest hits, right? So the first one I watched was the movie Tombstone which incredible movie. Changed my life. Oh my god, wow. I got two guns here.

one for each of y'all. And then I also watched a movie called Crouching Tigers, Dragons, Hidden Tigers. I forget, but crouching, I know crouching. Crouching, oops, Crouching Dragons, Hidden Tigers. And I was like, oh my God, this is also incredible.

But there's this part during the movie where the girl, she's like, I think she's a princess, I forget. But the girl, she's about to be wed off to a rich family. And I noticed not only were her feet bound, she also had these long ass bugles on her hands, like over her nails.

So I was like, "What?" It was so beautiful. So I paused the movie. I'm looking. I'm like, "What is that?" And I realized that they were actually like these really intricate gold-looking claws. It was incredible. It was beautiful. I was like, "What are these called?" And was this real? Like, what was this about?

Well, surprise, bitch, because our story starts all the way back in ancient China. Okay, listen. Nails were a huge part of the upper class of society in ancient China. So at the time, if women or even men had long nails, it meant that they were too rich to do manual labor. In other words, like, you know, working in the fields like those other peasants. So the longer your nails were, the bigger the flag.

and making your nails look as good as possible was so important. Some sources say ancient China even invented the first form of nail polish in 3000 BC. I know, I was like, before Christ? What? Can you imagine Jesus with his toes painted?

What color would he wear? I don't know. I had questions. But after cleaning and washing the hands and feet, which was an important ritual because a lot of times it was like female bonding, these women would get like a little creative to condition their fingernails or like the skin around the nails. They would make use of like whatever was available to them.

So they would use like beeswax, gelatin, egg whites, and they would like mix this all up and then marinate their nails in the mixture all night long. The very next day, they would take flower petals from orchids or roses, crush them up. Then the woman would dip the tips of their fingers in there and they would be left with like this really pretty color of a pinkish red hue on the nail. Now this was called finger dipping.

I don't know. Sounds kind of dirty, but whatever. But it was gorgeous. It was kind of like a no makeup makeup look. Very sheer. Just a hint of something. Very feminine. Even Confucius, you know, the famous philosopher, I guess he had these long ass nails that he, he too, would show off. If your nail was cut or broken for some reason, shame.

Shame on you. Yeah, shame because you broke a nail. So the upper crust of society would wear these things called Chinese nail guards. And that's what I saw in the movies, I think. Was that what I saw in the movie? I don't know. But these nail guards were usually gold or silver and they were encrusted with the best metals, gems, and stones, which they believed would provide good luck. On top of that, these things were super sharp. Like they look like legit claws.

and they could like cut a bitch. These nail guards were almost like long gloves, but just for your fingers. This way, nothing could come between you and your precious nails. And again, if your nail was broken, no one would have to see that ugly mess on your hands. Honestly, if you look at the picture of it, which I'm sure we'll insert here somewhere, it's giving very like Freddy Krueger

but kind of chic, kind of glam, super gorgeous. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love.

love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced $50 to

80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices

and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen and you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

RIP. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

In ancient Egypt, things were a little less sharp, but still it was like along the same lines as ancient China. So if you had some color on your nails or like a design, again, this was a sign that you were rich and powerful and never even seen or even thought of as a person who did hard labor. They're like, oh my God, she must be so rich.

Many ancient Egyptian mummies were found to have these sick, like gold plated nails tipped with something called henna, which is a dye made from a henna plant. Now for the next few centuries, having colorful nails continues to be a thing that is mostly for royals and again, wealthy people.

It wasn't widespread and this didn't change until the mid-1800s when the nail culture found its way to Europe. Europe started to trade goods with places like India and the Middle East and a lot of quote unquote exotic practices like having colorful nails also started to spread all over the continent. But you know 1800s Europe, ugh, they were so...

What is another word for conservative? Sourdough bread. They were boring. They were super religious. So they hated everything. So naturally, if like this is bringing happiness and joy to people, the religious side of things, they were like, "Mm-mm, mm-mm." Painting nails, that's the devil.

I mean, I get it. I was raised religious and wearing black nail polish almost got me kicked out of the church. I don't know, they thought I was like worshiping Satan because I had black nail polish on. I was like, no, I just wanted to be like Hilary Duff.

Anyways, back in the 1800s, the religious people were like, having color on your nails is sinful, sexual, and I believe God doesn't like that. But I think it's safe to assume here that people did it anyway, like on the low key, you know? It's kind of like makeup. Even royalty started to get in on the nail altering practice. I guess King Louis Philippe of France would often deal with hangnails.

You know that little flap of skin that's like right next to your nail that's stiff and it just hurts? I have one right here that I'm trying to bite off, which I shouldn't do, but I'm doing it anyways, you know? Yeah. Well, I guess this king, he was like, "Hangnails, am I right? "Ugh, the worst." In the 1800s, there was no salon that he could like pop into really quick and like get his nail clipped. So the king decided to hire someone that was close enough to like nail person, a foot doctor.

I know, it's a little dramatic, but okay. Now this doctor, whose name was Dr. Sitz. Yeah, Sitz. I know, first of all, I was like, he should have been a butt doctor, but...

He wasn't thinking. He created these custom tools so the king would be able to clean and push back his cuticles. Yeah, which I guess would help with the hangnails. And as soon as rich people found out that the king was getting these fancy nail treatments, naturally, everybody else wanted these treatments as well. So Dr. Sitz, great name, he had his niece train a bunch of people to do these things called manicures.

which was like a new word at the time. In French it translated to "care of the hands and fingernails."

Wow, I know. So pretty soon, other wealthy people, they too could take care of their hands just like the king. At the end of the day, people just want to experience what like the wealthy were doing. And I think that's why like throughout history, it shows we just want to be like the wealthy people and like copy them, right? At least that's what I've learned being here on Dark History, you guys. Shut up.

So everyone was on board with this shit. They're like manicure? Oh yeah. Manicures might have just remained like an expensive royal tradition if it hadn't been for a woman named Mary Cobb. No relation to the Cobb salad but I thought maybe. Anywho across the waters in America they were obsessed with all things French. It's like macaroons, frappuccino, I don't know. What do French people like? They were obsessed.

I consider macaroons a luxury, okay? That's fancy shit. So you know like the phrase "beauty is pain" that we just talked about in our last episode? It actually comes from the French phrase "you must suffer to be beautiful" or as the French say "il faut souffrir pour être rebelle." Oui, oui.

Yeah, I know French, whatever. In 1874, Mary was living with her family in New York City when she fell in love with a man named Dr. Joseph Parker Pray. I know these names, they're so good. Mr. Pray? Okay.

Great. So Mary, she falls in love with him. She knew that she had hit the jackpot, not just because she loved him, but because he was rich, like rich, rich, like you, ooh, you're like,

You know, you would do the same. He had made a fortune in New York selling those foot powders, you know, so your feet don't stink. Yeah, he made that shit. And he also sold different types of cosmetics. But Dr. Joe, he was mostly a podiatrist, a foot guy.

And Mary decided to join him in the business. So Mary went to medical school and when she was done, she went into the foot practice with her husband. They became partners and in the late 19th century, tons of women's magazines were highlighting how the manicure was popping off in France. Like it was all the rage. So people are reading these magazines like, "When the hell is this gonna come to America? I want a manicure."

And this is when Mary saw an opportunity. An opportunity in this new industry of nails. You go, Mare Mare. So in 1878 in Manhattan, Mary opens up the very first American manicure parlor. She called it Miss Cobb's Manicure Parlor. I was like, good for her. Right?

Good for her. And this was like a really huge deal at this time because it was rare for a woman like Mary to be able to open her own business. Women can't do anything.

How? But she did it regardless. Mary took the traditional French method but added her own flair to the manicure to make it feel just a bit more luxurious. She did things like soaking the fingernails, pushing back the cuticles, trimming and buffing the nails. She even created an enamel to seal in the color on the nail.

You can kind of think of it as like a top coat to really seal everything in, but it wasn't really quite a top coat, it was an enamel. And voila, you have an American manicure. And it wasn't just about getting color on your nails. Mary made it a point to make her salon a warm, welcoming place for women to just come in, sit, relax, you know, not have to like stress out about being a woman in the 1800s. Again, this was the 1800s. I mean, what else is there to do as a woman?

right? This was their one thing, okay? Their one safe space. So in 1878, Mary offered her manicures for $1.25, which was more of like a simple buff and shine manicure process. This manicure was about making your nails look as clean and as cute as possible so that you would appear as that delicate,

and feminine woman you are. And this business was super successful. I mean, Mary had tons of clients coming in. But just as Mary's business was thriving, Mary finds out that the man she married was actually a piece

You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love.

love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops, and my favorite part, all Quince items are priced $50 to

80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh!

I love linen and you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

So Dr. Joseph Cray, I guess he was very abusive towards Mare Mare. And in 1884, she made the tough decision to divorce his ass. Thankfully, Mary was able to keep her business, which again was huge because it's the 1800s. Women were really not allowed to divorce asses.

I mean, this was not like a norm, but somehow Mary and Dr. Joe were able to come to some kind of agreement so they could sell a product that they had created together. Something that is still a huge part of the nail industry today, the Emery board, right? They did that. Well, she did that. And he was like, "I did it too."

We don't really know how much he helped, but whatever. Oh, oh, let me tell you, because I know one of you out there remembers MTV Shrew Life. Do you remember the episode of the girl who would eat emery boards? Do you remember that episode?

That's what I thought of. I was like, oh my god, yeah. So this episode on MTV was about this girl who loved eating emery boards and then she wanted to be in nail tech and everyone's like, girl, you can't be in nail tech. That's like being an alcoholic and working as a bartender. Like, there's no way. But she would just eat the emery boards. So then I tried an emery board and destroyed my teeth. But anyways, that's what it reminded me of. Let me know if you watched that.

So anyways, back to the story. For the next few decades until the 1920s, nail salons continued to play it safe. Women and men could get manicures so they would look clean and put together. But it wasn't really like a fashion statement or anything like that. There were a few types of enamels that hit the shelves, but it was not really, again, a household thing. But over time, more and more, the public starts embracing the idea of this whole

nail industry. And then in the 1920s, there were some advancements happening in the auto industry. Right. Yeah. I knew you thought you were thinking that. Yeah, me too. Auto industry is popping off. Yes. And this oddly enough changed the nail game forever.

When I first read this I was like that's bizarre. How did cars you know affect the nail industry? Tell me more. Okay I have an answer for you. So in the 1920s America's car industry had expanded and there were like more and more cars available to the everyday American. And this was major. This was huge. There was a huge demand for them. People were just driving more. They're seeing advertisements. I mean whoo.

People are moving and they're moving quick. And this is the first time people are seeing like shiny yellow, orange and red vehicles or like a blue car, you know, it's like, it's just color everywhere. The cars were so beautiful to them, to the people at this time, it was like the future. These shiny new cars, they got people thinking. They were like, wow, cars,

are paintable, nails are paintable. I don't know how they made this connection, but they did. So they're like, why can't we just take that nice shiny new paint that they're using on cars and use it to like paint our nails with it? It's safe for the car. It must be safe for my nails. I mean, think about it though. Women, we love to match, right? I love a theme.

Tell me it's a red party, baby, I'm gonna show up in all red. But these companies were marketing products to women, so it's like, why not offer them a chance to match the car that their husband drives? 'Cause you know their ass is not allowed to drive that car. So that's when nail polishes, based off of car paint formula,

Hit the market. Now, the look was slick, and even though it wasn't mainstream, it was selling pretty steadily. But right away, companies started to get some complaints. Actually, it was just like one big quote.

complaint. Turns out that if it's used on cars, it's not really that great for women's nails. And the nails were being destroyed by that polish. Who would have thought, huh? I guess the main ingredient in the polish was like a chemical called nitrocellulose.

Yeah. Woman would apply it and then the next thing they know their nails were just like dry and crusty as shit. I guess the chemical effects were worse than anyone thought. And then to come full freaking circle, it's funny but it's not funny, but the chemical that they were using on the polish and on the cars was created by a little company called DuPont.

Now, if you don't know about DuPont, the very first episode of Dark History was about DuPont and they have been reappearing way too much, okay? So, of course they made this polish. And then the worst part of all, like this chemical that's like really toxic, it's apparently still used in nail polish.

Yeah, I guess we can't get away from them. They really own us. Luckily, a big company came around and kind of tinkered with the formula, allegedly, and they created a newer, non-destructive nail polish. And that company was Revlon. Yeah, Revlon! You go, Rev!

Lawn. And pretty soon anyone who's anyone had a bottle of nail polish. Rich or poor, it was kind of like, it was like lipstick. It was an affordable luxury that just made women, I don't know, feel better about themselves. Plus it was also an opportunity for women everywhere to like make a statement.

Like, "Ooh, darling, I have red polish on. I'm a hussy." Red was kinda like scandalous. Now, this was like the '20s and the '30s, and again, women were still supposed to be seen, not heard. To some haters, a bold nail color was just as slutty as a bare ankle.

No! But for real, any non-neutral nail color was seen as very sinful and it caused quite a cultural debate. But that debate took on a whole new meaning once the golden age of Hollywood rolls around. Starlets on the silver screen rocked painted nails without any shame and they really pushed forward more modern beauty standards. Like Joan Crawford. Joan, any word? Any comment?

Okay. So Joan Crawford starred opposite Clark Gable in the 1934 movie called Chained! Exclamation point. And in it, she sported a red moon manicure. I love a red moon.

Like a moon manicure was super hot back then. I love it. It was where they left like a little crescent moon shape on the nail. It's officially called the like La Nula nail and that was the style. It was hot, I loved it. It looks like a little half moon at the base of your nail. It's just like so sophisticated and sexy. So thanks to Hollywood, wearing color on your nails became something to aspire to. If you think about it, it's kind of like TikTok, you know? They recommend something and like everyone goes and buys it and they're like, yeah, yeah.

I heard about this on TikTok. But yeah, everyone, they want to feel like a TikTok star by using nail polish just like Miss Crawford on the big screen. Now this is where the story takes a sharp ass left that no one was expecting. You ready? Stay with me. Here we go. As nail polishes are on the rise on one side of the globe, millions of people are being killed by a vicious dictator. And because of this, the nail scene was going to change forever.

It's the 1970s and the Vietnam War is happening. I mean, it's been happening for about 20 years at this point, from 1955 to 1975. And look, the Vietnam War is very complicated. So bear with, like, this is a short version of it because we're focusing on nails.

I need to do an episode on the Vietnam War, but you get it, okay? Over a million civilians died by the spring of 1975, which is when the Vietnamese communist leader, a guy named Ho Chi Minh, basically wins. Like, he conquered the capital of Vietnam, which used to be called Saigon, and he ended up naming it after himself. He's like, um, it's now called Ho Chi Minh City. Mm-hmm.

At this point, the American troops who were still in Vietnam were like, "Okay, we gotta get the fuck out of here." Because Ho Chi Minh's people were rounding everyone up, everyone and anyone, and then slaughtering them.

It was a mad rush to get out of there. And it was even worse for the Vietnamese people who had fought alongside the Americans because they couldn't just fly out and go to America. Ho Chi Minh wanted everyone who had been against him dead. He wanted a clean slate, new people that he could brainwash or whatever the fuck. So staying there was basically like a

a death sentence. This group called the Khmer Rouge was rounding up all of the South Vietnamese people and torturing them, targeting their families and doing mass executions. Insanity. So the Vietnamese people were just desperate to also get the fuck out of there however they could. Now this ended up creating one of the biggest and longest refugee crisis

Between the years of 1975 and 1995, over 3 million refugees fled Vietnam and Cambodia without like any real destination in mind.

but they had to go somewhere. Now many of the people tried to escape on boat, but sadly many of them had died on their journey, either because their boats weren't sturdy enough, or they were too full, or they were attacked by pirates. Jesus, you know, you're like damn, they weren't doing everything. And at a certain point, some countries like Malaysia and Singapore started to literally push boats full of refugees back into the sea.

They're like, "Nope, sorry, we can't take you. We've had too many here, sorry." Historians believe that between 25,000 and 50,000 of these refugees died at sea. That's so sad. But the lucky ones made it to some sort of refugee camp, and over 2 million refugees end up

all over the world, including here in America. The American Congress and even the president, who was Gerald Ford at the time, authorized a bunch of these refugees to come on over and start new lives in the U.S. of A. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time.

time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops, and my favorite part,

All Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices

and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen and you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

So the first wave of refugees showed up in 1975 and most of them were reportedly well educated and spoke English. Probably because of that they got like a really warm welcome from America. They're like, "Oh my god, hi, you speak English? Yeah, you could stay. Can I get you anything? A sunny tea? What do you want?" But the second wave of refugees, which came in a few years later, they were not so lucky.

By 1978, America, this is when we were in a bit of a recession. So everyone was cranky and then they saw the incoming refugees as a burden. On top of that, they were not as like well off and didn't speak as much English. So because of this, they faced way more hostility from Americans. Since most of them had fled on boats, these refugees started to be called by the derogatory name, boat people.

I know, honestly, it's not even a good dig, right? Boat people, like wow, that's what you came up with? Okay, whatever. Ultimately, 500,000 of these refugees end up settling in America between 1979 and 1999. But it was a process. I mean, most of them had spent years in the no man's land between refugee camps, political prisons,

re-education camps, and all other frickin' traumatic situations. All because they just wanted to get to America and be treated like everyone else, but instead they were treated like garbage. According to Long Bui, an international studies professor at UC Irvine, quote, the majority of Americans didn't want the Vietnamese here. The refugees were a stark reminder of a lost war and were seen as an economic burden.

It wasn't a very welcoming climate, end quote. Okay, so you're like, okay, this is sad, this is awful. What does this have to do with anything else? Well, as you can imagine, it was hard for these refugees, especially that second wave, to get jobs. And that's where tippy comes in. I know, you're like, tippy? I hate tipping. Tipping culture, am I right? Ha ha ha ha.

But no, that's not what we're talking about. I'm talking about a famous actress and model from Hollywood, California named Tippi Hedren. Now in the 60s, she was a big deal because she was the star of a very famous movie you probably heard of, The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock. Birds! Now Tippi is also Melanie Griffith's mother and Dakota Johnson's grandmother.

Just wanted to add that in there, you know? Anyway, rumor has it, Tippy's role was pretty traumatizing. I guess like there was a week where the director, Alfred, he wanted to use live birds to actually attack Tippy. And she was like, "Um, how about no?" But spoiler alert, they did it anyways, you know? Birds, I guess, are not very nice.

But, Tippy being a famous actress, she did it anyways. She powered through it. And Tippy was pecked, and I guess nearly blinded, by these birds! She had a complete meltdown on set. I mean, it was total Hollywood drama. I'm here for it. I was like, "Tell me more. Where are those birds now?" I guess one of them is here. Okay. Were you a part of that, Joan? I heard you were a stand-in for some of the birds.

That's how she got this gig. No one else would take her. Joan was actually blacklisted because of the movie Birds. Fun fact. Can you tell us about your experience on the movie Birds? Great. Anywho, a few years later, Tippy is working as an international relief coordinator at an organization called Food for the Hungry, where you guessed it, they would provide food for the hungry.

But also on top of that, they offered other things like job training. So Tippy was working on a way to give job training and different opportunities to the Vietnamese refugees. You know, with the goal that they could get work and start living their lives here in America. So Tippy brought in typists and seamstress and like all sorts of people to teach skills to the refugee women.

which is like so nice, like that's really great. And then one day something happened that changed everything. But most of all, for nail salons specifically.

Okay, so Tippy is helping the Vietnamese women learn different skills and better their lives. And it's amazing. And Tippy was also known for having beautiful manicures. Now one day, a Vietnamese woman named Thuong Le, she was admiring Tippy's manicure.

Tuan is quoted as saying, "A group of us were standing close to Tippy and saw that her nails were so beautiful. I looked in Tippy's eyes and knew she was thinking the same thing. She said, 'Ah, maybe you can learn how to do nails.' And we looked at each other and said, 'Yes, manicures.'"

End quote. Now Tippy, because she's a famous Hollywood movie star, she had her own like personal manicurist because, you know, she's bougie. And this woman, her name was Dusty Coots. Not making this up. That was her name. It was a very cowgirl name, isn't it? Dusty Coots. Okay, Miss Coots. My name is Dusty Coots and I want you to kiss my boots.

That's what I imagined Dusty was like, but I don't really know. Anywho, so Dusty worked at a place called The Nail Patch, which was in Encino, California. And this was one of the first ever salons to be nails only.

Like they didn't offer any other spa services. Back in the day, salons were full service where they would do like hair and blah, blah, blah, whatever. But this was just strictly nails. So Tippy approaches Dusty about coming out and teaching the refugees to do nails.

And Dusty says, quote, So Tippy would fly Dusty up to Northern California at least like once a week to the refugee camp, which was called Hope Village. And I guess this was near Sacramento. So.

So at Hope Village, this is where like many of the refugee women were living and where Dusty would teach them how to do nails. So the women would get their lessons with Dusty and then they would go to a local beauty school, which was like nearby. It was called Citrus Beauty School.

No beauty schools back then were doing nails only programs, but Tippy convinced them to start doing it. So at first they're a little reluctant, you know, but they finally caved in and said, fine, we'll do it. We'll just offer nails. Once this first group of women finished training and got their nail licenses, Tippy helped them find jobs in

in salons all across Southern California. Tippy told the BBC in an interview, quote, "I love these women so much that I wanted something good to happen for them after losing literally everything."

And she really did play a huge role in creating jobs for generations of Vietnamese immigrants. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I

I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman

and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen. And you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

RIP. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

The women that Dusty had trained for several months would eventually open their own salons and start employing their family and friends, which led to many of them becoming family businesses. One of the reasons they were such popular jobs was because a person didn't need a big vocabulary to do nails.

And this was great news for these immigrants and refugees new to America. I mean, they could work part time while learning English or going to school and use the job as a stepping stone while adjusting to this new country. And according to the BBC, to this very day, many of the nail technicians in Southern California are, quote, direct descendants of that first class of women.

Tam Nguyen, who is the president of Advanced Beauty College in Garden Grove, California. His mom's best friend, Thuong Le, was one of Tippi's original students. According to Tam, it was Thuong who encouraged his mother to open a beauty school, which is now a thriving family business. Tam said, quote, of course I know who Tippi Hedren is. She's a godmother of the nail industry, end quote. I mean, yeah, hello, yeah, wow, yeah.

Go Tippy, Tippy. So yes, credit where credit is due. Tippy had the game changing idea to help empower the vulnerable Vietnamese refugees by bringing them nail education. But it was the Vietnamese themselves who did all of that hard work. They fought tooth and hangnail and they worked hard to make things happen. Because of them, the nail industry was booming so much that in 1980,

And I was like,

It was a new job, I guess. And this boom wasn't just happening in Southern California. People recognized the opportunity in Southern California, like what was going on, and they wanted to create those same opportunities on the East Coast. Women, specifically Korean women, kickstarted the nail industry in New York City. Within a decade, over 2,000 Korean-owned nail salons opened in the metropolitan area.

All of these made up 70% of the entire salon market over there. And it wasn't just Korean immigrants, people from China,

Nepal, Tibet, and many Latin American countries also made their way into the nail salon game. And all of this opportunity created a path to the American dream that they didn't have before. So it's said a rising tide lifts all boats. What I mean by that is that all of the success in the nail industry was going to benefit everyone involved, except for one group of people whose contributions were buried and overlooked

and pretty much farted on.

You know the Chiclets?

Yeah, it was iconic. And in fact, when you look at the cover, you see she does this America's like next top model Eva moment. That move that Eva does and like covers her face with her hands. If you know what I'm talking about. Remember when Eva was afraid of the spider? She's like, no. But then she wins the competition with that fierce ass. So Danielle kind of seems to be featuring her nails front and center on purpose. Like,

Like, she's making a big statement. Hello, chiclets, fierce. So when this cover went public, Danielle became one of the people who changed the face of fashion and nails forever. But it took a second for the world to, like, catch up. In the early 1970s, a professional mani-pedi would cost about 50 dollars.

Now that was a lot at the time. It would be around like $390 today, which is insanity. So once again, just like in the very beginning, this was like getting your nails done was a sign of wealth and luxury.

You know, a special treat only for those who could afford it. But at the same time, those immigrants and refugees started becoming nail professionals. Technology started transforming the nail salon industry as well. Now, artificial nails became more popular. New nail polish colors and formulas were hitting the shelves. Materials were more durable and...

The paint would like dry faster. Plus those acrylics, like the ones Danielle rocked, started to gain a foothold in middle America. And all this new tech meant that manicures were both faster and the best part, more affordable. Which meant people could like have a little bit more fun, have that little luxury, get their nails done.

From Danielle through the 1980s, women, especially communities of colors and celebrities, were playing with different shades, lengths, and even like bejeweling their nails. So their nails had bling before bling was even like a thing yet. The nail looks were bright, flamboyant, and over the top.

And it was a way for women to have some fun, express themselves, especially in a culture that still wouldn't allow them to do any of that. Disco superstars and icons like Donna Summer and Diana Ross also leaned into the acrylic look. A lot of times they would show off very long, bright red and reflective metallics painted on those lengthy claws. Like Paul here. Damn, girl.

Those are some claws. I mean the look was chic, it was stunning, it was eye-catching, it was show-stopping. Danielle, Donna, Diana and many others were pushing back against European beauty standards and deciding for themselves to have a little fun, use some polish. Like if they wanted red nail polish they did it, you know? But at the same time, many people, not just critics in the fashion world, they viewed the way black women wore their nails as

vulgar, unsophisticated, and unrefined. In other words, it wasn't as classy as like a Coke mail. Okay. And this came to a head during an interesting cultural moment where race, gender, and nails collided.

In 1988, this really happened, like it's so bizarre. The Summer Olympics were happening in Seoul, South Korea. And during the games, a track star named Florence Griffith Joyner, they called her Flojo, became a household name. That's because Flojo not only won three gold medals, but she set the record as the world's fastest woman.

A record that still stands to this very day. You go Flojo! So you would think that like after winning three gold medals, it would be all about like, "Wow, you're incredible. You're the best. Oh my God." But in the weeks after her once in a lifetime performance, the media was obsessed with one thing, not her speed or how fast and amazing she was, or like the fact that she just won three gold medals. No, instead they were all talking about

her nails. Huh? Yeah. So during Flojo's race, she decided, we love a theme. Okay, like I said, we love a theme. She rocked a custom red, white, blue, and gold jeweled acrylic set of nails.

and she still beat them all. And the media, they were reporting on this and it wasn't just like fact-based reporting where they were like "wow great nails!" No. Writers seemed intrigued by these nails as if it was something exotic to gawk at. It was kind of like you guys, "hello pay attention she won three gold medals why are we talking about her nails?"

Dr. Lindsay Piper, author of the paper Star Spangled Fingernails, Florence Griffith Joyner and the Mediation of Black Femininity. That was a mouthful. She had something interesting to say about all of this. Lindsay said, quote, because Florence preferred long, colorful nails, the runner was depicted as abnormal, deviant and different.

Yeah, all over patriotic nails. It's like, hey, you guys remember that record she just broke? The joke's on them though, because thanks to icons like Flojo, nail culture, it doesn't fade away. I think it actually does the opposite. With the rise of music videos and hip hop culture, nails go in a whole ass different direction. Musicians like Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim, and even, what

one of my favorites, Stan Jackson, all start coming out with their own nail designs. They would have like bling and piercings on their nails. It was just like mind blowing iconic. So it's kind of wild to think that if Saigon didn't fall and Tippi Hedren and the Vietnamese refugees didn't reshape nail salons in the 70s,

American nail culture might look a hell of a lot different today. Or at the very least, the ability to get a manicure might still only be for like the privileged, wealthy shitheads, you know? Nowadays, because of all the changes in the industry, a basic mani-pedi is way more accessible to the everyday person, right? That's mostly due to Vietnamese American salons because according to Nails Magazine,

they typically charge 30 to 50% less than other salons. And today a manicure is considered a cheap luxury. Now that sounds all great and dandy, right? But whenever the cost of a service based job drops,

alarm bells should be going off in your noggin. That's because in order to compete, salon owners need to find ways to cut costs. And those cuts usually come at the expense of the workers who end up paying the highest price. In 2015, Sarah Maslin Neer, a New York Times journalist,

published a two-part bombshell expose titled Unvarnished. She investigated the business practices and working conditions of nail salons all across the city. The Times interviewed more than 150 nail salon workers and owners in four different languages, and they found out that most workers were paid way

way below minimum wage. I mean, if they were even paid at all. Workers in one salon in East North Port, New York said they were paid just

$1.50 per hour during a 66-hour work week. Jeez Louise, right? A salon in Harlem reportedly charged their manicurist for drinking water. And on slow days, they didn't even pay their workers at all. In over 100 workers interviewed by the Times, 97 of them said that their wages were illegally withheld from them. Yeah.

Now, if I'm doing my math correctly, that's 97 of them out of 100. So three people are getting paid well. That's a little concerning, okay? Now, this is disappointing to hear, right? Because like, I don't know, five minutes ago, nail salons were like, ugh.

A path to achieve the American dream for so many immigrants and refugees. Almost all of the workers interviewed in the Times investigation didn't speak English fluently, and many were in the country illegally. Now that combo is like the perfect storm to create a super fucked up power dynamic. Like what are they gonna do? Who are they gonna complain to? You know, the guy in charge is like, "What are you gonna do? Are you gonna leave? You gonna go back to where?"

You know, it's fucked up. So maybe you're like, look, Bailey, I don't really give a shit. But this is something that involves you, the customer, the client, the wearer of nail polishes on thy nail. Listen, all those nail salon products that they're using on your beautiful little fingers, they are not regulated at the federal or state level.

I didn't know that. And I was like, what? They're not. Meaning like these products were never authorized to be used in salons on humans. It's not funny, but like what? Yeah, completely blew my mind. And I was like, shit, I love those chemical smells when I go into a salon. If they put that in a candle, I would definitely light it in my house. Nail salon scented.

Anyways, like when you go to a nail salon, normally you see licenses on the wall. And I always thought that meant that they were like, you know, that means that they've been, they got the license, they've been certified, they're using the safe stuff. But my ignorant ass is dumb as shit because I was bamboozled. None of that is the case. Now, because of this, an independent group called the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative

was created. This group, they work with the county governments in California to inspect and certify the safety of nail salons. Now this group is all about like the health and safety of the workers and not so much customers. You know, they don't really like pay attention about like wage exploitation.

We gotta get someone on that ASAP, I would think. But the model this group came up with could be used to keep an eye on labor rights. So over in the UK, something called the Federation of Nail Professionals was recently started to lobby the government and also to like raise nail salon industry standards and get rid of unethical business practices. Wow, again, what an idea. What I'm saying is like they are moving in the right direction, right?

We learned a lot, huh? Honestly, I was shooketh because I never would have thought that nails and nail polish had such a wild history. I have a whole new respect for nail salon owners and the opportunities they're still giving immigrants new to this country. They thrived, they started family businesses, and now they completely dominate the nail industry. Now wouldn't you say like that is the American dream?

It's just unfortunate that they're being taken advantage of. Can we have nothing nice? And something else I learned is that there's something about a hot red nail that we've wanted for thousands of years, right? It's always seen as like kind of sexy, kind of hot, kind of scandalous. What is it? Also, nail salons, they need to unionize.

Right? We should let them know. We should go into these salons and be like, hey, you can get on this. And look, if nothing else, this episode hopefully reminded you to pop on over to the salon and get those crusty ass nails done. Because you deserve a little affordable luxury in your life. Hashtag ancient China. Hashtag ho life.

Also, join me over on my YouTube where you can watch these episodes on Thursday after the podcast airs. And also, come just check out my makeup because it looks gorgeous.

And while you're there, you can also catch my murder mystery in makeup. I love to hear your guys' reactions to today's story. I mean, were you as surprised as I was to learn the history of nails and nail polish? Yeah, if you were, make sure to use the hashtag dark history over on social media so I can follow along and see what you're saying. Now, let's read a couple of comments you guys have left me on some previous episodes.

Ada left a comment on our Josephine Baker Part 1 episode saying, quote,

You talked about idolizing female spies, but Bailey, you missed the best one. Kim Possible. God damn it, you're right. Kim Possible, oh my God, I loved her hair. Big fan of her hair and I loved her lip color. Great spy. Luna Bella left a comment on our Monsters episode saying, quote, "Romanian girl here from the land of Vlad and I have visited his castle and it's awesome, but nothing really spooky there.

would love if you would do an episode on him. Love your videos, Bailey, you're my favorite YouTuber. Oh my God, thank you. I am so ready because I have been reading many, many leather-bound books about Vlad the Impaler. And let me tell you, I have too much knowledge about this guy. I would love to make an episode on him because he was absolutely psychotic and dark as shit. Can I come visit? Let me know. Thank you. RS left us an episode suggestion.

Saying, quote, dark history on Chuck E. Cheese and DC Discovery Zone, please. End quote. Did you know the guy who invented or made Chuck E. Cheese also invented the Atari? That's your fun fact, baby. And I'm down because then he went on to, so he went on to like do something else. He did something shady. I'm with you. I'll put it in my notes. Thank you so much. This is my notepad.

I love you guys so much for watching and hanging out with me. And please keep engaging. Comment because maybe you'll be featured and I will answer whatever you want to know. Or maybe I won't. I don't know. Depends. Anyways, hope to see you in the comment section. Dark History is an Audioboom original. This podcast is executive produced by Bailey Sarian, Junya McNeely from 3Arts, Kevin Grush, and Matt Enloe from Maiden Network.

Writers, Joey Scavuzzo, Katie Burris, Allison Filobos, and me, Bailey Sarian. Production lead, Brian Jaggers. Research provided by Xander Elmore. A special thank you to our expert, Suzanne E. Shapiro, author of Nails, the Story of the Modern Manicure. And I'm your host. Hi, Bailey Sarian. I hope you have a good rest of your day. You make good choices. And I'll be talking to you next week.

Say bye. You guys never do anything. Jesus. T-Mobile has home internet on America's largest 5G network. It's how I stream the game. It's how I knock out the shopping list. It's how I level up. Get T-Mobile 5G home internet for only 50 bucks per month with auto pay and any voice line. Plus, there are no exploding bills or annual contracts. T-Mobile. It's how you internet. Check availability today.

Price after $10 monthly bill credit while you maintain a nationally available postpaid voice line. Qualifying credit required. Regulatory fees included for qualified accounts. Plus $5 per month without auto pay. Debit or bank account required.

I'm Stanzi Potenza. And I'm Brad Padre. Launching June 13th is our new podcast, Late to the Party. In this post-ironic chat show, we'll show you a window into our world of crazy post-ironic thoughts. An unlikely friendship founded on a shared love for riffs, ranting, and getting absolutely wrecked.

Consider this an invitation to our inside jokes. You're late to the party, but no one cool ever shows up on time. Follow Late to the Party on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to this kind of stuff.