Good Hair

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Good Hair

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Good Hair

Chris Rock

When Chris Rock's daughter, Lola, came up to him crying and asked, "Daddy, how come I don't have good hair?" the bewildered comic committed himself to search the ends of the earth and the depths of bl...( read more  read more... )ack culture to find out who had put that question into his little girl's head! Director Jeff Stilson's camera followed the funnyman, and the result is Good Hair, a wonderfully insightful and entertaining, yet remarkably serious, documentary about African American hair culture. An exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, Good Hair visits hair salons and styling battles, scientific laboratories, and Indian temples to explore the way black hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of black people. Celebrities such as Ice-T, Kerry Washington, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Raven Symoné, Maya Angelou, and Reverend Al Sharpton all candidly offer their stories and observations to Rock while he struggles with the task of figuring out how to respond to his daughter's question. What he discovers is that black hair is a big business that doesn't always benefit the black community and little Lola's question might well be bigger than his ability to convince her that the stuff on top of her head is nowhere near as important as what is inside.

Id: 11061586

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Good Hair Recent Reviews
  • her69eyes
    November 3, 2009
    her69eyes
    If, like me, you're a caucasian male, I take it that you've never taken a second to consider the hair of African American women. It has nothing to do with racism or sexism - but, well, how much can there be to say? "Good Hair", then, will come off as a major surprise.

    By takin...( read more)g a magnifying glass to the $9 billion industry, documentarian/comedian Jeff Stinson and Chris Rock unveil the economic politics behind the hair industry, as well as our societal preoccupation with whiteness. Attaining good hair is, in fact, self-destructive - an unreasonable expense involving dangerous chemicals, an obsession known to even detriment love lives. Yet the black women in the film continue to insist that they won't be able to find a job with natural hair. We come to realize that the enemy isn't these hair-obsessed women, but rather the media's presentation of what constitutes a beautiful black women - namely, whiteness.

    To straighten their naturally nappy hair, black women tend to use an abundance of "hair relaxer" - a product known to contain sodium hydroxide. Should the chemical be left in the hair too long, the film explains, it can burn the scalp or even damage lungs. Doing a bit of research will show that all modern hair relaxers don't use sodium hydroxide, but nevertheless Rock's point is clear and poetic.

    Rock makes his way to India to discover the roots (yeah, I said it) of the black hair business. In India, where women cut off their hair during religious ceremonies, several hair profiteers explain that hair is of greater value than gold. People have been known to cut the hair of women in their sleep, or even in the theater during an especially involving movie. The women's ritual head-shaving, known as "tonsure", collects such an abundance of hair that one of the subjects points out that the profits are second only to the vatican.

    As an interviewee, Rock is incredibly personable and genuinely curious. He gets his subjects to reveal what they otherwise may not admit - one black man, for instance, says that he prefers sleeping with white women so that he can pull their hair without reservation. Rock's form is anecdotal, and he supports his thesis thoroughly without bashing it over our heads.

    "Good Hair" works best as a probing study of why black women go to such lengths to attain straight hair. Alongside this look at globalization, however, Stinson and Rock make their way to the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show. This spectacle, essentially American Idol with haircuts, might make for an entertaining documentary by itself, but it takes away from Rock's social critique.
  • RemiLogan
    November 12, 2009
    RemiLogan
    I will always love Chris Rock for creating this film. So eye-opening and informative. It was crazy watching it. Watching this film from my perspective was like I was part of a club all this time that I didn't even realize I was a part of. I went through many of these experiences ...( read more)as a child growing up, never knowing that MILLIONS of other young girls have experienced the exact same thing.

    I feel like the criticism towards Rock was unwarranted. This fear of "airing dirty laundry" or whatever. Its a discussion that needs to be had. It didn't make me feel embarrassed or ashamed, just more self-aware. I'm SO glad Rock made this film and it will definitely be added to my film library when the DVD comes out!
  • sherryljacobs1
    December 13, 2009
    sherryljacobs1
    Chris Rock did his homework, but everything was not revealed in the documentary. I just wish it had been told that white women have been wearing weaves longer than Black women. I recall TV figures, dancers/strippers, and other famous people wearing weaves when I had no clue. The ...( read more)real deal is that Black women just caught on a few years ago, and now its news!
  • tiffanychung
    December 8, 2009
    tiffanychung
    i never knew it was so complicated! never heard of relaxer until now, but it was all very interesting.
  • kyo9
    November 29, 2009
    kyo9
    woman are freaks when it comes to good hair..
    they really invest quite a lot of money to make their hair done everyday..
    if their hair is bad, they did even want to go out on that day..
    they believe people impression effect the hair as well..
    their definition of beauty and the so...( read more)ciety really makes them feel that way..
    I personally like woman who covers their hair..
    and today, there is only one religion who urge this kind of activity..
  • sherondjohnson
    November 27, 2009
    sherondjohnson
    pretty funny documentary with great sharing from a few celebrities. only chris rock could do this because he has no fear of offending. discussions about hair are always more volatile than people expect them to be.
  • mofodojo
    November 25, 2009
    mofodojo
    Interesting and funny.
  • filmguy450
    November 22, 2009
    filmguy450
    Chris Rock keeps this surprisingly fun and enagaging doc from turning into a major dud, as it's his one liners and curiousity that keep it moving. Very educational and well done.
  • PrincessKiki22
    November 20, 2009
    PrincessKiki22
    WOW......I wish everyone can see this movie
  • meronym
    November 16, 2009
    meronym
    Great topic, but I feel Chris was very boring and he didn't ask enough tough questions.
    I mean it did inform me, I never knew the Afican American hair industry was worth so much! I had a vague idea the lengths some go to for their hair, but in reality it's much farther than I tho...( read more)ught.
    I would love to see another film made by someone from outside the African American community and asking tougher questions to the people involved in the business.
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