Good Hair review

Chris Rock's Good Hair Movie gives very interesting facts and figures about the hair industry and the dangers of relaxers. It's also a humorous documentary about the secrets of African American women and their hair, weaves and these issues affect their relationships with men.

What’s really specific about this movie is that celebrities like Nia Long, Megan Good or Salt’n Pepa reveal their hair secrets. When we see them in movies and video clips, we never know if they’re natural, relaxed or if they wear extensions. For once, they all admit on screen that they’re wearing weaves. There was a time when in Europe we were convinced that African American women had ‘better’ hair than African Europeans. This documentary breaks the myth and reveals that African American women simply had well kept hair style secrets (extensions and weaves) for years. It’s also interesting to hear men’s views on women’s hair. You find out that the cost of hair is an issue as well as the lack of intimacy caused by hair (“You don’t put your hands in a black woman’s hair”).

But Good Hair is nothing new. It’s very similar to a BBC documentary where singer Jamelia explores the hair industry (Whose Hair is it Anyway?). Good Hair is identical to Jamelia’s documentary when Chris Rock travels to India to interview local hair dealers and discovers religious Indian rituals where women shave all their hair. The movie could have given more insight into the history of American black hair care and the origins of the assumption that “the lighter, the better.” It demonstrates that most women prefer straight hair styles today but it doesn’t explain why. Good Hair is a nice entertainment but it doesn’t explain why kinky hair is perceived as bad hair.

If like me, you want more information about black hair history, watch My Nappy Roots by Regina Kimbell. She's currently is suing Chris Rock for stealing her idea.