Good Hair

black hair

source: Good Hair

This documentary was abysmal. 1hr 36 minutes of a male comedian making a mockery of black women and their hair care choices in an desperate attempt to fit into a society where they're already ridiculed for their natural hair texture and appearance.

"Good Hair" is a documentary comedy that is produced and hosted by Chris Rock. Okay so the whole documentary is basically about black girls and women wanting straight and wavy hair since just about every black people have really curly hair. I think I found this documentary more interesting compared to people that don't have curly hair, because I have a slight curly hair myself and it really bugs the heck out of me, I can only imagine what black people that want straight hair must go through. But straight hair is not the only premise of this movie, it also shows the value of straight hair and how it can be a lucrative business. It also shows many hairstylist that cut black people's hair go into competitions and stuff, which doesn't really add to the documentary but doesn't take anything away either. What I found most interesting was how some black girls and women don't use relaxers to straighten out there hair but go through a expensive process called weaving which cost some people a fortune, and it's where they sew a wig onto there hair thus attaching it to your head. I also never knew how valuable straight silky hair is. Anyways Christ Rock did a great job hosting this documentary and everyone he interviewed was actually amusing to listen to and although some may complain, because it don't give certain information. Like why? But it's usually common sense or not really worth answering or necessary and so the complaints seem to be a bit too uptight in my opinion. 7.5/10

"Even a single hair casts its shadow." Publius Syrus (42 B. C.) I have a close friend, an attractive black woman, whose hair I would not dare touch, not because she has forbidden me, but because the air about her and her friends seems to reverberate with the idea that we can mess with their food and fashion, but never their hair. Chris Rock's light-hearted documentary, Good Hair, explores black culture's love-affair with hair as he travels to interview devotees of fashion about the relationship of black women to the worship of straight, not nappy hair. As a good documentary should, Rock's journey exposes the enormous commitment black women make to their hair: In that heavyweight commercial world of hair products, blacks consume at least 70 percent, and of the myriad hair styles, an almost equal percentage use hair extension. They have a serious commitment to changing their hair from curly to straight, a fair nod to their non-black friends who have been mining black music and athletics for so long. Chris Rock has never been a favorite film performer for me because of his inclination to shout his parts through. Here he is understated although his comments and questions are decidedly second rate. But then Rev. Al Sharpton, he of excess relaxer hair tonic and self-serving verbiage, weighs in on female excess while he sits as a testimony to the same in many categories. Rock looks good next to the Reverend. Atlanta's Bronner Brothers Hair Show provides delightfully hokey entertainment as the hair professionals roll out the show biz shtick to win the annual prizes. Just like this documentary, it is more about our ability to worship pop culture than it is about the stuff on the top of our heads. Good Hair is a good documentary, lightly exposing the vanity of all colors. Come to think of it, although my beautiful black friend with a resemblance to Halley Berry spends little time fretting about her hair, I would never touch it. That I learned for sure from Good Hair.

Chris Rock provides a good snapshot of the hair culture of African-American women. Various aspects of the movie are entertaining, amusing, or saddening, depending on how one views them. I have heard people criticize the movie's lack of depth in the analysis of topics like economic exploitation with regard to hair products, and sociological issues around the use of these products. However, such detailed analysis would not be very meaningful without the general background that is provided in this movie. This movie was a good, light documentary on a topic that interested me and had not been discussed before.

Apart from being raucously funny from first line to last, Rock's film is a document of worth – at least for an ignorant cracker like me. The well chosen and well-edited talking heads that make up the film debate forthrightly the merits of painful chemical hair relaxants (a vaunted tradition,) and human hair weaves (a staggeringly expensive habit,) and why such excesses are so deeply ingrained in African American culture. Is it just common sense to cover up nappy roots? Maybe such extreme measures are an outgrowth of a minority self-image crisis in a primarily Caucasian country? Or, maybe, in spite of the questionable causes of seeking out "good hair," it simply isn't worth f***ing with a woman who wants to look her best. (This is the side that Mister Ice-T takes, in his infinite, smutty wisdom…) In discussion, Rock handles his subject alternately with reverence and irreverence, and his film comes away with few concrete conclusions; though it works like Michael Moore's muckracking at its funniest, this isn't any sort of agitprop. The tone is playful and provocative, and though the topic runs a little low on steam around the hour mark, that only means that Rock has to fill the last portion of his film with the finals competition of the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show, a display every bit as absurd as the climax of ZOOLANDER, but all the more hilarious for its, you know, actual, objective reality. READ THE REST OF MY REVIEW (AND MORE) AT STEVENSPIELBLOG.COM ... -Greg

As a white male, Good Hair is a very educational experience. I had no idea some of these products and procedures existed. That being said, this documentary has a very bland feel to it. Chris Rock sleepwalks through his hosting gig and this film focuses too much on the hair styling convention. I feel like this movie could have been much better.

While this is not the greatest movie ever or even the last word about (mainly) black women's hair, it's well worth seeing, and strikes a nice balance between being entertaining and informative. Chris Rock is basically learning as he goes, and he sort of functions as a surrogate for us viewers. It's definitely an Obama-era movie: whenever it starts to get critical, it backs off a little and is careful not to offend any group. His style of questioning can be a bit cheeky but he's always engaging. The film keeps focus on the creative/fashion side, rightly so, I think. If you're up for something different, interesting but certainly not heavy, I recommend it.

I have to say, the topic of this documentary had me curious from the get-go because I was simply interested to see if it could possibly make a decent documentary. Well, the answer is yes, it most definitely did. Good Hair came to fruition after Chris Rock's young daughter asked him "why don't I have good hair?" Being a man, he had no idea how to answer the question but began to ask himself, what is good hair? What does good hair mean to a black woman and what does hair say about African-American identity? His search brings him to a hair convention in Atlanta, a barbershop in Harlem, a temple in India and many other interesting places. To discuss here what truths Chris Rock reveals in this documentary would ruin the element of surprise, as some of the content is actually quite shocking. However, Rock never attempts to be Michael Moore. The subject is treated with amusement and respect but never over-dramatic or heavy. Chris Rock proves to be a smart, funny guide through the black hair industry and he makes the film a joy to watch at all times. There was not one dull moment in this documentary, every point that is discussed is utterly fascinating and usually hilarious. There is a sad reality that black women's sense of beauty is based on Asian and European women's hair and that these women feel having and Afro is seen as unkempt. There are two popular alternatives. One is relaxant, which straightens black women's hair. This relaxant is a frighteningly potent chemical which strips the hair and burns the scalp, but it permanently straightens the hair. The other option is a weave, which is a fascinating concoction. A weave is a wig, literally sewn into the hair. It takes hours to fit and they are jaw-droppingly expensive. Rather chauvinistically, but still very interesting, Rock chooses to focus not on the economic ramifications of this constant expense in black women's lives, but rather the expense on black men. He asks if they worry when they meet a woman, about paying for their weaves for potentially the rest of their lives. He discusses with them the issue of touching the weave. Apparently, this is a big problem between black men and women, one man claiming he hasn't touched a black woman's hair since 1986, and he remembers that occasion vividly. Good Hair is an exceptional documentary which manages to shock, while making you laugh. It is brimming with lovable and fascinating characters and most importantly, it is infused with a sense of fun and good natured curiosity. This is delightfully insightful and incredibly entertaining. I cannot recommend this film highly enough. The random story of black women's hair is one of the most fascinating stories you'll see all year. If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself!