Chris Rock’s new documentary Good Hair is a funny, revealing film about how issues of hair and identity affect the African-American community. A movie of this kind hasn’t been done officially on a mainstream level, so it was a great idea to have a celebrity as popular as Chris Rock, take on the task.
Although the concept of the film is bold, the film itself isn’t and actually is more subjective than objective. According to Rock, his only intention was to do a film on “himself, his daughters and the annual Bronner Brothers International Hair Show in Atlanta. ” To touch on such a sensitive issue in the black community and then say it was a film only meant for him seems a bit contradictory.
The inspiration for the film Good Hair came about when Chris Rock’s 3-year-old daughter asked him why she didn’t have “good hair.” This question alone startled the popular comedian and urged him to take a deeper look at black women and hair. Some of the questions he explored throughout the film were: 1) What are the implications of “good hair?” 2) What lengths will black women go to in order to achieve the supposed “good hair?”
“Good hair” has been an issue in the black community dating back to slavery. The lighter a slave was, the better their owners treated them and the darker they were, the worse treatment they received. The lighter-skinned slaves were a result of interracial relations between slaves and slave owners. As a result the “good hair” connotation is usually affiliated to straighter, longer, curlier, wavier hair; or in other words, hair that is closer to white hair. As revealed in the film, the majority of black women choose to wear their hair chemically straightened, oftentimes with added hair weaves or extensions. Many of the women in the film such as Nia Long and Raven Symone admitted that wearing hair weaves was a way of life for them. Because the film was also meant to be a comedy, the serious issues regarding the psychosis of black women and their hair weren’t addressed. Instead, the women talked about their hair nonchalantly and passionately without actually reflecting on the deeper issues as to why they felt the need to wear hair weaves or use chemical relaxers.
Nonetheless, the film was very informative and discussed the primary chemical used in hair relaxers, which is sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is a caustic chemical that softens the fibers of the hair shaft. It is primarily used in detergents, soaps and drain cleaners. Many black women who chemically straighten their hair are unaware of the fact that the chemical that is going into their hair every 6 weeks is hazardous. As a result, many black women often suffer from hair breakage and stunted hair growth.
Another important fact exposed in the film is where the hair that so many black women purchase stateside, comes from: India. Women in India donate their hair to temples in order to make sacrifices for the Gods. Little do they know their hair is the product of a million dollar hair industry in the United States for black women. This connection was clear on screen but wasn’t told to the women being interviewed in the film. Had the women been told where the hair actually comes from and the process it involves, there could have been room for more critical and necessary conversation.
One of the most shocking realities of the film is just how much money black women spend on their hair: an estimated 10 to 25% of their income. Many black women living in working-class communities are spending a significant portion of their earnings on hair. What kind of message are these women sending to future generations of women about beauty and identity?
Hair in the black community is highly controversial. Many women who choose to wear hair weaves or chemical straighteners feel as if they are judged as “trying to be white” or adhering to European standards. On the other hand, women who choose to wear their hair natural are constantly labeled as “radical” or “militant” for embracing the natural texture of their hair.
Speaking of black women who wear their hair natural, these relevant voices were missing in the film. Women who choose to wear their hair natural in the black community were barely addressed at all, making the film one-sided and rather biased. If both sides were addressed there could have been more of an objective representation of black women and hair overall. Rock also seemed to accept the idea that his daughters will eventually become wearers of weaves or chemically straightened hair styles, thus it was important for him to learn more about it. As a result, assimilation managed to outweigh self-love and pride in one’s natural hair once again.
Although informative and slightly evocative, Chris Rock’s Good Hair failed to capture the community of black women as a whole. Instead, the film focused only on the women who choose to relax their hair so “people will be more relaxed.” Unfortunately it only represented one side of a multifaceted coin. Hopefully, healthy conversations will ensue as a result of the film.
