Review of Good Hair (2009) by Thomas W — 06 Apr 2010

Good Hair is a documentary that follows actor, stand-up comic and former SNLer Chris Rock around the world as he tries to find an answer to the question posed to him by his young daughter: "Daddy, home come I don't have good hair?" It was a question he (nor I) had ever given much thought to .

.. and the harder and deeper he immersed himself in the "hair business" the more amazed, baffled, dumbfounded and shocked I found myself while watching. Rock questions fellow celebrites (such as Eve, Raven Symone, Nia Long, Al Sharpton, Ice-T, Kerry Washington), salon owners and patrons, lab technicians, and international business people about hair.

What is posited and revealed can leave one speechless. The entire "idea" of "good hair" is (I guess) African American women wanting their hair to be more like white women ("white" is the adjective used by Rock throughout the entire film to apply to anyone at all that is not of African descent -- Asians, Indians, Europeans -- it was used very broadly and [by him] seemingly negatively [remember Nat-X?]).

"Good Hair" is probably actually "just more-manageable" hair such as straight hair as opposed to what someone called "natty". The words people use in this documentary are REAL and revealing and that helps convey its message.

Good Hair shows us how these women get this hair. A scary portion of the film focuses on laboratory study and treatment of hair using chemicals such as sodium hydroxide that is actually used on women's scalps.

"No biggie!" unless one also sees that this same chemical eats aluminum cans! It is startling knowing that women not only subject themselves to this treatment buy some sit their 3 year old daughters in salon chairs to endure it.

Good Hair also goes into great depth (so revelatory to me) about "weaves" and "human hair" that these women use to seemingly improve themselves (oh the vanity!). The price these women pay is staggering -- some can spend over $100K a year! Teachers, day care workers, grad students .

.. all of them spend more than they have to be "beautiful". Good Hair was shocking and informative but it stumbled when Rock decided to heavily focus on some strange, bizarre beauty-pageanty-hair-stylist convention held yearly in Atlanta (I think he did this to show its ridiculous extravagance and he succeeds with it; but IT became too much of the "too much").

The documentary is eye-opening and hair-raising. I had no idea this hair business existed. I had a problem with Rock blaming the white man for this or that -- when it is really the fault of "the rich man" making TONS of money off of everyone.

Money is what it is all about -- and Good Hair actually proves this too. Crazy, interesting, strange, shocking, engrossing and at-times hilarious -- if one enjoys random documentaries, this is one that should be watched.