Good Hair

Most documentaries illuminate something of which the viewer may not have been fully aware. Certainly nature documentaries do this, as well as historical documentaries. Other documentaries shed light on a culture with its own unique way of life. But I never realized that such a thing could be hiding right in front of my face. Chris Rock is one of the best stand-up comedians there is, and he has taken up the task of uncovering a little known part of American culture with his documentary “Good Hair.”

“Good Hair,” is a fascinating look at the world and industry that caters to Black hair care. I don’t think most white people (like me) really understand the lengths that some Black people will go in order to keep their hair looking stylish. The film examines every single part of this phenomenon, from the chemical relaxer that people use to straighten their hair, to fake hair imported from India which can cost thousands of dollars. He also attends the largest hair care convention in the world, confirming that this is a billion dollar industry. The movie tackles a lot of themes. It touches on race, on perceptions of beauty, pressure on women, exploitation of people in India, the economics of this industry, and the chemistry that goes into the products. The movie itself isn’t breaking any new ground stylistically as far as documentaries are concerned, but it doesn’t need to. Everything I saw in the film was new information to me. I learned all there is to know about Black people’s hair. And if it had been a straight forward documentary it might not have been clear just how absurd all of it really is. Chris Rock definitely makes the film funny. It’s full of jokes, sometimes at the expense of ridiculous people, but it’s funny when it needs to be.

The most surprising thing about the movie is how enlightening it is. I was really just expecting Chris Rock to goof on people’s crazy hair. But instead it was incredibly informative without being boring. In the end this movie just gave me one more reason to feel guilty about being white. I really don’t think Black people should worry about making their hair straighter, just let it be natural. Let’s face it, to me a hot girl is a hot girl no matter how her hair looks. But I’m practical; I cut my own hair to save money, so I’m probably not the best person to be giving out fashion advice. If you see this movie, you will be shocked at how much you didn’t know before you saw it.