Thank God I'm Natural

So ladies, did you make it to the theater last night and see Chris Rock’s “Good Hair”. If so, what did you think. Did Chris put too much of our business out there in the streets? Is Jason (the white hairstylist) for real or did they just throw him up in there for comedic value? Did natural hair get the shaft, literally and figuratively? What were your favorite parts?

In any event, I’m definitely excited to hear your thoughts on the film, but here is my take:

I saw “Good Hair” at an advanced screening two weekends ago at Harvard Black Alumni Weekend. Many of you already know this, but the documentary Good Hair takes its inspiration and its title from Rock being asked by his youngest daughter: “How come I don’t have good hair?”. Prompted by Lola’s question, Rock set off to explore the social expectations that had put that notion into her head, a mission which took him to India, the Bronner’s Brothers Hair Show, the streets of Compton and a range of hair-raising spots in between.

Rock definitely delivered. While there is enough one-liners to keep you rolling for the entire 1h35m runtime, the film’s underlying serious tone addresses Rock’s concern for the unreal conception of beauty in the African American community. Personally, my favorite scene from the movie would have to be when Rock is trying to pawn off a garbage bag of nappy hair to a beauty supply store that fetches top dollar for hair from Asian countries.

Rock is not only funny, but he has asks thought-provoking questions in a light and breezy manner, without coming off as critical or judgmental. His goal is clearly to inform, and without question, he succeeded. He does an excellent job of tackling this difficult subject, and at the same time pointing out how weave wearing has joined Botox, tummy tucks, and even hair coloring as ways to self-decorate. It was also great to see that Chris got his mojo back, because I was starting to wonder if he had pulled an Eddie Murphy after seeing him in Head of State and I Think I Love My Wife.

While the movie had its funny moments, Chris also uses his first feature documentary to drop a little knowledge and offer some insight into black self-image. While African-Americans represent 12 percent of the general population, the movie reveals that we buy 80 percent of the hair products, a striking statistic given the fact that in a majority of cases, black cosmetic products are manufactured by individuals that bear no resemblance to us. “Good Hair” also provides viewers a glimpse into the multi-billion dollar beauty industry, which has convinced us to apply caustic chemicals to our heads and spend thousands of dollars on hair weaves that we can’t afford. As one of the interviewees point out, we live in a society, where “If you’re nappy, white folks ain’t happy.”

One of the film’s most intriguing segments reveals that much of the coveted “good hair” sold in the USA for weaves and wigs comes from the heads of devout Hindu women, who shave their heads as religious offerings. On the back end, opportunistic businessmen are taking the hair and exporting it to the United States, and making bookoo dollars in the process. For more about Indian hair export, check out my blog post Indian Temples Do Brisk Business in Women’s Hair.

To HBO’s credit, Rock exposes the dangers of chemical relaxers and showcases the the exorbitant price (at least $1,000), time commitment (about six hours) and pain (hair loss, scalp burns) black women will endure to achieve “good hair”, but he barely touches on the why. It’s a taboo subject, but the production fails to tackle the larger historical, social, and psychological issues that force black women to conform to mainstream beauty standards. For more on this subject, please feel free to check out the third chapter of my new book “A Brush With History”. (And feel free to email it to your friends, family, and white co-workers. It’s time for us all to be educated!)

Not to end on a bad note, but “Good Hair” gave the natural hair movement the shaft, both literally and figuratively. The movie represented a remarkable opportunity to celebrate the growing number of women who are letting go of weaves, wigs and relaxers and opting to wear their hair in its natural state. Unfortunately, Rock misses the boat on this point. At one point, actress Tracie Thomas points out that “To keep my hair the same texture as it grows out of my head is looked at as revolutionary,” but this comment only begins to scratch the surface and explore the history of black women’s obsession with “good hair” and why nappy hair is generally viewed with disdain by our society.

I might have blinked or been checking my blackberry, but ironically, I also didn’t spot a single woman with and sister locs, afros, braids, and/or cornrows in the film. If I missed it, I apologize.

All in all, “Good Hair” is a worth a trip to the theaters and is a remarkable opportunity to support black folks making money off of black hair.

Good Hair opened in select cities on October 9 and will be released nationwide on October 23rd.