Movie Review: Good Hair

Tonight, I went to an advance screening of "Good Hair" courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

I had to see this documentary after I saw Chris Rock on Oprah and the Black women in the audience were so mad at him for telling the world "all our black hair secrets". The film was very funny and showed what happens behind the scenes when women get press and curls, braids, coloring, perms, and weaves at hair salons, barber shops, hair schools, and hair shows across the country. The black hair care industry is a multi billion dollar business and there are plenty of things that people can disagree with and poke fun at. Some Black women in Detroit are so mad at Chris Rock that they are talking about protesting outside the movie houses.

I found the movie to be less a thought provoking documentary and more a fun poking comedy with just enough controversy thrown in to make sure that Chris Rock gets a big payday. The controversy stems from referring to hair relaxers as "creamy crack", having the Rev. Al Sharpton call out black women who take money from the mouths of their children to finance their addiction to $1000+ weaves, and stating that thieves in India are stealing Indian women's ponytails right off their heads because the hair is worth more than gold in the black hair care market.

There was nothing in this movie that offended me. I have had a relaxer put in my head since I was 23 years old and I don't ever plan on going natural. I don't think that anyone is their right mind thinks I was born with my hair looking like this and I am very satisfied with the way my hair looks. And as the film states at the end, what is important is what is in your head and not what is on your head.

People should do what makes them feel good about themselves and what makes them happy. And if women want to straighten, bleach, and add East Indian hair to their heads (and they can afford the money and time to keep that process up), so be it. The truest thing said in the entire movie was that if a Black woman is not happy, she will make sure no one else is happy either. Amen.