Movie Review - Good Hair

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As a White guy with not much hair (less and less everyday as a matter of fact), I have admittedly given little thought to the nature of hair care for Black women.  Chris Rock’s new documentary Good Hair has given me a fresh perspective.  Among Black people the term “good hair” is essentially code for “white hair”, i.e. long, flowing, straight and luxurious.  Granted, not all White people have such hair but that’s the ideal for which many Black women strive.  However, the natural state of their hair is less than cooperative in achieving said ideal.  Hence, a multimillion dollar industry has sprung up in order to offer a multitude of products, chemicals, wigs and weaves – each with the same goal: good hair.  Rock explores this industry, and the culture that created it, in his typically humorous fashion.  And, just like his strongest stand-up routines, manages to provide both laughs and social commentary. 

Rock, inspired by his own daughters’ desire for “good hair”, takes us on a trip through the hair care industry, from locally owned and operated barber shops and beauty salons to hair product manufacturing plants and to the world’s largest, oldest and most important trade expo: The Bronner Brothers International Hair Show.  Founded in 1947, Bronner Brothers is one of the largest privately held companies to manufacture and sell hair and skin care products for African-Americans.  In 2004 Wal-Mart recognized them as their top vendor of the year.  (So much for only rednecks shopping at Wal-Mart.)  Each year, Bronner Brothers holds their International Hair show where various hairdressers (excuse me…*ahem* hair stylists) compete to be named “Hair Stylist of the Year” in a competition that has more to do with showmanship than haircuts.  This is the weakest element of an otherwise strong film.  All of the contestants are flamboyant characters and there are easy laughs to be found in watching each of them attempt to raise the bar in their surreal game of gaudy one-upmanship.  It’s easy for documentarians to construct a narrative when the film’s subjects are engaged in a competition.  Therefore it’s not difficult to see why they film dedicates so much time to them: it’s easy.  These segments are not without educational (or entertainment) value but ultimately it’s a pool that’s wider than it is deep and the jokes quickly become repetitive.  Luckily, the film spends the bulk of its time on much more interesting (and informative) fare.

Rock interviews numerous Black celebrities, both male and female (though largely female), about the relationship the have with their hair.  It’s interesting to see people who otherwise take pride in their heritage rejecting something as personal as the hair on their head.  Everyone has something about their physical appearance that they’d like to change, I suppose.  But when you see them all in agreement about a common, singular aspect of themselves, it begins to take on larger cultural import.  Why have Black women collectively decided to reject their hair?  Have they been brainwashed by a White-centric media?  Is it ultimately a rejection of their Blackness?  Or is each decision an individual conclusion independent of outside influence?  Of course, I’m painting with a broad brush here.  Certainly not every Black woman has opted to use relaxer and/or a weave.  But it’s a multi-million dollar industry for a reason.  The decision made by these women (and some men) is even more startling when you see the pain they must endure in order to achieve and maintain their coifs.  The chemicals will completely dissolve an aluminum can in under four hours.  We are shown this in a scene played largely for laughs.  That is until the filmmakers quickly cut to footage of a girl (who can’t be more than 4-years old) being subjected to the process. 

The film also touches briefly on the ramifications of people on the lower end of the socio-economic ladder spending so much money on something so frivolous.  Weaves often times start at $1,000.  And that’s just the cost of the weave; that figure doesn’t take into account the cost of installation and maintenance.  Beyonce can afford a weave…hell, it’s probably tax deductible.  But many of the people choosing to do this are those who can least afford it.  But all of these topics, thanks to Rock, are handled in ways that are both enlightening and amusing. 

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being Combover: The Movie and 1 being The Brady Bunch: Hair Brained Scheme, Good Hair gets an 8.

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