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Chris Rock's Affable Good Hair Skips the Tough Questions

Comments (6) By Melissa Anderson Tuesday, Oct 6 2009

Don Imus's 2007 remarks about "nappy-headed hos" underscored the immense fear of and fascination with the hair follicles of African-American women. Chris Rock, the host, co-writer, and co-producer of first-time director Jeff Stilson's Good Hair, never mentions Imus's outburst; his interest in the political, social, and sexual entanglements of the tonsorial stems from the more personal—specifically, when one of his two young daughters plaintively asked, "Daddy, how come I don't have good hair?" Rock, affable as ever, queries a few black actresses (Nia Long providing the most candid responses: "Weave sex is a little awkward"); visits beauty salons; oversees an experiment by a scientist who demonstrates the corrosive effects of sodium hydroxide, the main ingredient in hair relaxer; travels to Chennai, India, where women sacrifice hair that ends up in weaves costing thousands of dollars in the U.S.; and stares in disbelief at the Paris Is Burning–like competition at the annual Bronner Bros.–sponsored International Hair Show in Atlanta. Rock is certainly a sympathetic and curious observer, though including Ice-T's remark that "a real pimp can tell what a woman looks like baldheaded" betrays some of the gender politics that remain vigorously unexamined in this breezy, superficial doc.

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Comments (6)

Art 10/26/2009 10:14:12 AM

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. This was a very good movie by any measure. It entertained and informed me about something that had totally escaped my attention. The reviewer needs to appreciate that Mr. Rock suceeded in so many ways in this very watchable film.
Thelea 10/11/2009 9:57:02 PM

I think this film will make racially conscious African-Americans cringe at the depiction of Black women as slaves to White standards of beauty. How a man can know anything about average Black women and how they feel about themselves based on interviews with extremes and stereotypical women is beyond me. I know Black women from all socioeconomic levels and all wear their own hair --no weaves--and perm their hair so they can spend time on high-powered careers and not beauty regimens that can be time consuming. And FYI Chris, their men do touch their hair-- a lot- because it is all their own hair. Thank you for producing Don Imus' "Birth of a weave nation." Shame on you Chris.
Kim 10/11/2009 2:33:32 PM

You are 100% correct. What was really the point of the movie? Let's just laugh at the dumb black folks who want to wear our hair like white folks... hehehe. But it's OK because we're keeping a lot of us employed. I love Chris Rock, but that was a waste of my 95 minutes.
Yaya 10/09/2009 11:22:53 AM

And what warranted the rotten tomato? Is there a specific reason or are you just a hater?
Marie 10/09/2009 6:30:08 AM

this review is so breezy and superficial that it shouldn't have been posted on rotten tomatoes or any other website. it says nothing about the substance of the movie, but yet gives it a thumbs down.
Steven Barnes 10/08/2009 10:28:38 PM

So...what exactly are the tough questions Rock forgot to ask?

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