Chris Rock’s hilariously intriguing look at African-American hair

MUN Cinema Series

What’s up in your hair? That’s the question behind Chris Rock’s documentary, an on-the-street look at the politics of African-American hair. Since millions of dollars are spent every day on products aimed at straightening the wave and the curl right out of one’s head, the question is also economic.

So it is that in Good Hair, comedian and director Jeff Stilson wisely takes a light-hearted approach to a pretty sensitive issue, searching for the root of the problem. And just what is the problem? Well, one might say it begins in self-loathing. If women, in particular, spend so much money on changing their natural look (hello, Michelle Obama!), does that say something is wrong with our society when we use Caucasian-based standards of beauty? That’s what you call begging the question.

The always irreverent Chris Rock is motivated by his daughters’ compulsion to straighten their curls and invest in the black-hair product industry. One of them asks him, “Daddy, why don’t I have good hair?”

Wondering where she got that idea from, he finds out that even girls younger than his daughter are straightening their hair. He also interviews many African-American women about their hair, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet Maya Angelou, rapper Eve, actress Nia Long, and R&B group Salt-N-Pepa, among others.

Rock questions and challenges the habits of African-Americans everywhere, regardless of class and location. The result is at once serious and killingly entertaining. He goes on a journey to factories where the kinkless hair products re made, interviews famous African-Americans, scans the environment, and even challenges the wild and crazy Reverend Al Sharpton to come up with his own arguments for this questionable fashion trend. Wait until you hear what Rev Al says about the late great puffed and pouffed James Brown, the Godfather of Soul.

Never preachy but always searching for the answers, Rock lets people have the benefit of stating their views, no matter how politically incorrect. If only all documentaries followed such principles. Good Hair is a terrific lesson in straightforward filmmaking (no pun intended) and lively comedic entertainment. Watch this before you fix your weave.

Good Hair plays Thursday, March 18, at Empire Theatres Studio 12 in the Avalon Mall. Tickets are $9 for students and seniors, $10 regular admission. Tickets go on sale at 6:00 pm, show time is 7:00 pm.

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