First look: 'Good Hair'

Judging from the audience reaction at the press screening of Chris Rock's "Good Hair,"  HBO should look to air the documentary, a commentary by Rock (interviewed on video earlier) on the industry and mindset of African-American hair, as soon as possible.

Snickers, guffaws, gasps, nods of agreement, winces and cheers arose from the industry crowd as Rock, with a cavalcade of stars including Nia Long, Ice-T, the Rev. Al Sharpton, video vixen Melyssa Ford and Dr. Maya Angelou, commented on personal and societal rules when dealing with black hair.  Especially that of a black woman.

Rock seemingly decided to make the ode to weavology as he tried to figure out what to tell his daughter, Lola, when she asked him: "Daddy, how come I don't have good hair?"  The question, and Rock's curiosity with how it became so important, sent the comedian from the barbershops of Harlem to salons in the streets of Beverly Hills to religious institutions in Tiropati, India, as he probed questions dealing with relaxers, weaves and 100% human hair.

Dispersed throughout is the tale of four hairstylists competing, with vastly different methods, in the huge Bronners Brothers competition in Atlanta.  The outrageous contest, which has stylists doing hair to music and in increasingly weird situations (one competitor cut a woman's hair while underwater), is one of the many points that help illustrate how big the African-American hair culture has become.

-- Jevon Phillips

(Photo: Nia Long and Chris Rock)

(Credit: WireImage)

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Comments

[Aron Ranen]

But did Chris Rock really Reveal who runs the Black Hair Biz...This Documentary at this link..show the real truth how how African Americans have been kept out of their ouwn industry. The entire film is on youtube...search for Aron Ranen's Black Hair Documentary

[Big Sam]

To my black friends:

There is such a thing as a bad hair day. Don't obsess about it. If someone asks, tell them the 12 step program you are in became full contact last night.
Tell them your relaxer was the spilled gin you just happened to wake up face down in.
But most of all...DON'T OBSESS!