Good Hair

Straight is good; nappy is bad—and that, in a nutshell, is what comedian Chris Rock discovered in the course of making this funny, revelatory documentary about the lengths (and extensions) to which African-Americans, men and women alike, will go to in order to get “good hair” (a euphemism for “white hair”—i.e., straight and silky). Rock first travels to Atlanta, home of the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show (an enormous forum for buying new products and the site of the outrageously over-the-top Hair Battle Royale, in which stylists compete for fame and fortune). Here, Rock learns that the most common straightener is sodium hydroxide, better known as “nap antidote,” “creamy crack,” or simply “relaxer” (as he puts it, “If your hair is relaxed, then white people are relaxed”); the stuff sells by the vat-load, and while it certainly works, it's also a dangerous chemical that can seriously burn the scalp. Only slightly less popular, and a heck of a lot more expensive, is the hair weave, which Rock investigates in Harlem and Los Angeles (he even goes to Madras, India, a major source of the tresses used in weaves, and finds that in addition to the money they earn, some Indian women are glad to shave their heads as a ritual act of self-sacrifice). A variety of personalities appear onscreen to discuss the topic, including actresses Nia Long, Raven-Symoné, and Kerry Washington; “video vixen” Melyssa Ford; rappers Salt-N-Pepa; and even esteemed poet Maya Angelou. Also on hand is the Rev. Al Sharpton, “the Dalai Lama of relaxed hair,” who notes that people who can barely afford food are happy to cough up a thousand bucks for a hair weave; Sharpton also observes that while it's African-Americans who use the overwhelming majority of these products, the companies who sell them tend to be owned by Asians. The points here are well made, but it's scenes like the hilarious discussion at a men's barber shop about dating women with hair weaves that make this documentary, directed by Jeff Stilson, so entertaining. DVD extras include audio commentary by Rock and producer Nelson George. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)