In the African-American community the debate over good and bad hair has been going on for decades. I remember as a young girl watching Spike Lee’s film, Skool Daze. There was a segment in the movie that showed women in a hair salon. The difference between this hair salon and the salons that you and I may go to is that it was divided. The salon was separated by skin complexion and hair type. On one side there were African-American women with dark complexions and “bad” hair and on the other side stood African-American women with lighter complexions and “good” hair. They broke into song and teased each other about the differences in their hair. The “good” hair girls were convinced that everyone wanted hair like theirs while the “bad” hair girls preferred their hair and accused the others of being fake and untrue to themselves.
In his recent documentary, Good Hair, comedian Chris Rock tackles this issue. Although the movie doesn’t premiere until this Friday, October 9, Chris has been everywhere promoting the film for weeks which is what caught my attention. Chris explained during his interview with Oprah Winfrey that his young daughter once asked him, “Daddy, why don’t I have good hair?” Chris had never thought about this issue affecting his children until that moment and decided to delve deeper into the issue.
So what is good hair? According to the film, which showcases testimonies from many prominent African-American women, good hair is straight, manageable and easy to run your fingers through. Chris finds out that if your hair is not naturally “good”, it can easily be changed by getting a perm or a weave. A perm, also known as a permanent relaxer, essentially burns your hair until it is straight. The movie expresses what painful lengths women will go through to achieve their desired hair texture and style.
Although the changing of our hair may make us look and feel good on the outside, both Chris and I are more interested in finding out what is going on inside. Who decided straight hair was good? Why does hair divide our community? Why can’t nappy make the mainstream happy? In Skool Daze, one of the main characters played by Tisha Campbell, not only has good hair, but she has also dyed her hair blonde and wears blue contacts. African-Americans come in all different shades, however it was quite obvious in the movie that neither her hair nor eye color were natural and she was attempting to be something other than herself. By changing our hair from its natural state, are we trying to be something we’re not?
During Rock’s interview with Oprah, I gathered that the main purpose of this documentary was to expose one of the major issues in our community. Chris wants us to figure out what exactly we are looking to accomplish by changing our hair into something it is not. Both of his daughters are under the age of 10 and already focusing on their appearance. Chris advised that we all take a step back and realize just what is going on. Is it healthy for girls this young to already want to change themselves? He also shows girls in his film as young as 4 years old getting perms. As a parent, he would much rather explain to that 4 year old that all hair is beautiful and not start this cycle at such a young age. Let it be her decision later on as a teenager or young adult. I’m going to see the movie on Saturday. Check it out and let me know your thoughts!
In his recent documentary, Good Hair, comedian Chris Rock tackles this issue. Although the movie doesn’t premiere until this Friday, October 9, Chris has been everywhere promoting the film for weeks which is what caught my attention. Chris explained during his interview with Oprah Winfrey that his young daughter once asked him, “Daddy, why don’t I have good hair?” Chris had never thought about this issue affecting his children until that moment and decided to delve deeper into the issue.
So what is good hair? According to the film, which showcases testimonies from many prominent African-American women, good hair is straight, manageable and easy to run your fingers through. Chris finds out that if your hair is not naturally “good”, it can easily be changed by getting a perm or a weave. A perm, also known as a permanent relaxer, essentially burns your hair until it is straight. The movie expresses what painful lengths women will go through to achieve their desired hair texture and style.
Although the changing of our hair may make us look and feel good on the outside, both Chris and I are more interested in finding out what is going on inside. Who decided straight hair was good? Why does hair divide our community? Why can’t nappy make the mainstream happy? In Skool Daze, one of the main characters played by Tisha Campbell, not only has good hair, but she has also dyed her hair blonde and wears blue contacts. African-Americans come in all different shades, however it was quite obvious in the movie that neither her hair nor eye color were natural and she was attempting to be something other than herself. By changing our hair from its natural state, are we trying to be something we’re not?
During Rock’s interview with Oprah, I gathered that the main purpose of this documentary was to expose one of the major issues in our community. Chris wants us to figure out what exactly we are looking to accomplish by changing our hair into something it is not. Both of his daughters are under the age of 10 and already focusing on their appearance. Chris advised that we all take a step back and realize just what is going on. Is it healthy for girls this young to already want to change themselves? He also shows girls in his film as young as 4 years old getting perms. As a parent, he would much rather explain to that 4 year old that all hair is beautiful and not start this cycle at such a young age. Let it be her decision later on as a teenager or young adult. I’m going to see the movie on Saturday. Check it out and let me know your thoughts!
-- Martine Rouzan
Brownstone Team
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