[Part 2 of Good Hair review. Part 1 is on 5/25/10. Part 3 to be announced.]
Chris Rock's Good Hair discusses the amazing effort black women put into getting "good hair."
The most interesting commentary in Chris Rock’s documentary on black women’s hair is the part about THE WEAVE. I had no idea how complicated, extravagant, and psychologically important this hair device is.
First, let me discuss my own hair. I have OK hair. It’s been long-ish, blonde, and straight most my life. I went through the pin curl ritual in elementary school; the pink spongy roller phase in high school; the hot curler trend in college; and the curling iron after that. All in the name of putting some oomph into my straight hair. But as time went on, fussing with my hair became a hassle. The time spent was not worth the effort. So I quit fussing.
Being a natural DYI-er, I started coloring my hair myself in ninth grade. I used Nice-n-Easy shampoo in color (#104: Golden Blonde) for about 20 years. Now I use a non-permanent shampoo-in formula by Natural Instincts (no root problems). It costs about $8.00 per package, but you can always get it on sale. I spend about $25 per month on hair care products.
As far as haircuts go, again I’ve come to the point where it’s just easier to do it myself (or when ye ol’ Hubby Man gets in his Ramón mode, he’ll chop away at it). I have not been to a beauty shop for about fifteen years. When I was little my Mom (a hairdresser) cut my hair. This continued into my twenties, as she was free. But eventually I moved around and switched to other hairdressers. But NO haircut was ever particularly terrific.
I can honestly say that I have NEVER had a fabulous hairdo in my entire life. So what. Who am I trying to impress? I don’t care about good hair. (I’ve got other vanity issues!)
Likewise, my hairstyle is sufficient for my self-image of me—a wanna-be famous writer. I don’t think you need good hair for that image.
Lastly about my ‘do: when I started menopause, my hair rebelled! Straight turned to cork-screw curls. (Obviously a hormonal imbalance of some sort.) Now my hair is frou-frou—zapped by hot flashes. It does what it wants. I don’t say a word. After I shampoo, I spend two minutes blowing drying it. Then I usually pull the front part back into a plastic clippie-comb. Ta-da—my beautiful hair-do! That’s it.
As the actress Tracie Toms said in the documentary, “Natural hair is freedom.” Amen to that. Tracie is the only woman in the documentary who wears an African-type hairstyle. The rest of the ladies are relaxed and weaved.
Tracie says you need real conviction to keep your hair natural. You have to stay strong “against the forces that try to get you to straighten your hair.” Here’s a great quote from her:
“To keep the hair the same texture as it grows out of the head is revolutionary.”
Since I am not a big hair person, I was amazed at Maya Angelou’s comment:
“Hair is a woman’s crowning glory…can share it with her family.”
HUH? I have never considered my hair any kind of treasure.
Dr. Angelou was also pretty funny when Chris Rock asked her how old she was when she first had her hair relaxed. She said seventy years old.
“You mean you’ve gone your whole life without the relaxer?” Chris asked.
“Not my whole life. I’m not dead yet,” Dr. Angelou replied.
And speaking of Maya Angelou, I am going to hear her speak tonight at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. So I have to get dressed and FIX MY HAIR! Ha ha…
More on Good Hair and The Weave later in Part 3 and my favorite comments by Ice-T. He cracked me up. Stay tuned…
P.S. Here’s my OK hair.
The DIY cut-n-color no fuss-no muss hair-do!
I like your observations. I should rent this.