"Dear Chris Rock..." An Open Letter on the Documentary "Good Hair"
Your documentary "Good Hair" is a sellout and disappointment to black women everywhere-whether they realize it or not. Once again, stereotypes regarding black women have been perpetuated. And even if they were not stereotypes, but rather facts, you know the cardinal rule-don't air out the family's dirty laundry.
I am shocked by the comments made in the first five minutes that would leave one to believe that brown-skinned black chicks are born with heads of wool, while it's the light chicks born with long, flowing, straight hair. Don't get me wrong, I am a beautiful brown sista, and ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that confidence is one thing I do not lack; I am comfortable in my own skin. Like many of the women I know, I don't have a perm; your movie would lead one to believe that each morning women like me break the teeth on ten combs before combing through our hair. As a man, you will probably never understand the fact that you've made our uphill battle against society's perceptions an ever steeper one.
It also amazes me that your documentary makes perms and relaxers the "black women's addiction." Unfortunately, that portrayal is inaccurate. Caucasian females indulge in perms and blow outs just like women of color. White women don't roll out of the bed with picture perfect hair-and no offense to them either-just like we don't. I am really at a loss as to why you would lead one to believe that African-American women are in pursuit of looking European. It is so not about "looking white." Consider the convenience factor. What if one were to say you are in search of looking European because your clothes are indicative of Western Civilization and not like what your ancestors in the motherland wear? Or how about you wear a low fade because you're afraid to reveal yourreal roots?
Finally, I cannot believe that you were so shocked to find that black women with long, healthy hair exist. Your appearance on Oprah was distasteful. I'm sure if she were of a paler hue, you would not have felt the need to run your fingers through her hair to confirm that it was, in fact, her real hair. Although you work in Hollywood, it is apparent that you don't know the Kardashians, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and countless other women of European descent who rock weaves on the regular.
Who knew that you would be able to find so many ignorant people to back up your point? I find it ironic that most of the ignorant comments were made by black men: our biggest haters.
If anything, you failed to portray the fact that black women have "good hair," not because it looks "white," but because we can rock an afro one day, bone straight hair the next day and curly hair for the rest of the week.
On the upside, thank you for warning women about the dangers of sodium hydroxide.
Sincerely,
Black Women Everywhere
Published by Miko Franklin
Miko Franklin is a public relations professional and founder of Publicity Stunt, Inc, specializing in entertainment public relations and marketing. In addition to a B.A. in Communications, she holds an M.S.... View profile
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15 Comments
Post a CommentI absolutely love this. I have been wanting to watch this documentary but have not gotten a chance to. Now, I will be in pursuit of it lol. But I am going to take your word for it and pretend like I have seen it so I can comment. Chris obviously don't know that there are also 'white' people with 'wool' hair. Hair comes in so many different textures and I don't see any problem with people doing whatever they need to in order to make it manageable. My hair is definitely no wear near to wool but if it was, I would be the first one in the beauty salon waiting to get it relaxed. He has no clue how much more productive people who wear weaves and wigs can be. Imagine if they really had to wake up every morning to do their hair. The hours they would spend taking care of it can be used to do other things. It's ridiculous that people stereotype and judge others because of hair! What happened to what's on the inside...
Also, it's just whatever works best for the hair type. I would LOVE to have thick hair. And I know if I had thick hair, I probably would definitely have a perm.
I definitely wear my hair curly more often. Once you go natural, there is a process of learning the right products and how to maintain the curl. For the longest, I would still wear my hair straight ALL THE TIME because that's the only way I knew how to wear my hair. But I've been venturing out more lately and love, love, love the versatility.
Oh, and for some, going natural is a political thing and an assertion of one's ethnicity. While I am black to the core and Ms Black Power to all my friends, I didn't go natural for that reason, which is why I wasn't one of those people who chopped off all my hair to an afro and now only rock the afro-and certainly nothing against them at all! My reason was more about the health of my hair, adding body and not having to freak out if I couldn't get a perm after six weeks.
Your hair is just not right. With a natural, you can straighten for that "I just got my hair done" look at ANY time without worrying about if you've put too much heat on your hair in between perms. (Not saying that too much heat isn't a problem for anyway, you are just able to bear more when you have a natural.) And finally, my hair is very fine and thin. It hardly holds a curl and used to look extremely limp after a perm. That is really why I stopped getting perms. My beautician at the time said that the perms were making my hair even thinner than it is naturally. I remember after getting a perm, I couldn't wait until I'd get a bit of new growth so there'd be at least a little body and volume. With a natural, I don't have to wait as I can get it at any time. Don't get me wrong, my hair is still thin since it is naturally that way, but since the shaft still has it's natural coil and curl, even when it's straightened, it looks thicker, if you get what I am saying.
Yeah but that is SO unrealistic for a woman to spend that much on weave. I don't know anyone who spends that much money. And that's what I meant about the 'documentary' not being objective; why wasn't he talking to women who don't break the banks for their weaves, because that's more common. As for me personally, I've never even spent over $100, and even that was expensive for me.
Regarding putting heat on your hair instead of just getting a perm: trust me, it's not the same. Without a perm, your hair is much stronger and you don't have to worry about nearly as much damage. For instance, I just got my hair bleached (lightened). With a perm, this would have been a problem, but with natural hair, the follicle is much stronger and able to withstand processes. Also, there's the versatility factor. When I had a perm, I couldn't wear my hair curly one day and straight the next and wavy the day after. Plus, when you have a perm and it's time for a new one, you KNOW it's time for a new one.
...have known until you told me. But I asked her if she stopped wearing perms because of chemicals, why bother putting all that heat on your head by pressing it. Why not just go all the way natural?
I was with him on the amount being spent on weave. Here's why. From the perspective of someone who has never worn one, I really TRULY had no idea they were THAT much money. I don't know why I never asked my brother's wife (who is forever wearing them) or even my mother (who loved braids until her hair fell out, I TOLD HER). I never thought they were thousands of dollars. That was crazy to me.
nt sponsored benefits, I don't care how much she spends. She could work at McDonald's for all I care! LOL
ve an inch of real hair but might wear weaves down their backs, I don't think it's fair for him to make it seem like women wear weaves to cover up their "shortcomings." Some women may wear weave to change up their styles. If anything, I know many people who have grown out there hair considerably while wearing weaves because it lets their hair rest...
You're right though, I am disgusted by the women who were so excited to be in a movie that they made those dumb comments. Nia Long's ignorance was just unbelievable.
I also hated it how he was in disbelief that one woman spent like a stack on a weave. Then he asked her about her occupation as if he could not believe that a regular black woman could afford it. When she told him she owned several daycares, he still seemed like he couldn't believe it. But I am SO glad she said she was a business owner and didn't happen to be unemployed lol. As long as she is not taking advantage of my tax dollars by collecting welfare or other governme
While there are many women out there who fit the bill of the perm- and weave-addicted women, I know just as many natural women too. Especially these days. Going natural is like the new trend. But the trick is that it's not as obvious as people think to identify natural women. I wear my hair straight a lot, so strangers would assume that I, too, have fallen victim to the 'creamy crack.' Since I don't perm and rarely wear weave (having just started experimenting with them last year) I'm not offended because he was talking about me, per se, but because of how he makes it seem like black women will die without weaves or perms. I also think he perpetuated the belief that women with weaves must be baldheaded. When I wear weave, it's never longer than my own hair-in fact, before I cut my hair, I would often wear weaves that were much shorter than my own hair-and I used to get it sewn in between my hair to make it look thicker since my hair is so thin. While I admit there are some women who ha