This past January... I had the opportunity to view a documentary at the Sundance Film festival.
My dear friend, knowing I'm a hairstylist, called and asked me if I wanted to go to this particular film. I think she thought I was crazy, because I only said 'yes' in fifteen different ways and told her I was excited about 5 times on the phone.
The movie was AMAZING! It was a documentary called 'Good Hair' produced and starring Chris Rock. It was documenting the black hair culture and community. Talking about everything from who, what, where, and why black women hold such high regards to their hair.
I had NO IDEA the movie would ever come to theaters... let alone be this huge of a deal. While Chris Rock had shamelessly promoted and plugged the crap out of this movie. His promoting has not always been what he promoted back in January. I'm not sure what changed, but he's taking a different angle. Probably whatever it takes to get people to go see it!
Anyways... here's my take on what I saw. (Coming from a white person, in an all white community!)
As an obviously WHITE stylist...I went to school in a city where there was little to NO opportunity to learn how to do ethnic hair. (my few opportunities included a couple girls from Tonga and a Samoan guy) Due to the lack of diversity, I don't feel I was given the experience to learn all that I could. We actually had the right products, relaxers and tools to pass things off. But the techniques and styles were passed off on one of two...that's right TWO ethnic doll heads. Not once in two years did I get an African-American client.
Reading in a textbook about hair and actually doing hair is SO different! I have an absolute LOVE of hair...styling, coloring, cutting...just touching and playing with hair is a ton of fun for me.
The fascinating thing...is that different races and cultures have such dramatically DIFFERENT hair. I always knew it looked different, and was obviously very different colors...but the texture and elasticity and porosity of hair can very so greatly! In school we were told that that 75-80% of hair product consumers are African-American's. That's insane!
This documentary touched on the reasons behind the importance of hair in the black culture...and how the dynamics have changed into what is important in today's society.
In the beginning...African-American's felt the need to have 'white or European' hair to be accepted by society. Having the right hair would allow you to get the higher paying jobs. Afro's were associated with black people...and black people were not getting treated as equals. Therefore, the type of hair you have was a status symbol.
The sad reality is that there is NO way that 'black hair' can look and feel like 'white hair'. I'm not suggesting that as an opinion of style...it just is structurally not possible. And yet there is a 9 billion dollar industry to prove that black women are trying to obtain this type of hair still today. Hair is still a status of importance, beauty and wealth. (because maintenance of such hair is ten's of thousands a year. Rev. Sharpton talked about how it is more important to have a 'weave' than have food to eat for many women)
Just as media plays a part of every woman's self-identity and self-image...African-American celebrity's have 'good hair'. Beyonce, Oprah, Eve, Raven, all have long, flowing locks. (not their own hair however)
Having gone to Cosmetology school I knew the chemicals used to 'relax' black hair and some of the procedures used to try and straighten hair. ('relaxers' are pretty much a perm...without the rollers, Pressing or straightening involves oils and creams used with hot irons...three times hotter than any flat iron or curling iron you can buy in the store)
The chemicals involved are extremely dangerous and very strong! Little girls are getting their first 'relaxers' done at age two or three. We all know that inhaling these chemicals can do damage, and anyone who lived through the 80's knows that a perm can really burn your scalp. Well, what we 'white girls' do to our hair with heat and chemicals is NOTHING compared.
To make a long story short...I LOVED every minute. In another life I would have chosen to 'eat-breathe-and -sleep' hair. (maybe not the eating part) It was incredibly well done and had celebrity clips which were very enlightening and funny. Chris Rock did a great job of using both drama and comedy to make his points. He even traveled to India and showed the women shaving their heads for our extensions and weaves. I could talk for hours just about THAT subject...but in summary, India's #1 export is human hair. It is removed in a religious ceremony at the temples, people will cut off and steal a women's hair in her sleep, and the church is topped only next to the Vatican in profit. All so we can put somebody else's hair on our heads.
Traditionally, there is a Q&A session after the film and the directors or writers of a film will answer questions. Many filmmakers and people in the industry have questions from everything from editing to music and colors used.
Before the film they announced that there might not be a Q&A after the film, because they didn't know if they could locate a person to answer questions. (you hear a few moan and groans...but from what I hear it is more and more rare for filmmakers to do these)
After the movie I was so impressed, it was better than I could have imagined and so informative. Before the light came on...someone gets on the microphone and says "We have Chris Rock here to answer any of your questions regarding the film."
WHAT!!! I was like "this is the coolest ever" and sure enough he jumps up and grabs the mic. I look at my friend and say "I have a question...but I'm not sure I dare to ask." to which she stated the obvious "you will never get a chance like this again...it's Chris Rock."
After letting my heart race to a ridiculous rate, I bit the bullet and raised my hand...mine was the last question he took (whew!) I stood up and opened my mouth...which was suddenly dry and the initial sound coming out was not human. A little cough later I asked "In the film, you stated how the black culture started doing these things out of acceptance from society...towards the end of the film, you touched on the number of white women who now do similar things. In your opinion, would you say that today women do this out of society's acceptance, or self-acceptance, or what did you find?" I sit down and I realize my hands are shaking. What, am I a twelve year-old at the Jonas Bros. concert?
(I THINK that's what I asked...I should receive a recording, so I can edit it word-for-word)
His answer was...
"I'm not sure it's really either. We live in an incredible country...(pause for claps)...and I think women in this country have lots of money and are just bored. (laughs) Women in other countries don't have time to worry about shooting Botox into their face, or collagen into their lips. I think that women here just get bored."
(There was couple more things to that effect, but those are the sentences I remember...again when I get the video, I will edit it)
Mr. Rock made this movie because he wanted to understand and make decisions to help his own two beautiful girls (I believe ages 4 and 6) who he showed and talked about in the film. The last line of the movie was his own conclusion from his findings, on what to tell his little girls. He said "What I've concluded is that when the time comes, I will tell my own daughters that...what's on top of their head...is not near as important as what's inside their head."
{$} simple cents of the day {$}
Help your clients wear their hair for themselves, not for other people.
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