Chris Rock is BULLSH*T, "Good Hair" is Trash.

The shameful Chris Rock

Okay,

So I HAVE to start my first post off with the truth about Chris Rock's degrading MOCKumentary. I was super excited about the movie initially-- thinking that it would talk about the known issue of "Good Hair"-- where the term came from, slavery, etc. Then I figured it'd touch on perms (which in did), but then also talk about the natural hair movement that has been going strong since India Arie's "I Am Not My Hair" (around 2005). But NO it did not, it was Shameful, just downright shameful. That movie deals with the self-hate black men have for themselves and their women more than anything else.... Black women are comfortable with themselves-- natural, perm, or extensions. I think most of us are just over it.... but its the black men that have the issue. Men like Chris Rock... ergo movies like "Good Hair" that in NO WAY deal with the actually issue and history behind "Good Hair". I am no longer a Chris Rock fan by any stretch of the imagination. Chris Rock, like some blacks before him, has sold out, embarrassed, an degraded his people just for some quick bucks.... if I was the queen, I'd have to "Off with his head". But forget my word... I ran into some great comments about the movie from a conversation I peeped in a website:

Here's the link to the conversation HERE. But I'll place a few major points below...

(I love Duke's opinion... why can't we have more men like this???)

DUKE:

I saw the movie with the moms and wifey and though I think you're funny Chris- the movie was biased and lacked any real historical content- where was the slavery? and the origination of "good hair"?

Where were the India Arie's, Tracee Ellis Ross's, Solanges, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hills and all those type women, the HUGE amount of black women that are natural and have been natural forever... it was sort of disrespectful towards women like my mom who have been "natural" since I can remember and all the women in my life who went natural during the whole "India Arie- I am Not my Hair" movement- as it has been dubbed. (and not to mention all the white women who have worn wigs and weaves since the beginning of time, calling out the black actresses when white actresses wear weaves and wigs more was also a point that you left out).

My man, you slacked heavily, and I gotta admit that I don't like the fact that now any white person who sees this movie is going to leave wrongfully thinking that all our black queens have perms and that if their hair is long its a weave- thats bullsh*t bruh... you could have done better. Most people in our movie theater left really disappointed. If you did somehow get good reviews its from white people- who eat up stereotypical ish like this.

I still can't get over how your really didn't go into the REAL meaning and history of "good hair"... anyway, I'll give you a C- for effort. But like everyone has been saying- you need to do a PART II ASAP.

LEA:

Most of the black women I know have naturally long hair, while my white friends wear more weaves and wigs than the black ones... especially since white women invented wigs and weaves... even the founding fathers wore wigs. Miley Cyrus, Heidi Klum, Britney Spears, Megan Fox, Paris Hilton, every playboy model, etc etc they all wear them... I was listening to my local radio station today and the white hosts were quoting these "facts" - "most black women have perms" :if a black woman has long hair its fake"... it was sickening to listen to.

You really NEED to do a part II of this silly one-sided documentary and cover the historical context of good hair and how it stems from slavery... then you should end it with the fact that many many (I would say atleast half) black women these days are "natural" and no longer use 1950s lye perms (lol at you for having that in the movie- who uses lye perms anymore???)). I know I may sound more knowledgeable than the average nonblack woman, but thats the good thing about having a diverse group of friends- you aren't as ignorant. So Chris, I suggest you widening your group of friends... so you won't be as ignorant- because your movie is doing more bad than good.

THINE:

Did you even see the movie or are you pulling stuff out the air? Where are you getting your information that supports your assertion that half of black women are natural? The movie clearly states that black women make up about 6.5 percent of the population, but they buy up to 40 percent of all hair care products. I don't think that half of this ... Read More

DUKE:

I think she's pulling it from what she sees... just like me. The majority of the women in my life are natural- and its beautiful. And to be honest when you go to the top schools in the country you see the same thing.. I went to MIT, my best friend went to Princeton he's now at HBS (harvard business school)... and about 3 years ago we both noticed how all the women on our campus were going natural.(it was sort of weird at first, but then we got used to it... i remember it like it was yesterday- every girl even the girls with the "mixed curly hair" cut off their perms) And even out in the "real world" i see just as many natural women as i see with perms/relaxers... I say all that to say that I think people of color with higher education and people of color who are more progressive thinking have many friends that are natural.

And as far as Chris's statistics... c'mon now, i know you're smarter than that- you know statistics are not always right.. sometimes people have stats and they only base them off a sampling of 40 people. So his 95% of black women etc etc... is probably just based off some random sampling of women he surveyed (most likely from hoodish type areas).

And as far as the "natural hair care products"- my wife uses the same stuff as her friends with perms use. All because your hair is natural doesn't mean you have to use some kind of "special product"- you can if you like but it's not necessary.

I do get Chris's point though- if we're buying most of the products we need to make sure that we're selling it- keep it in the community (my wife hates going into those asian owned beauty stores b/c they always have bad attitudes).

JESSICA L. THOMAS: I agree with you, brotha...

THINE: Chris indicated that he made the movie to address his daughter's perception of why she didn't have "good hair" not a question/concern of if black women wear natural hair. If we are honest we all know that in "our" communities natural hair isn't considered to be "good hair" unless it is a certain texture. So the movie would have been better if he ... Read More

DUKE: well maybe your in the wrong community... because in my community natural hair is good hair. its funny because my sister used to talk of the good hair back when we were younger, my mom gave her perms and all that.

then she went natural about 2.5 yrs ago and she actually has the "good hair" that she and so many other women have always wanted. its ironic because black women's natural hair is the "good hair".

then they use those products to make their hair even curlier... i hope im not saying this wrong, but i think she and my wife uses a product by "miss jessie"? it brings out their natural curls and make them really soft (and no its not a perm)... some people (men and women) use the texturizers which are light and only partially straighten the hair.

black women naturally have "good hair", just find the products to make it curlier i guess.

DUKE: And should Chris place blame on people? no.

But should Christ answer the real question of "good hair" and its origination? yes.

I don't like when people present half-truths... If you're going to do a "documentary" make it a real one. Make it meaningful- present the question, the problem, the background, and the solution.

It was a cowardness move on his behalf (his production, writers, etc) to not discuss the historical content that is very relevant. See African-American history.. which is just American history is not taught in school.. there's maybe one chapter in most grade school history books. Our people need to be educated... they need to know why, they need to be challenged: "why do i think this type of hair is good hair" "where did this phrase good hair come from" "how can i change my thinking so that i don continue to perpetuate something that is hindering my race".

What's that quote- you can't move forward without knowing where you've been and where you're going... I probably am saying it all wrong, but its a famous quote by some famous African-American person... my point is-- history is important. And that's what "our" community lacks- we forget our history, we let "outsiders" trick us into thinking that if we discuss it then we're placing blame, they guilt us into thinking that it is not important... but it is. We must learn from it. We must realize where certain behaviors and mindsets derived from, we must ask ourselves why we think this way... and that is what Chris Rock did not present.

That is why his "documentary" was entertaining and perhaps helpful from an economic view point, but was vacuous in really helping "our" people to understand the true nature of the "problem" and what "we" can do to fix it.

_________________

Pretty intense stuff, huh? What do you all think? I'm going to post more of Duke's conversation in the next post...

Intellectual Conversations: Why Chris Rock's "GOOD HAIR" is a BAD movie

Here's a continuation of the first post on this
and the views on the movie "Good Hair".

I feel as if most educated people of color don't like the foolish imagery Chris Rock leaves the viewer of this movie-- especially viewers that are not black.

But of course, in this country, where many blacks are still suffering from the effects of slavery and jim crow, there is a want to not be publicly humiliated and degraded-- especially "in front" of non-blacks... and that is understandable b/c who wants to be exploited for laughs? no one.

It's not a "what will whites think of us now" mentality it's a-- "why do our own people insist on judging us and belittling us for the things that are being done by so many other races"... its a "white women do it so why is it self-hate on every level when a black woman does it?". Trust that we know "what white people think of us", and that's why certain issues, if addressed publicly (like in a movie), should be addressed in a thorough intellectual manner.

THE FACTS:

1. This film is NOT about black women and their issues. If it was, it would mostly receive authentic praise. What I have realized is that this movie, above all else, is about the insecurity of black men. And as a black man-- I can see this.

I believe in modern day, this hair issue is actually a black man's issue. Many black women (like my mother, girlfriend, sisters, friends) have found peace with their hair, whether its going natural or wearing extensions like all of hollywood. In 2009, this is a self-hate problem that plagues black men and we (not I) indirectly and directly pass on that self-hate to our women... and Chris Rock capitalized on his own insecurities and used his daughter's "question" as a front. As one woman thoughtfully said, "Chris Rock's daughter gave him an idea, she did not inspire him-- an idea and inspiration are two different things."

... I realized this reflected self-hate when I was talking to a group of my friends this weekend. They saw a fine girl and was wondering if that was her "real hair"... it made me think about why they placed so much importance on that. When I'm with my white friends they never ponder about a woman's "real hair" even though their women always wear weaves. But even forgetting the latter (about white women) I realized that there has always been this type of dissatisfaction and resentment with black men to black women.

A perfect example is my old high school buddy Troy. He's a cool dude and everything, but exemplifies the negative stereotypical black male-- multiple children w/o marriage, unemployed, always "hustling", barely got out of high school and won't finish community college, etc etc. Even with his many shortcomings of decidedly not being able to provide for his children, jail record, and incomplete education... he still seems to somehow bring up wishing his children's mother wouldn't wear a weave in conversations, and his preference for redbones with long hair. This is fully perplexing when she's the one with the education and job who's taking care of the children--- this is the type of tom-foolery that is happening all over.


2. And yes you are correct wigs have been worn since the Bible days and all over the world. Indeed Egyptian royalty wore adornment type crowns that are similar to wigs, but were usually engrossed with gold and jewels-- that was a status of royalty and wealth. In Europe the whites wore wigs everyday-- royalty and commoners and so when the 13 colonies were formed, when America was formed, all the white that came over wore them... and that's how the idea of these wigs came into this country. And of course overtime it continued, they wore wigs in the "wild wild west" and hair extensions and wigs have been around since.... this idea of "extra hair" is not new in any form or fashion.


3. I concur on Chris Rock not really being any good. I never thought about it before-- I have always found him funny in some regard, but it feels as of late he's just been going too far and perhaps with age is dealing with his own issues and that is being translated into his comedy act. I still can't erase the joke he made about not feeling like Barack should have married Michelle... because a "black woman wants control and will stand in front of you or beside you, but Becky will get behind you." It was low. Unnecessarily low in my opinion. Is he a comedian? yes. Was it funny? not to me and many people in the crowd started to actually boo... but I get that he has to make money and has to play off these stereotypes to continue to make millions, I get that everyone isnt perfect and that moreover everyone doesnt care about the plight of black people in this country. Chris Rock does a decent job of integrating some issues into his standup, but overall he's just another airhead with no real intelligence (and that is thoroughly shown in this movie).

Mar Nita, I guess I'm just tired of black men not being black men. I'm tired of us not standing behind and supporting our black women. My girlfriend and I mentor innercity kids and to hear what these young kids are saying about each other, especially these boys about black girls is disturbing. I sometimes ask myself if I was the same way growing up. The point is, I, feel like its time that black men stood up, picked ourselves up and started building back our community and that starts with us loving, embracing, and adoring our women. Sometimes I feel as if I'm a singular entity in this fight to restore love and togetherness in our community. I know, as always, there are plenty if black women but where are the black men? My 3 college roommates are the only group of men that I know, besides me, that are empowering our women and taking steps to mentor these young guys--- these fatherless boys.

I may not be able to change the ignorant mindset of people like Chris Rock and his crew, but through my actions and words I can help change the next generation. Don't get me wrong its hard to compete with Lil Wayne, TI, and Jay-Z on certain days, but at the end of the day I'm the one who's there for these kids-- they can feel that I care. And they see the beautiful dark brown woman with curly hair that I bring along to their football games and programs... that I always call beautiful (in front of them) and that I admire and respect. And so because of these things they don't have to be fooled into thinking that in order to be successful one has to, as Chris Rock stated, "Marry a white woman or almost-white woman".


4. You're right, there are truly a plethora of serious issues in the black community, and for Chris Rock, a black man, to try and tackle a "black woman issue" is tom-foolery at its finest. This movie, "Good Hair" is truly a mockumentary as it has been dubbed by the erudite people of the world, especially the educated african-americans. I can appreciate his attempts at useful information with the facts about the damage of lye perms, indian hair market, and stingy racist asian business owners, but that is all, and I mean all this movie offers.

I can only hope that Chris Rock and his crew realizes the mockery this film exudes and will cease the distribution of it-- as it is hindering our people and deriding our women just for profit. Must we continue this incessant cycle?

1 black parent + 1 white parent = 1 MIXED child

I've been reading some of my comments, since I just got back from a blogging hiatus, and I want to thank everyone for giving their opinions on products and what not. That said, I ran across a very disturbing comment when reading the comments from the Dominican article...

"I am the product of a white mother and a Dominican Republic father basically I am african american. Anyway Dominican Republicans do have a healthier way of taking care of african american hair in my opinion but it's all in the way you care for your hair anyway and too much heat on any hair is bad. My hair grows out very thick and long and not thin on the ends but it has also been damaged before and thin on the ends so what is that guys point. Anybody can grow their hair out hopefully after it has been damaged that doesn't mean that their hair didn't grow back out long and thick."

See anything wrong with this comment? Maybe you don't, it seems pretty harmless, but that's to a person who has accepted some racist tendencies forced upon people of color. While most of her comment was perfectly fine, the beginning of it was, well, crazy.... "I am the product of a white mother and a Dominican Republic father basically I am african american."

If you have one parent that is white and another that is Dominican... then you are MIXED. If you want to be specific then you are Dominican American (if your mother is American and/or if you are American).

It peturbs me on so many levels when people -- white, black, whatver... automatically call people who are MIXED, black... I rarely see the opposite. It's not about being ashamed of being black, its about denying ONE WHOLE part of who you are. You are MIXED and do not ever let anyone make you choose between one race or the other. If you have one mixed parent and one white parent-- if anything you're white. But somehow the "one-drop" rules created during horrible slavery racism Jim Crow times has oozed it's way into the psyche's of sooooo many people. If the one-drop rule were true then we could all just be whatever we wanted--- most "African Americans" have a white grandfather somewhere down the line... so I guess they would all be white, huh?

Basically, people, DO NOT call people who are mixed by one race. DO NOT let people put you in a category and tell you what you are.

Halle Berry is NOT the first "African-American" Oscar winner, she is the first MIXED Oscar Winner, the first 1/2 African-American Oscar winner. A "black" woman has not yet won.

President Barack Obama is NOT the first "African-American" president of the USA, he is the first MIXED president of the USA. A "black" man has not yet been president.

These type of list go on and on... and yes I love both our president and halle, but it's not fair to deny who you are... especially when in most cases like this... the mother or the mother's family (often time white) are the ones that end up raising them.

Now I know many mixed people feel more love and acceptance in the black community, often time more comfortable. That's understandable... its fairly easy to feel alot of love from black people who are still dealing with the effects of slavery when you have light mixed skin-- they may put you on pedestal. But it's a lie to say you're black or "African-American" when you have one European-American parent-- you are mixed. Don't deny yourselves, don't let someone else define you... you define you.

This post may seem random, but I just wanted to address that.

Solange Knowles: Free at Last, Free at Last, Thank God Almighty I am Free At Last

(solange twitter page, click to enlarge)

So I finally peeped Solanges twitter page... and can I just say again, that I heart her. Like really really heart her. I feeeeeeeeel this girl, like she doesn't even know. The reactions of people, the negative energy is just horrible and we must ask ourselves as people of color in America- when will we finally free ourselves from bondage.

Now I'm not preaching to say "everyone should wear natural hair, and weave and perm is the enemy" NO that is NOT what I am saying.... but we shouldn't be a slave to our hair and we should learn to love our hair in a way that's most conducive to our pockets and lifestyle.

Solange better WERK that cut!

Solanges New Hair Cut: "I Am Not My Hair" (Now if her sister would just follow in her footsteps, our world would be a better place :-)

Hey Guys... so as big topic today has been Solange's new do. I give two snaps for it- cuz I love it. Why you may ask? Well as I said earlier, "I applaud Solange. Her hair cut is daring, cute, and will inspire many girls- girls of color around the world. Most importantly these hairstyles push our men (and women) to re-think their "slave-mentality brain-washed" version of what beauty is and it will allow them to really embrace one of God's greatest gifts on earth- black women"

I checked around to see what some people had to say, and what a Takiya said from Fact, Fats, and Fries caught my attention:


"Yeah she cut off her "hair", I put hair in quotations bc nowadays that's a bit questionable. How long was hair to begin with???

What celebrity have you seen rocking their natural hair????

Even kim kardashian laces that ish up, and she's Armenian!!! That tells you this is is global!!! LOL!

I can't count one, can you???

Some peoples claim to fame is just what they can do with their do. A$$IE
What crazy design they can shave into their scalp. LA LA
What punk rock Mohawk they can rock with their ill fitting clothes. Rihanna

OKAY, we get it.

You're different....

I however, as of late, cut my lush locs short and their was much reason behind the end result.

To each is their own. Ya kno, and to each person they have their own reasons for a hairdo. Whether it's because it's the newest fad or because it's time to restart again.

We all have our own selfish reasons for styling ourselves which ever way that we do.

But the reason for the mid week break, seeing that I post like every other week is in regards to ignorance begetting ignorance.

Today would be the second time in 2009 when the blogsphere have missed the mark. (The first was with the Rihanna incident. See my other post for that one.)

Matter of fact, not the blogs but the comments that have been given.

It cuts real deep when women of African descent refer to Solange's new do as a field nigger effect.

Comments that insult natural beauty outside of weaves, fronts, and wigs.

This comes from a one time relaxer, twice a natural sister, neva rocking a weave working woman type gal, if you get my drift.

I have and will continue to pose the notion that African American women will always be a slave to their hair.

Will neva let their hair breathe without chemically altering it. Or find themselves looking in the mirror to look at the natural beauty without the lush extention they bought at Hair Stop on Washington St.

I'm assuming that most women who do weave up the hair is because their natural hair is to short to be considered beautiful, in their eyes as well as others.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the excuse you have for my previous statement is probably that, nah, my hair is long enough, it's just that I like to add a bit of thickness to my already "long" straggly hair.

Okay, now that we've established that your in denial, lets move on to the next excuse you conjured up.

It's easier to manage and it's more office appropriate.

Okay, much like the movie Bolier Room, I got a load of rebuttals for the wack a$$ excuses that you can give me.

I did not say you must come to work rocking a fro and an afro pick with tribal paint slathered on your face.

It does not make you look uncivilized or non-American. And as much as you like to continue to lie to your self, trust me your co-workers and human resource could care less. Those heffas are trying to keep their job and you're certainly not on their radar.

Well Miss X, you seem to have all the answers, we can't be as brave as you and machete our hair off.

Okay I didn't ask you to!!! All I want to get through that thick weave cap, is that YOU don't have the right or privileg to comment/ critique on a woman following the route less traveled.

I applaud anybody who goes a drift simply bc they've had enough with what society says we should be.

Don't you see it folks.

We're a country of money hungry consumers and where pumped with we aren't beautiful enough without long straight hair.

While we're chasing straight hair other countries chase curly texturized hair.

Nobody is perfect and we all have our own perception of perfection.

Just 'cause you're drinking the koolaid don't hate because I'm drink running water from a well.

And yes, I (heart) Solange's new hair buzz."

L'Oreal is Racist.

Word on the street is mega beauty Giant- L'Oreal is blatantly racist. They consider black, Arab and Asian women unworthy of selling its shampoo, and are being sued in a French High Court.

Check out the article posted on Black Girl w/ Long Hair:

L’Oréal, the French cosmetics giant, whose advertising campaigns proclaim “because you’re worth it,” was found guilty of racial discrimination for considering black, Arab and Asian women unworthy of selling its shampoo.

France’s highest court was told that the group had sought an all-white team of sales staff to promote Fructis Style, a haircare product made by Garnier, L’Oréal’s beauty division.

The word went out that Garnier’s hostesses should be BBR — “bleu, blanc, rouge” — the colours of the French flag. The expression is widely recognised in the French recruitment world as a code for white French people born to white French parents, a court was told, in effect excluding the four million or so members of ethnic minorities in France.

La Cour de Cassation, the equivalent of the US Supreme Court, said that the policy was illegal under French employment law, upholding a ruling given by the Paris Appeal Court in 2007.

The judgment was a significant blow to the image of the world’s biggest cosmetics group, which has spent millions of dollars in global advertising campaigns featuring stars such as Andie MacDowell, Eva Longoria, Penélope Cruz and Claudia Schiffer.

(L'Oreal's) image already suffered a battering when L’Oréal executives were forced to deny claims that they had lightened the singer Beyoncé Knowles’s skin for a campaign last year.


The ruling also hinted at widespread prejudice among French shoppers since L’Oréal believed that they were more likely to buy shampoo from white sales staff, the court was told.

The ruling will fuel anger among black and Arab French people, who complain that they face widespread discrimination when seeking employment.
source: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article6572173.ece

When will women of color — and especially black women — achieve "beauty equality"? Why are we considered less attractive and, in the "beauty" industry, less marketable than other women? This shit really really BOTHERS me!
What do you guys think of all this?

via Black Girl with Long Hair

CHRIS ROCK: Black America and Good Hair-- BAD MOVIE.

UPDATE- THIS IS A HORRIBLE MOVIE THAT DEGRADES BLACK WOMEN. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS IN ANY WAY.

I saw this article on ematastemaker.com and HAD to repost... check it out:

Funny man & social commentator Chris Rock tackles the topic of hair in the soon to be released documentary Good Hair.

The film, which won a Special Jury Award for US Documentary at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, mixes the wisecrack humor of Rock with the hard-hitting reality that exist around hair in the Black community by “raising serious questions about identity and equality among black women who feel they need long, straight, silky hair to fit into white society” (Source).

Rock was inspired to make the documentary after his daughter Lola came to him crying, and asked, “Daddy how come I don’t have good hair.” This deeply emotional question prompted him “to search the ends of the earth and the depths of black culture to find out who had put that question into his little girl’s head” (Source)

Sundance describes the film as

An exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, Good Hair visits hair salons and styling battles, scientific laboratories, and Indian temples to explore the way black hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of black people. Celebrities such as Ice-T, Kerry Washington, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Raven Symone, Maya Angelou, and Reverend Al Sharpton all candidly offer their stories and observations to Rock while he struggles with the task of figuring out how to respond to his daughter’s question (Source).

But the film offers more than just a surface level look at the tradition of hair in the Black community.

It takes a look into the politics of hair and raises “serious questions about identity and equality among black women who feel they need long, straight, silky hair to fit into white society” (Source).

Executive Producer, Nelson George adds “It’s this whole thing about approval. That approval is not simply, ‘I want white people to love me.’ It’s like, ‘I need a job. I want to move forward, and if I have a hairstyle that is somewhat intimidating, that’s going to stop me from moving forward” (Source).

Stay tuned for official release dates of the film on HBO, DVD, and in theaters.

For more information on this film, check out the following sites:

• Chris Rock interview with Salon.com (1/24/09)
• Sundance Film Festival Movie Site
• Chris Rock Interview w/Rolling Out.com (Video)
• Official Chris Rock website
• Write-up on Documentary on Afro-Punk website (1/24/09)