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    Chris Rock's 'Good Hair' Might Not Be So Healthy

    Posted:
    10/6/09
    Filed Under:Woman Up

    What's ironic (or funny or hypocritical or just plain ol' sad) as I write this post about the politics of black women's hair -- as documented in comedian Chris Rock's new film, "Good Hair" -- is the photo of me you're looking at right now next to my byline. In it, my hair is, shall we say, synthetically enhanced.

    I was all ready to talk about how black women have been oppressed by the pressing comb! Flat-lined by the flat iron!! Crippled by the creamy crack!!! And then I stare at this picture of myself with about three inches of hair purchased from a Beauty Supply in Georgia and think, Girl, stop. As Mia, mentions in her post, sometimes hair is just hair.

    Is all the hoopla about Solange Knowles' mini-fro (pictured), Tyra Banks going wig-less, or even Oprah getting "weave-checked" by Mr. Rock just a lot of water cooler white noise or are we finally at the boiling point, coiffure-wise? I don't see Rock as the Michael Moore of the mane because, at the end of the day, black girls already know we've got some serious hair issues, and so do Jewish girls, and Japanese girls, and Latino girls and . . .

    So, is the funny man shedding light on some clandestine follicular illuminati or just laughing? Several people have described watching the previews of "Good Hair" (out this Friday) as a "Dave Chappelle moment" -- was the audience laughing at the insane logic behind black women's hair choices ("If your hair is relaxed, white people are relaxed') or those crazy black women?

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    Helena Andrews

    Helena Andrews writes about the importance of everything pop culture. Her collection of essays, Bitch is the New Black, will be published by Harper Collins the summer of 2010... more

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