The film is about the culture of African American hairstyles and hair and the sensitive topic of “good hair.†It's a documentary that involves comedian Chris Rock interviewing people on the street, in the studio, in hair salons, barber shops and hair merchants.
It explores in a humorous way the belief that good hair for African American women is non-kinky and straight- similar to white women's hair- and you get the feeling from the preview that these ideas of what's “good†and what's “beautiful†have been thrust on American women by the media and celebrity. In a review in the Los Angeles times actress Nia Long is quoted from the film saying: "In our culture, hair that is kinky or nappy is considered bad hair" ("Chris Rock Finds the Humor in Good Hair").
The film also looks at how African American women go to extraordinary lengths to achieve “good hair,†suggesting also in a light hearted way that they're extremely protective about their hair as a result. Its interviews reveal the dangerous addiction of relaxing the hair with harsh chemicals as well as the expense involved using hair weaves. Famous weave wearing African American celebrities candidly explain how protective they are of their delicate and expensive weaves- sometimes even forbidding their lovers to touch their hair during sex. “Weave sex†sounds like quite an experience...
Chris Rock explores social and cultural ideas of beauty in African American hairstyles, but at the end of the day he hopes to have made a funny movie too. The Los Angeles Times explains how Rock has gauged post-screening responses by hiding in the bathroom. "'I've hid in stalls so I can hear what people say after the movie,' he said, talking at the Beverly Hills Hotel. 'I've been to men's and women's bathrooms. People seem to really like it.'"
