You Got That "Good Hair"

11.21.09

ENTERTAINMENT

You Got That "Good Hair"

by Mariela Rosario | 10.22.2009 | 10:25am | 4 Comments

Istock Photo

When I was young, I had really long, wavy hair. My hair was my prized possession. It cascaded down past my waist and I was the envy of all the girls in my kindergarten class. Some of my earliest memories involve people fawning over my silky waves, and almost every conversation included someone saying, "Ooooh, you got that good hair."

But what is "good hair?" Chris Rock's new documentary Good Hair takes an interesting look at the impact the notions of "Good Hair vs. Bad Hair" has had on the African American community. Hair is incredibly important to our self image, especially for women, and most especially for women of color. It's sad that in spite of all the struggles and stereotypes women of color have surmounted, we still seem to cling to white washed notions of beauty.

So we decided to ask you, our loyal readers, what your take is on the whole "Good Hair vs. Bad Hair" debate. Do you straighten your hair or wear it natural? Do you still believe there is such a thing as "good" and "bad" hair? Do you think that women who straighten their hair are betraying their roots?

Chris Rock's Good Hair hits theaters nationally tomorrow, Oct. 23rd. Check out the trailer below:

4 Comments

gabriella
10.23.2009
1:54pm

i love my hair most of the time i' m biracial and my hair has been ultra curly like my whole life when i was little it was almost to my waist and everyone fawned over it when i started high school 3 years ago i got a bob cut and it won't grow back!!!! i'm so frustrated maybe one of you could give me some tips on hair care like when i straighten it how do i get it to stay straight and not get so freaking frizzy

gabriella
10.23.2009
1:54pm

riaria25
10.23.2009
11:30am

Well there is actually good and bad hair CARE. I have nappy hair and my mom has "good hair". My mom didn't take the time to care for my hair properly so I sported what my friends called a "little fro", I liked to think of it as a "push back". Sadly it wasn't until I lived with my dad and his partner that I found out I had "good hair" after all. Guess what? It turned out, I was never afforded GOOD HAIR CARE for my texture. I am Puerto Rican and proud of it. I will never embrace my nappy hair until I am senile or blind whichever comes first. Bottom line is relaxers are a choice and I find it an acceptable practice. I know many hispanic women that embrace their curls. Good for them. As for my daughter since she was 10 I have afforded her good hair care and she has a lovely relaxed hair texture. Perhaps if my mom wouldn't have treated my hair differently than hers, I might feel differently. Then again, that experience ina nd of itself has made me a good mother to my own nappy headed daughter. :)

Mulatta79
10.22.2009
2:33pm

"Good" hair. "Bad" hair. There is no such thing. If you really think so and have bought into this hype then you're an idiot. As a kid Mami would brush my hair and, yes, I cried. But that's just part of who I am. I'm a Latina. I have really curly hair. Some curls are really tight. And although I do enjoy the freedom from the daily grooming of curly hair, I do like to straigthen my hair once in a while. Some women are obsessed with the straight hair and look at the curl as an evil thing. To me that's just ridiculous and at the same time, Sad. You should Learn to Embrace your curls. Curls are beautiful. It is also critical for a women NOT to impose the "good hair/"bad" hair drama onto their daughters. Also, when you are constantly at war with who you really are and what you are made of, you are betraying your roots. And that, in my Opinion, is just downright wrong. Since when is "good"/straight hair the golden standard...? Now don't get me wrong. All in all, I think the movie, Good Hair Bad Hair is cool. It's something Black women as well as many Latina's have in share and can relate to. We can laugh it off and tell our stories about relaxers gone wrong, breakage (*been there*). Learn to work with what you have without being phony or crying that you have "nappy" or "kinky" hair. You, yourself are degrading yourself. We need to stop this hair drama. There is far too much going on in this world to be worried about your "bad" hair cause you want "good" hair. Put your energy into some other worthy cause. And also your money. "Good" hair. "Bad" hair. No such thing. That's just an opinion.