My favorite part of this week's much-talked-about episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show where Chris Rock and Solange Knowles talked about Good Hair? That one photo of Oprah back in the Eighties. The one Chris Rock referred to as "the mean news." Oprah had the fro that dreams are made of! Round, solid, like the Jackson 5 back in the day. That was a fro with power.
I saw Oprah's Good Hair episode a day late -- by the time I watched it, my friends on Twitter and Facebook had basically recapped the whole thing sentence by sentence online. But still, I watched and was pleasantly surprised. In my opinion, Oprah's hair episode was ten times better than Tyra's -- because she made sure to have balance. Oprah talked about relaxers, she revealed her hairstory (and Chris Rock's!), she was inclusive and featured white women and their own hair struggles (Ali Wentworth's segment on being blonde was HILARIOUS!). Oprah's episode was more well rounded in the sense that she attempted to effectively explain the similarities, while still recognizing the enormous differences between black and white hair.
But there was still some points raised that left me scratching my head.
At one point, Chris Rock declares that "women relax their hair for other women, because men don't care about hair." Then he goes on and on about when he's dates Asian and white women in the past, how his hands have been thirsty, and he's enjoyed running his fingers through their hair. So... which is it? Pick one and stick with it, Chris.
In my experience, men DO care about hair. They just try to convince you that they don't. They may not notice if you subtly change your style. But in general -- and in my experience -- men will express anguish if you start talking about cutting your hair off, or changing the style dramatically.
Forget kids, Chris Rock will say the darndest things. And he got Oprah to laugh at the craziest stuff. "That's when you were a slave, huh?" he said about her childhood photograph. "That's when you were hanging out with Anita Hill!" he said of another. And Oprah laughed and laughed. A little too hard, almost... but I bought it. Hats off to Oprah for befriending a comedian who we all have seen make jokes about her love life. "That lucky Stedman!"
I bet this Oprah episode was a wake up call for women who haven't yet educated themselves about their hair, or who haven't really thought about the reasons they may choose the styles that they do, or question the pain they put themselves through in the name of hair. Certain key points seemed to really resonate with the audience -- the declaration that black hair is a 9 billion dollar industry, that Solange Knowles used to spend more than I make in a year on weaves and extensions alone, and that little kids are suffering from self esteem problems because of this madness.
I absolutely loved the story of the family from Pasadena who Skyped in -- Rolondo, Vanessa, and Raven. The mother cut off her hair to better identify with her three year old daughter, who was already struggling with not feeling as pretty as her classmates because of the texture of her natural hair. I thought that was a lovely story. And maybe it's all in my head, but it seemed a little pointed when Oprah said to the mother "so you cut your hair off. And Chris...made a movie." It made me wish Malaak Compton-Rock was on the set, just to add in her two cents to the whole Good Hair discussion.
Chris Rock's Good Hair has already been getting huge buzz, but Oprah just set this film up for even bigger success when it opens October 9. I look forward to going to the theater on opening night, so I can experience it with the rest of America. How will this movie perform at the box office? Will Good Hair start a revolution? Will it lead women to change the way they look at, and consequently treat their hair? Only time will tell, I suppose.
What did you think?
** all photos from The Oprah Winfrey Show


Comments: (46)
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By: Beth on 10/02/2009 9:42AM
Thanks for the post. I agree that Rock's behavior sounds a bit troubling. I'm late on this, too, but I'm going to watch the episode this weekend.
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By: KARA on 10/03/2009 1:50AM
I like the fact that Oprah addressed the black hair issues that many people have. I didn't like Chris's slavery comment about Oprah's picture. Then, he seemed so shocked to find out that Oprah's real hair was down her back. Is he saying that all black women suppose to have short hair? I also think that people should stop using the term "GOOD HAIR" Solagne said something about she couldn't use that term growing up in her household. I mean... What is good or bad hair?
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By: Kitty on 10/03/2009 10:02AM
I am Hispanic and I remember growing up with those terms. Good hair, bad hair. When I was a little girl, my hair was not considered good hair. I would have to do rollers or as my mother did for me for years, braid the hair. I was jealous at all these girls with their soft good hair. My mother eventually cut my hair and I started to use rollers. But still no one considered my hair good. No matter how soft it looked. I actually bought into a girl telling me that all I had to go was use a fine tooth comb and then my hair would be good. hahahhahaha. Now that I am grown, I just say that my hair is reactive to the weather and needs that extra attention. Everyone loves my hair. Good hair is just another term for white people hair. Their hair does not react too much and they can pretty much take a shower and let the hair dry naturally. "Bad hair" is for people of color or hispanics but so what. We need a little extra time with our hair. Our hair has a lot more body and I never knew that so many people would be so jealous now. I laugh at the little girl in me long ago who longed for that "good hair".
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By: jstar on 10/02/2009 6:33PM
It seems that Chris Rock has just has many issues with black hair as his daughters. I wish he would have done better research. He seem to think wigs and extensions started with black women which is not true. He like most men dont know whites and other wear wigs and hairpieces, which was initially made for them not blacks. I am not a Rock fan, and now I know why.
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By: Leah on 10/02/2009 11:16PM
yes white women wore weaves and wigs before they got popular with us. This whole thing with our hair is crazy to me. If you want to wear a weave wear it, if you want natural hair, rock that too. Don't start judging women by their hairstyles. Teach our kids that they are beautiful regardless of their hair type or what ever. And stop with the negativity about hair, relaxers, or whatever, it is dumb. You can't compare Oprah and Ztyra anyway. One is for the older generation and the other is for younger women. come on people.
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By: shic on 10/03/2009 4:07AM
c rock just showed how some black men are ignorant when it comes to black hair, thinking that Oprah hair wasn't all hers, I mean not not all dark skin black women wear a weave, Ive had that exp many times guys askin me if thats my real hair and then pullin it.........i am not a rock fan at all
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By: Susie on 10/03/2009 7:39AM
think in first pic she looks like one of the Jackson 5!
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By: Margaret on 10/03/2009 8:58AM
I loved that episode. Could we please stop the over-use of the phrase "wake up call." Really. Please?
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By: Dot on 10/03/2009 8:47AM
I watched the episode and one of the first things Rock did, when he came on stage, was to check Oprah's hair. I'm sure this was planned. Oprah should have separated herself from the topic (at least for once). Oprah could have taken the high road and left whether or not she wears a wig/weave up to the imagination. She should be old, wise, and self assured enough, to not have to prove to the public she has her own hair.
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By: Dee on 10/03/2009 11:19AM
Hi Dot 10/3/09
No. I think you are wrong. Oprah DID have to prove that her hair was "ALL HERS" because these ignorant people Needed to know. Just like all these men (including Chris Rock)say men don't care about women's hair. You know they are lying (of course they do). I'm so glad the Oprah proved that all the beautiful hair was REALLY HER OWN.
(OH MY GOD..DID EVERYONE HEAR ABOUT "KANDI'S MAN, A.J. OF HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA....HE WAS KILLED YESTERDAY AT AN ATLANTA STRIP CLUB)...What a tragedy...
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