Chris Rock, who co-wrote, produced, and stars in the film, was inspired to make it when his young daughter asked why she doesn't have "good hair." He decided to explore others' ideas of what constitutes "good hair" by visiting beauty salons, analyzing the chemicals found in relaxers, and interviewing celebrities from Eve to Al Sharpton to Maya Angelou about their hair.

Almost every critic praises Good Hair, but for the most part, their reviews stick to a summary of the film and analysis of Rock as host/narrator. Several say they found themselves surprised by the information presented - possibly because, judging from photos found online, none of them reviewers actually have black hair. While this latter fact doesn't disqualify them from critiquing the quality of the film, the reviews do come from an outsider's perspective, like The New York Times' take, which notes, "One of the happy consequences of Good Hair should be a radical increase in white-woman empathy for their black sisters."

Some critics do say the film doesn't adequately explore the gender politics of how black men feel about black women's hair, which Dodai worried about after watching a preview clip of men discussing their wives' and girlfriends' hair in a barber shop. The most in-depth analysis comes from Roger Ebert, who claims in his Chicago Sun-Times review that the kind of relaxer shown eating through a Coke can isn't commonly used. (Ebert, who is married to an African-American woman, also complains about Chris Rock seeming to advocate for "natural hair", pointing out that every woman, regardless of color, uses some type of product or treatment on her tresses.)

Entertainment Weekly

Rock, who co-wrote Good Hairand serves as its guiding host, is hilariously aware of the cultural insecurities that have driven many African-Americans to spend a fortune on straightening their hair. Yet by structuring the film around the Bronner Bros. Hair Show, a battle-of-the-salon-stars so over-the-top it's like Iron Chefmeets Paris Is Burning, Rock gives Good Hair a rousing message: Where African-Americans in the '60s adopted a ''natural'' look, they now feel free to coif their heads any way they want. That's cultural power.

The A.V. Club

Is it possible to talk about the fascinating and complex universe of black hair without dealing with race and identity? That's the question posed by Good Hair, director Jeff Stilson and co-writer/producer/narrator/star Chris Rock's charming new comic exploration of African-American hair. The film is filled with sadly telling moments, like a black beauty student telling Rock that she'd have a hard time taking a job applicant seriously if he had an afro, yet its tone is one of amusement rather than indignation. Rock is an entertainer, not a polemicist, and Good Hair will never be mistaken for a college course in African American Hair And Racial Identity, though it does stress the pain women will endure and the exorbitant prices they'll pay to keep up with follicular trends. To the film's subjects, paying thousands for a complicated, high-maintenance weave is less a luxury than a necessity, even for those low on the socio-economic scale.

The New York Times

In fact, one of the happy consequences of Good Hair should be a radical increase in white-woman empathy for their black sisters. Whether in thrall to "creamy crack," a scary, aluminum-dissolving chemical otherwise known as relaxer (what it's really relaxing, observes Mr. Rock astutely, is white people), or the staggeringly expensive and time-consuming weave (often available on layaway plan), the women in the film bare heads and hearts with humor and without complaint...

Competently directed by Jeff Stilson, Good Hair employs humor as a medium for insightful and often uncomfortable observations on race and conformity. The film's only misstep is its fixation on the competitors in a flamboyant Atlanta hair show. Far more entertaining are the barbershop conversations in which ordinary men jovially gripe about their honeys' hairdos; they're a brotherhood joined in financial commitment and - thanks to hands-off-the-head decrees at home - emotional frustration.

Salon

One thing Rock, as a guy, might not understand is that not all curly-wavy-kinky hair, regardless of the race of the person it belongs to, is the same. And keeping any hair "natural" can take a bit of work: Rock interviews actress Tracie Thoms (who appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof), who has the most beautiful head of tiny, perfectly formed corkscrew curls I've ever seen. Thank goodness she doesn't straighten it — but I suspect she takes great care keeping it conditioned, too.Regardless, Rock isn't out to chide people for the choices they make. And he allows himself to be the butt of a joke, too. When Maya Angelou, who is in her early 80s, tells him she didn't have her hair relaxed until she was about 70, he murmurs something about how she went "her whole life" without doing so. She counters mischievously, "Not my whole life, I'm still alive!" Rock laughs, a lot, during Good Hair, which suggests he's having a great time. It also suggests that while he won't be dictatorial with his own daughters, he wants them to be happy with the hair they've got — at least to the point of recognizing that good hair lies in the eye of the beholder.

Variety

It's telling that, with the exception of the Rev. Al Sharpton, who proudly flaunts his perm, Rock's subjects acknowledge that hair vanity is an almost exclusively female attribute. But to the comedian's credit, he doesn't let the guys off the hook, either, and an uproarious series of interviews with black male patrons at a barbershop brings the docu's battle-of-the-sexes subtext to the fore. There's something of a barbershop quality to Good Hair, in the way Rock creates a lively public forum for people to riff with delightful frankness on subjects that seem more taboo than they should be... [Rock] also spends a lot of time at the Bronner Bros. Intl. Hair Show, an annual hair-care convention in Atlanta. These segments, which bookend the pic, are a bit overextended, but an outrageous contest, pitting four leading stylists of black hair against each other, must be seen to be believed.

The Los Angeles Times

Not surprisingly, it is a story with money at its center — the multibillion-dollar business of black hair from the processes used to straighten it, to the money spent to weave straight hair over it, to the cultural stigma attached to it.Though Rock has a distinct point of view — natural is better — instead of outrage, he relies on irony and his own bemusement to walk us through a world he clearly finds troubling. Indeed, what carries this film is Rock, as both star and part of the writing team he has surrounded himself with old friends from The Chris Rock Show: writer-director Jeff Stilson and writers Chuck Sklar and Lance Crouther. The result is a documentary that weaves as much comedy as fact into the narrative, making the experience a satisfying entertainment even for the lucky few who have no hair cares at all.

The Washington Post

If the audience misses anything in Good Hair, it might be more testimony from African American women who have let their hair grow naturally, for whatever reason — aesthetic, philosophical or practical. "To keep my hair the same texture as it grows out of my head is looked at as revolutionary," says the actress Tracie Thoms. "Why is that?" The answer proves elusive, but Good Hair at least raises the question, with equal doses of affection, provocation and wisdom.

The Village Voice

Rock is certainly a sympathetic and curious observer, though including Ice-T's remark that "a real pimp can tell what a woman looks like baldheaded" betrays some of the gender politics that remain vigorously unexamined in this breezy, superficial doc.

Time Out New York

Good Hair is a slipshod doc about a fascinating subject: the loaded history and current complications of African-American hairstyling. The film is especially powerful in how it offhandedly shows certain races fomenting and exploiting the desires of others-these range from the obvious (the Caucasian-manufactured longing among black women to look more white) to the illuminating (the majority of black hair products are processed and sold by Koreans). Yet our tour guide through this sociopolitical miasma, Chris Rock, merely sees it as an opportunity to crack wise.

The Chicago Sun-Times

Chris Rock the host and narrator, is a likable man, quick, truly curious, with the gift of encouraging people to speak openly about a subject they usually keep private. He conveys a lot of information, but also some unfortunate opinions and misleading facts. That doesn't mean the movie isn't warm, funny and entertaining... What about the hazards of straightening? Rock shows a hair-raising demonstration of an aluminum Coke can literally being eaten up in a bath of sodium hydroxide. It may help to recall that another name for sodium hydroxide is "lye." God forbid a woman should put that on her head! What Rock doesn't mention is that few women do. If he had peeked in Wikipedia, he would have learned: "Because of the high incidence and intensity of chemical burns, chemical relaxer manufacturers have now switched to other alkaline chemicals." Modern relaxers can also burn if left on too long, but they won't eat up your Coke cans... The use of the word "natural hair" is, in any event, misleading. Take a stroll down the hair products aisle of a drugstore or look at the stock price of Supercuts. Few people of any race wear completely natural hair. If they did, we would be a nation of Unibombers.

Earlier: Oprah & Chris Rock Talk Good Hair
Sneak Peek: A Good Look At Good Hair

The Daily Mail seems to think that the Wackibun, which is what I'm deeming this particular 'do, is the next big thing in hairstyles, as Posh Spice does tend to set off tress crazes every time she switches up her style. But is the Wackibun a do or a don't? Let's ask a few style mavens what they think.

Cathy: "I have to start wearing my hair in a bun!? Like I need another bun to worry about! I have two that are driving me crazy already, if you know what I mean!!! That was a joke about my insecurities!!!! Did my mother put you up to this? ACK! ACK! ACK!" [Ed. note- Cathy then left the room, came back with a cinnamon bun, and deadpanned: "Call me when we get back to the cinnamon bun fad." Oh, Cathy!]


Stacey McGill:"Her problem is that she's not New York Cool. She wants to be, but she's just not, I'm afraid. My friend Laine, well, my ex-friend Laine, she was wearing that bun years ago. Maybe if she accessorized with a hot pink headband and a pair of flamingo earrings, she'd be in better shape. Otherwise, this isn't a do. It's more like "doo-doo." Oh my gosh! Sorry! That was mean. I'll try to be kinder to the fashionably challenged in the future. Has she ever considered a perm? That would be great!"


Marge Simpson: "She never smiles, does she? Maybe she needs a little pizazz in her life! A blue perm has always done the trick for me. Well, that, and feeding my gambling and road rage addictions. Do you think she wants to borrow the Canyonero for a spin? I mean, come on! Live a little, lady!"


Minerva McGonagall: "Do I honestly look as if I have time to talk about such trivial things? A woman's hair should be the least of her concerns. I wear a bun for practical, not fashionable reasons. Perhaps you should read Hairus WhoCarus: A Comprehensive History Of Inane Questions before returning to my classroom."


Regina George: "That is the ugliest effing hairstyle I have ever seen."


Peggy Hill: "Well, as a fashionista—do you know that word, 'fashionista?' I believe it is Espanol. I'm a substitute Spanish teacher, you know. So I know these things. Anyway, as a fashionable modern woman, I've been wearing a bun for many years. As we say in Texas, "The higher the hair, the better a person you are overall." I call it the "Pegabun," though. You should update your definition accordingly. Hoo yeah!"


Maxine, Famous Greeting Card Curmudgeon: "You want to talk about buns? You can kiss my bun, lady!"


Little Red Riding Hood:"Oh, dude, don't ask me. I had a terrible haircut last week. Why do you think I wear this hood everywhere? It's not for fun!"


Princess Leia: "Needs more braids, I think. She should probably also move her buns to the side of her face, as that's the royal thing to do. It helps if they look like cinnamon buns. Cathy was right after all."


Cathy: "I'm right? I'm right!!! ACK ATTACK comin' atcha, Beckham!"


Victoria Beckham Unveils Posh New Hairstyle [DailyMail]

First things first, I should state that I am probably a bit biased: I have the shortest hair of all the Jezebel staffers, but I have also had very long hair. Hairstyles do not work universally: "sexy" long hair on one woman can look like a wet mop of Muppet hair on another; a cute pixie cut on one gal can look like a cry for help on another.

One good part of having short hair? It weeds out the slimy creeps, which brings me to the male "experts" that the Daily News found to weigh in on how un-sexy short hair is:

“If you cut your hair you might be making a statement that says, ‘I don’t want to be seen as a sex object,’ ” says sex therapist Dr. Aline Zoldbrod, who agrees that men are usually more sexually attracted to women with longer hair.

“Men love long hair; the touch and the smell stimulates our senses,” says Matt Titus, Manhattan dating guru and author of “Why Hasn’t He Called?”

“The three physical things that attract a man are a great body, beautiful long hair or great lips. So cutting off one third of your beacons of attraction doesn’t increase your chances of having Mr. Right approach you. It’s like sending a nonverbal message that you’re not interested in sex,” he declares.

Why does everything on a woman's body have to be some sort of signal to the male sex? Articles like this rub me the wrong way because they give men ownership over women's bodies. Suddenly, a hairstyle becomes a "statement" to men and women are basically being told that they should consider how men look at them when they are making choices about what to wear and how to style their hair.

And the thing is, men are not so simple when to comes to attraction to women. It's understandable why Mr. Titus wants to fit men into generalities: it helps him sell books if he can make women believe that all men are the same and he, and only he, has they key to unlock them.

It's interesting that the only man who approved of short hair on women in the Daily News article is a gay (just guessing!) hairdresser who, just a few months ago, said he "didn't love" short haircuts. Curious! I suspect that the inclusion of the hairdresser's opinion is meant to communicate that the only men who want women to cut their hair short is their gay hairdressers — because no straight man would ever think to look at a lady with a cropped 'do.

Edgy Pixies Haircuts Are Back, But Do They Kill Your Attraction? [NY Daily News]
Hairstylist Ricardo Rojas Doesn't Do His Own Hair [NY Mag]

Previously: Does Cutting Your Hair Mean You Don't Want Sex?

"It never looks good," Hamm admits. "It's a pain." Well it certainly pains us to see it so lank and limp. Do you overcondition, Jon? Under shampoo? Is it dyed? So many questions.

The bangs! The bangs are not right. Sure, they're sort of reminiscent of someone from a different era. But not the right person. Or era.

Egads. Hamm says he's always worn his hair long, but had to cut it for Mad Men, in which — for the uninitiated — he plays a 1960s ad exec. Apparently the stylists on the show use hairspray and blow dryers for the "hard shell" on Don Draper's head, which Hamm says has come in handy: "I've had a piece of the set fall on my head and my hair didn't move. I had seven stitches in my head and my hair didn't move. That's impressive." Not impressive? These Davy Jones-ian wisps. The GF looks amazing, though!

Weed whacker. That is the only plausible explanation. He cut his hair with a weed whacker.

That sound you just heard was a million ladyboners withering. Libido levels fall down go boom.

Behold: Jon Hamm gives up. Without the talented hairstylists from Mad Men, he has no clue what to do with the testy tresses that top his head.


Unfortunately, Don Draper's hair — and the AMC series — is still in peril: The network still doesn't have a deal with Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner to make more episodes. "We can't do the show without Matthew," Hamm tells Fox 411's Roger Friedman. "Of course, you 'can' do it, but you know you can't."

'Mad Men' Star's Hair Is 'Bane Of My Existence' [CNN]
'Mad Men' On Thin Ice? [Fox 411]
Earlier: Don Draper Steps Out Of Time Machine
Related: The 8 Worst Hairdos A Man Can Have

[Lead image AMC/Splashpic; gallery images via Getty.]

Writes the anonymous person:

Is it true that a woman with a short hairstyle is subconsciously indicating that she does not want sex? My wife had a drastic haircut four days before our wedding and our sex life was a damp squib from the start. The erotic side of our marriage has died completely. My wife considers me childish and says that as all other elements of our relationship are fine, I should not want more than this.

First, a few questions: While the sexual and anthropological importance of hair is well-documented as an indicator of health, beauty and desirability; and while long, lustrous hair is equated with youth, femininity and wanton sexuality; and while short hair is sometimes perceived as either asexually androgynous or I-give-up mom style... really? Is he serious? Second: did they not have sex before their wedding? When did this "damp squib" start? Because if it was pre-wedding, then it seems highly circumstantial to blame the haircut (and maybe they should have addressed these issues beforehand); and if not, there's not much basis for comparison. Is he just looking to the haircut as a means of figuring out whether he can actually blame his wife for this? How long have they been married? Do they have kids? Has her hair grown out or has she continued to cut it? I think it also needs to be asked: was she happy with the haircut, or did it go horribly wrong and make her feel unattractive? Inquiring minds want to know.

The actual advice columnist doesn't seem to be bothered by this lack of information. She says,

Cutting one's hair does not necessarily point to an avoidance of sex, although deliberately reducing one's attractiveness in a spouse's eyes may well signal some desire to push them away. You sound angry and full of longing for a fulfilling sexual relationship - and that is understandable.

Wait, "not necessarily?" I get that advice columnists — especially of the respectable, clinical psychologist variety, probably try not to judge and there are so stupid questions, but this question was idiotic, conveying as it did a certain reductive lack of self-insight and, if you want to go all out, anachronistic homophobic undertones. Besides which, doesn't it seem unlikely that anyone would strive to make herself deliberately unattractive in anyone's eyes at her own wedding? Anyway, does she know he hates her haircut, or is this some weird passive-aggressive thing, where this guy prefers to write anonymously to a stranger and pretend his marriage's deep problems can be summed up by a few inches of keratins? Connolly suggests sitting down and talking — without judging — and find out what's really behind the sexual issues. Sure. But if he thinks the clues to his marital problems lie in a trip to the salon, maybe a set of extensions would be more to the point.

Sexual Healing [The Guardian]

[Image via Moviecritic.com]

Got a particularly fuzzy 'fro from 1974 you want to share? Send it in. A crooked set of cornrows courtesy of your frazzled, multitasking mom? We want those too. Oh, and ladies: Jheri curls? Please???? I'll show you mine if you show me yours. (Women of all ethnicities are encouraged to send in pictures of any and all Bo Derek-inspired cornrows they got during that cruise to the Caribbean in the fourth grade.) Send your submissions by February 15 to photos@jezebel.com with the phrase "Past Fashion: Black Hairstyles" in the headline, and be sure to include the date and location that the photo was taken (photos can be from any era). Note: We will only use original photos, i.e. no stuff stolen off the internet. And for those who can't play the game this time around, don't worry; we'll have a new set of snaps we'll be looking for in March. And April. And May. (Prom dresses!). You get the picture. (Well, actually, we do, but yeah.)

Earlier: Where Are All The Black Models? Let's Start By Asking Anna Wintour
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