Did you know some black men are not al lowed to touch their women’s hair for fear of disturbing hair extensions that cost upward — sometimes way upward — of $1,000? That many black women (and some men) straighten their hair with a chemical so strong that it can literally dissolve a Coke can?
I didn’t, so I found “Good Hair” fascinating. I’ve never been much of a Chris Rock fan, but I was riveted by the on-screen interviews he conducts with celebrities like Nia Long and Al Sharpton, as well as regular folk, to explore African-American women’s very complicated relationship with their hair.
Fun fact: 80 percent of hair-care products are bought by the black community even though it comprises 12 percent of he population.
Rock and his producer, Jeff Stilson, find the embodiment of this economic goldmine at a massive hair show in Atlanta, where four contestants are followed in a preposterously lavish competition.
About the only question not answered by “Good Hair” is whether Michelle Obama wears a hair extension (most come from religious ceremonies in India) or straightens her hair.
Running time: 95 minutes. Rated PG-13 (mild profanity). At the E-Walk, the Union Square, the Harlem USA, others.