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Chris Rock

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Social media users are condemning Chris Rock’s 2009 documentary Good Hair in light of Will Smith slapping the comedian at the 94th Academy Awards over a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.

A lot of the conversation about the resurfaced film stemmed from Chris’s brother Tony Rock attempting to defend the comedian’s G.I. Jane 2 quip directed at Jada. 

On March 30, Tony tweeted, “Be sure to watch Good Hair since the narrative is now changed to all my bro does is disrespect women of color.”

In the documentary, Chris ventured into learning more about the complexities and importance of hair and hair extensions in the Black community and specifically in regard to Black women. He traveled across the country to gain different perspectives, interviewed celebrities and traveled to India to learn more about the sourcing and process of turning human hair into hair extensions.

In the replies of Tony’s tweet, many Twitter users shared their opinion that Good Hair was never a good representation of Chris being an ally to Black women. They argued that the film is riddled with misogynoir, hair discrimination and made a mockery of Black women and the reasons behind their hairstyling choices.

Twitter users highlighted that since Jada has been open in recent years about her experience with alopecia, and Chris spoke with a woman about her experience with the autoimmune disease in Good Hair, the comedian’s joke on March 27, was especially in poor taste.

The woman with alopecia that Chris interviewed, Sheila Bridges, gave her own two cents on Instagram and shared her disappointment in the comedian for making Jada and her autoimmune disorder the butt of the joke in a room full of the actress’ peers.

“While I do not condone violence (or what Will Smith did), I am not completely surprised that Chris Rock got rocked by Will Smith after making the medical condition of @jadapinkettsmith part of his comedic schtick- disrespecting her publicly,” Bridges penned. “Shame on you @chrisrock. Didn’t we sit down and talk at length about how painfully humiliating and difficult it is to navigate life as a bald woman in a society that is hair-obsessed? As if life isn’t challenging enough out here as an unprotected black woman? #alopecia #alopeciaareata #disrespect #baldwomen #blackwomen #respectwomen.”

Back on Twitter, another online user highlighted that Chris was sued in 2009, for allegedly stealing the idea for h the film from a Black woman, which coverage from The Hollywood Reporter confirms. 

Filmmaker Regina Kimbell argued in her $5 million lawsuit that she screened her film My Nappy Roots to Chris in 2007, and that the comedian’s 2009 film copied several elements of hers. 

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All the commentary about Good Hair continues the larger conversation around Chris’s joke, Will’s slap and how Black women are continuously disrespected regardless of their level of fame and status.

See more tweets about Good Hair below.

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