Chris Rock in Good Hair
Getting in touch with his serious side while staying supremely funny, a decidedly more diversified but no less comically inclined Chris Rock delves into the politics of obsessive grooming with his latest movie, the documentary, Good Hair. Though uncharacteristically reticent about coming clean concerning his own personal vanity issues, Rock does get to nudge a host of stars to fess up about their tresses in his film, while holding forth in this interview on Afro puffs, his knack for secretly snooping in public johns for critical assessment of his talents, and other hairy situations encountered in life as he continues to perfect his Funny.
LIP: What lured you into making an investigative documentary?
CHRIS ROCK: Well, I’ve always been a big fan of Michael Moore, ever since I saw Roger & Me twenty years ago. And I thought, this is funny and smart. At the time, Michael Moore was new. And there was no Borat. And I was barely known.
But now I have two daughters, and I see their hair issues. So the idea came back. It’s a funny thing about hair. Li’l Kim and Michelle Obama have nothing in common. But if you just say the word hair, they’ll talk for two hours!
LIP: What was the biggest challenge for you with Good Hair?
CR: The most challenging part with doing this movie, was actually getting someone to give me some money to make it!
LIP: So has your film given your girls a more positive understanding about their hair?
CR: My girls are just kids. So they’re probably not going to see this, or want to see it for like seven years, or whatever. But they have their Afro puffs. They love their Afro puffs! And whenever they get it done I’m like okay, is this a two puff day or a three puff day.
But I’ve hid in stalls so I can hear what people say after they see Good Hair. I’ve been to men’s, and women’s bathrooms too. And people really seem to like it the movie.
LIP: What did you learn from standup that you can use in movies?
CR: The two don’t really mix that much. When you’re doing a comedy, people don’t want you to act that much, you know what I mean? People don’t want their comedy stars to get too boggled in a story. So you’re pretty much doing your act in a movie.
LIP: When you want to make a scene funny and the director doesn’t see it your way, how do you deal with that?
CR: Well, I’m the boss. I’m in charge of funny! But this is my thing. It’s going to be about the way I’m funny, not the way you want me to be funny.
LIP: You never talk about your own hair in the movie, what gives?
CR: You know, before the Obamas, the Jacksons were the first black family in America. And whatever they had in their hair, that’s what I had in my hair growing up.
Poor Michael. I wonder if they have hair care products in heaven. Um, or in hell. Or whatever. You know, I think they’re making him do shows in heaven, and then they send him back to hell!
LIP: Any memories of Michael Jackson?
CR: I met Michael once. He just glared at me! And I’ve met Janet. And she just glared at me. But back when I was a kid, if anyone had told me that one day the Jacksons will want to kick my ass, I would’ve said, you’re crazy!
LIP: Any thoughts about what Kanye West pulled at the MTV Awards?
CR: I’m not saying anything about that. I’m not saying anything about Kanye, and end up on some rap album somewhere!
LIP: Why do you always put yourself down?
CR: I’m just a comedian, we always dis ourselves! I can’t really walk through life thinking I deserve all this! That would make me an idiot, wouldn’t it?
I mean yeah, I work hard, but do I deserve to get all this money I make, and live the way I live? Really? My brothers work just as hard as me, I bet you work just as hard as me. I don’t deserve all of this. So….I beat myself.
LIP: Okay, so what is your definition of good hair?
CR: Whatever makes you happy. I’ve made a film about it, because I’m affected by it and I’m interested in it. But there’s no conclusion. It’s hair, deal with it.
Getting in touch with his serious side while staying supremely funny, a decidedly more diversified but no less comically inclined Chris Rock delves into the politics of obsessive grooming with his latest movie, the documentary, Good Hair. Though uncharacteristically reticent about coming clean concerning his own personal vanity issues, Rock does get to nudge a host of stars to fess up about their tresses in his film, while holding forth in this interview on Afro puffs, his knack for secretly snooping in public johns for critical assessment of his talents, and other hairy situations encountered in life as he continues to perfect his Funny.
What lured you into making an investigative documentary?
CHRIS ROCK: Well, I’ve always been a big fan of Michael Moore, ever since I saw Roger & Me twenty years ago. And I thought, this is funny and smart. At the time, Michael Moore was new. And there was no Borat. And I was barely known.
But now I have two daughters, and I see their hair issues. So the idea came back. It’s a funny thing about hair. Li’l Kim and Michelle Obama have nothing in common. But if you just say the word hair, they’ll talk for two hours!
What was the biggest challenge for you with Good Hair?
CR: The most challenging part with doing this movie, was actually getting someone to give me some money to make it!
So has your film given your girls a more positive understanding about their hair?
CR: My girls are just kids. So they’re probably not going to see this, or want to see it for like seven years, or whatever. But they have their Afro puffs. They love their Afro puffs! And whenever they get it done I’m like okay, is this a two puff day or a three puff day.
But I’ve hid in stalls so I can hear what people say after they see Good Hair. I’ve been to men’s, and women’s bathrooms too. And people really seem to like it the movie.
What did you learn from standup that you can use in movies?
CR: The two don’t really mix that much. When you’re doing a comedy, people don’t want you to act that much, you know what I mean? People don’t want their comedy stars to get too boggled in a story. So you’re pretty much doing your act in a movie.
When you want to make a scene funny and the director doesn’t see it your way, how do you deal with that?
CR: Well, I’m the boss. I’m in charge of funny! But this is my thing. It’s going to be about the way I’m funny, not the way you want me to be funny.
You never talk about your own hair in the movie, what gives?
CR: You know, before the Obamas, the Jacksons were the first black family in America. And whatever they had in their hair, that’s what I had in my hair growing up.
Poor Michael. I wonder if they have hair care products in heaven. Um, or in hell. Or whatever. You know, I think they’re making him do shows in heaven, and then they send him back to hell!
Any memories of Michael Jackson?
CR: I met Michael once. He just glared at me! And I’ve met Janet. And she just glared at me. But back when I was a kid, if anyone had told me that one day the Jacksons will want to kick my ass, I would’ve said, you’re crazy!
Any thoughts about what Kanye West pulled at the MTV Awards?
CR: I’m not saying anything about that. I’m not saying anything about Kanye, and end up on some rap album somewhere!
Why do you always put yourself down?
CR: I’m just a comedian, we always dis ourselves! I can’t really walk through life thinking I deserve all this! That would make me an idiot, wouldn’t it?
I mean yeah, I work hard, but do I deserve to get all this money I make, and live the way I live? Really? My brothers work just as hard as me, I bet you work just as hard as me. I don’t deserve all of this. So….I beat myself.
Okay, so what is your definition of good hair?
CR: Whatever makes you happy. I’ve made a film about it, because I’m affected by it and I’m interested in it. But there’s no conclusion. It’s hair, deal with it.
