Chris Rock Fans Confused by Oscars Joke Given His 2009 ‘Good Hair’ Documentary

One of the ironies of the kerfuffle between Chris Rock and Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars is that Chris Rock produced an entire film about the cultural importance of Black hair rituals and then told a joke was aimed at a Black woman’s hairstyle.

Rock’s joke seemed off-the-cuff, as he looked at the Smiths and said, “Jada, can’t wait for G.I. Jane 2,” referencing the 1997 film G.I. Jane, in which Demi Moore shaved her head to join the U.S. Navy. But whether it was scripted or not, many people found it insensitive. Social media users and news outlets were quick to point out that Pinkett Smith has openly spoken about her struggle with alopecia, which causes hair thinning, scarring, and baldness, and affects a disproportionate number of Black women. Whether or not Rock knew about Pinkett Smith’s diagnosis, many viewers are outraged that the same man who produced and narrated the documentary Good Hair, which he says he made for his daughters in order to celebrate the importance of hair to Black women’s identities, would make a joke dunking on Pinkett-Smith’s baldness. Fans ranged from confused to just plain angry.

The film actually addresses alopecia specifically, and features Rock interviewing a woman with alopecia named Sheila Bridges, who tells him, “The reason hair is so important is because our self-esteem is wrapped up in it.”

There’s no question that Will Smith’s reaction to Rock’s joke was inappropriate, but to many of Rock’s fans, especially those who appreciated the message of Good Hair, the joke itself felt like an odd choice coming from a man who has used his platform to talk about just how sensitive the topic of hair can be.