Chris Rock on The Huffington Post

The 35 Funniest People Of The '00s (PHOTOS)

2009-12-10T07:59:02Z

Whatever we call the past 9 years -- the Naughts, the Aughts, the 2000s -- we can all agree it's been tumultuous at best. The only way we've stayed sane is by watching these people mock it all. Of course, there are some surprises on the list: Folks who made us laugh without trying, but they're no less laughable than those who make a career of comedy.

Seinfeld, Rock Pay Tribute To Bill Cosby At Star-Studded Comedy Event

2009-10-27T03:39:59Z

WASHINGTON — Someone had to hold Bill Cosby back to keep him from crawling over a balcony and joining fellow comedians on stage as the stars lined up to pay tribute to his life's work.

When the lights went out for the start of the 12th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Cosby filled the dark silence Monday night. "Hellooo?" he called out at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. And again, he had his audience laughing.

Tina Wells: Good Hair? Good Question

2009-10-19T21:08:54Z

Although I haven't seen Chris Rock's new documentary Good Hair I couldn't help but engage in conversations about it -- everywhere from the hair salon to the office. I doubt any black woman can say she's gone through life not hearing this idea at least once. As a child of the '80s , it definitely played a significant role in my life.

In his film, Rock explores our obsession with relaxers, or "creamy crack," and weaves. Since I believe in full disclosure, I'll admit to relaxing my hair since I was a teenager (although I now use an all-natural straightening system, which I love), and I don't wear a weave. I tried it once in my life, and couldn't believe how, well, heavy it was! My tiny head couldn't take it.

But I do visit my stylist once each week, and I've had the same stylist since I was 12 years old. I've actually learned many life lessons at the beauty salon. Whether it was watching other women transform themselves in the stylist chair, debating politics, or debating that question of good hair, at some point you realize the role the beauty salon and the stylist plays in the life of a black woman. Our hair is how we identify ourselves.

Now as many of you know, I have no children, but I have two younger cousins who mean the world to me. I'm something of a second mother to them. I even dedicated my first book to them. They're 11 and six, and I've long wondered how they'd tackle the good hair debate. Azairea, the 11-year-old, has a very milky, light complexion with naturally straight hair. At most, she could relax her hair once each year. Zoey, the six-year-old, has very soft tightly, tightly curled hair with a beautiful brown complexion. Absolutely beautiful hair -- but the kind that could only be tamed with a cream or hair dress.

One day the girls had the discussion with their mother about good hair. But more interesting was Zoey's doctor's observation about the ponytails she was wearing. It was causing light breakage, so her mom made the decision to let Zoey rock a full-on afro. Now to know Zoey is to know this child lacks nothing in personality. On our frequent shopping excursions, she's been known to actually style my outfits, going as far as to show me where alterations need to happen! She has natural style.

So Zoey rocked her 'fro all summer, and turned heads everywhere she went. The compliments from strangers boosted her self-confidence with every step. But I knew the true test was yet to come: The First Day of School. I could barely wait until 4pm to call her mother to see how it went. Because we all know that nothing destroys a child's self-esteem like insults from another child. What did the other kids in Zoey's class think of her hair? They thought it was fabulous, just like Zoey.

I was so relieved. Not just for Zoey, but for what her generation truly represents: individuality. I don't want my cousins or any other girls making the decision to change who they are to fit into a group. What we do to our hair should be for ourselves only, not to fit a stereotype of what's acceptable for us as black women, or women in general. I know what it's like to go to school and feel less valued because I have dark skin and kinky hair. And it takes years to realize that you're as pretty as your father tells you you are.

It's taken some of us a very long time to not be defined by our hair. Prior to my natural treatment, I was strongly considering never relaxing my hair again. I have very thick hair (which, surprisingly to me, is what my stylist defines as "good hair"), and relaxers and hair color were destroying it. Since I've worn my hair very short at times, I thought about simply cutting it off and just starting over (my stylist thought I was INSANE), so this new treatment came at just the right time.

Rock's documentary seemed to focus on the things we as black women were doing to damage our hair, but there are just as many of us seeking products to make our hair stronger while still giving us the looks we want. Science and technology have really changed the black hair market, making elements of this documentary seem outdated. Just like another columnist pointed out, not every black woman is relaxing her hair, and not every black woman is wearing a weave. While those treatments might make for the best documentary footage, there are more interesting things happening in the world of black haircare.

What I wish most for black women and our girls is that we realize that we all have good hair. If it's ours (and well, on our heads), then it's good. The moment we all make peace with ourselves and the hair God gave us the moment we truly realize how good we look.

Judge Refuses To Block Chris Rock Documentary 'Good Hair'

2009-10-19T18:11:16Z

LOS ANGELES — A federal judge has refused to halt the release of the Chris Rock film "Good Hair."

Rock and the film's producers were sued in Los Angeles by documentary filmmaker Regina Kimbell, who claimed the comedian stole several ideas for his film from her work.

Chad Fitzgerald: Chris Rock's Good Hair Gets Tangled in Suit -- One Lawyer's Thoughts

2009-10-16T11:05:56Z

A woman named Regina Kimbell sued comedian and actor Chris Rock, HBO Films, and others in federal court in Los Angeles last week, claiming that Rock's new documentary Good Hair copies her 2006 documentary My Nappy Roots. Kimbell seeks $5 million in damages and an injunction preventing the defendants from distributing and showing Good Hair without Kimbell's consent and from "designating anything other than My Nappy Roots as the inspiration for Good Hair."

Kimbell alleges that she completed My Nappy Roots in early 2006 and screened the film at colleges and film festivals throughout the U.S. She claims she was inspired to create the film by her daughter's issues regarding her hair and African-American hair culture. Curiously, this is the same inspiration Rock has articulated for his film.

Kimbell says that Rock's assistant invited her to screen My Nappy Roots for Rock at Paramount Studios in June 2007. Kimbell agreed, but, according to the complaint, "asked [Rock's assistant] if he would sign a non-disclosure agreement before the screening." She claims that the assistant "told her that he would." After the screening, which Rock attended with his assistant and two writers (who were ultimately credited on Rock's film), Rock complimented Kimbell and told her, according to the complaint, "that he has a 'little film' he's doing for HBO about Black hair and he didn't know what to do." Kimbell was "stunned and felt violated." She then alleges that Rock's assistant refused to sign the non-disclosure agreement.

Kimbell claims that Good Hair copies My Nappy Roots because the two films allegedly share many "striking similarities." The complaint makes claims for copyright infringement and breach of implied contract, among others. These claims, although legally distinct, will turn on the same facts -- whether Rock "used" Kimbell's film in making Good Hair.

Even without direct evidence of copying, Kimbell may be able to show "use" by showing (1) Rock's access to her work and (2) "substantial similarity" between material elements of the two works. There is no disputing access here: Kimbell screened her documentary for Rock, at his request. The question is whether Good Hair is so "substantially similar" to My Nappy Roots that Kimbell can legally prove that Rock "used" her ideas without paying her.

She will have a steep uphill battle. California courts are notoriously defendant-friendly in this realm, and recent decisions have only solidified California's staunch support of the established Hollywood entertainment industry over individuals who claim to have had their ideas "stolen." And little wonder -- even in today's economy, the entertainment industry still accounts for a substantial amount of California's revenue, and the state wants to protect that revenue stream.

But beyond the economic and policy factors favoring the defendant in these cases, the plaintiff's legal obstacles are also steep. Without having seen either film, I feel comfortable saying her copyright claim is almost certainly doomed. The most fundamental tenet of copyright law is that ideas are free and cannot be copyrighted. Rather, copyright protects how ideas are expressed, not the ideas themselves. For example, just because Steven Spielberg makes a movie about World War II, or Michael Moore makes a documentary on the evils of capitalism (or Kimbell makes a documentary about Black hair), does not mean that they have cornered the market on films about World War II or capitalism (or Black hair) and no one else may ever make another movie about those subjects. It just means that I can't make a film that too closely copies the expression contained in those films -- the precise ways in which their plots, themes, dialogue, moods, settings, pace, sequence, characters, etc. are communicated. Think of the artistic elements that make Saving Private Ryan what it alone is, rather than just another movie about World War II. That is what copyright law protects.

This may seem like common sense, but its application by the courts is an inexact art, not a science. How much "borrowing" is too much? When does it cross the lines from research to homage to outright copying? Copyright infringement is very hard to prove, and the "striking similarities" between My Nappy Roots and Good Hair set forth in Kimbell's complaint are probably not striking enough to show copyright infringement. Even according to the allegations in Kimbell's complaint, it looks like Rock made his own movie, even though he saw Kimbell's.

Kimbell's breach of implied contract claim -- that she and Rock impliedly agreed that Rock would not use her movie without paying her -- is more tricky than her copyright claim, but still likely to be a loser. Like her copyright claim, this claim turns on whether Rock "used" My Nappy Roots in making Good Hair, and that question turns on whether there is "substantial similarity" between the two films. Having the same topic is not enough; the two films must share "material elements." Courts have defined "material elements" to include a work's "dramatic core," plot points, theme, characters, and character motivation. Clearly, this rubric is better applied to works of fiction, and its application to documentaries in this case makes things more interesting. What would a court mean by the "dramatic core" of a documentary? There are just not that many ways you can make a documentary about hair, and preventing one person from monopolizing an entire genre is precisely why we have copyright law.

The court will hear oral argument on Kimbell's request for a preliminary injunction on Monday 19. I wouldn't bet on the court issuing an injunction. Kimbell has to show both that she is likely to succeed in her case (unlikely) and that her harm from Good Hair being distributed outweighs the harm Rock and the other defendants would suffer if an injunction is granted (highly unlikely). Good Hair is currently in theaters and will be released nationwide later this month. The court will be extremely reluctant to force Good Hair's distributor, defendant Roadside Attractions, to recall every print of the movie around the country. An injunction will almost certainly not be granted, and the case will proceed through litigation. The only sure thing is, if this case goes up on appeal, it could also make for an interesting new development in this unsettled but often litigated area of law.

Esther Iverem: Relax and Get Good Hair

2009-10-12T10:41:47Z

In his new film, Good Hair, Chris Rock approaches the subject of black women's hair--all at once--like a man, like a novice, like a voyeur, and like a comedian in his investigation of hair weaves and hair straightening relaxers. And the results are mixed. In his exploration, he all but ignores the existence of so many black women who don't choose to alter or cover the hair texture that grows naturally from their scalp.

When I asked Rock about these omissions/deletions during a recent interview in Washington, D.C., Rock joked with a good-natured assurance that those of us who are au naturale belong to a small set of the black population that goes to concerts featuring Common or Erykah Badu, as opposed to the masses following the likes of Lil Wayne. He reasoned further that a film, for example, about people with locs doing their hair "with shampoo and beeswax" couldn't compete with the footage, much of it a spectacle, that he and director Jeff Stilson have gathered for Good Hair.

I guess it depends on what world you are living in (but Rock is from Brooklyn!) and what you are trying to say. No doubt, another treatise on natural hair, such as the 1997 Middle Passage-N-Roots by Ada Marie Babino or the 1984 Hair Piece: A Film for Nappyheaded People, by Ayoka Chenzira, could not compare to the surreal scene in Good Hair of the annual Bronner Bros. International Hair and Beauty Show in Atlanta.

At the show, hair stylists compete -- in fishtanks, with near-naked models and
while hanging upside down -- to win first prize. But the show, with its dizzying statistics on the amount of money that black people spend on hair care, the fact that most vendors and manufacturers are Asian, and the emphasis on relaxers and weaves--also amounts to a testament to the opposite of black power. That testament about our lack of empowerment is delivered full blast while there is little acknowledgment of the African American resistance to a European beauty standard, or our embracing of our own curls, waves, naps, braids and locs.

So, even though Rock includes very briefly two women who have turned their back on chemicals (the "creamy crack" one woman calls it), and exposes the ridiculous expense of most weaves, as well as the toxicity of the sodium hydroxide found in most relaxers (including so-called "kiddie perms"), Rock glosses over the important history of our difficult and wonderful journey to reject straightened hair and embrace our natural selves.

In Good Hair, we are only left with ridicule and a joke. I screened this movie with a predominantly white group of critics and every time they laughed, I knew they were laughing at black people and not with black people. Again, I guess it depends on what world you are living in and what you are trying to say. It's obvious that Rock is choosing to make his case with a mixture of (literal) acid and humor.

Those who think they know everything on this subject will still find Rock's journey to India illuminating. Apparently, much of or most of the human hair used for weaves--and not just for black people -- comes from India, from a Hindu ceremony, wherein pilgrims are shaved bald in an act of humility and sacrifice. The temples, where these offerings are made, earn billions from the sale of hair, which is used for charity. The hair is sold to India's hair industry, where it is washed, sanitized and sewn into strips that are eventually placed onto the heads of women getting a "weave." These weaves are the norm in Hollywood. Actress Nia Long sat next to Rock during his D.C. interview and said point blank that if she wore her hair naturally that she wouldn't be considered for the role of a leading lady or "love interest" in movies. The charismatic Raven Symone is one of several actresses that come before the camera in Good Hair to detail their experiences with wearing hair from India, or wherever.

There are some obvious missing links (bald spots?) in Good Hair. Rock says that he began this hair journey when one of his daughters asked him why she didn't have "good hair." (She had been asked this by a child at her school.) But even though this question originated at home, Rock's wife, who would be the obvious person to oversee the hair maintenance of her daughters, is not included in the movie at all. By all appearances, it certainly looks as if Malaak Compton-Rock sports some combination of relaxed and/or weaved hair but we don't get to hear any comment from her on the subject. Her absence is conspicuous in Good Hair, even more so than the absence of natural hairdos.

Zorianna Kit: Chris Rock's Good Hair Documentary: Something to Talk About

2009-10-11T21:45:05Z

Hair. No matter what ours is, we wish is was straighter, darker, lighter, thicker, thinner, more curly. Whatever it isn't, is what we want it to be. It's a life-long battle, struggle, love-and-hate relationship.

And yet, it's only hair.

And yet, it's everything.

That is why comedian Chris Rocks' documentary Good Hair -- about black women's issues with their hair -- is sure to spark discussion and debate, no matter what color or race the viewer may be.

Rock takes us on a fascinating journey through hair weaves, relaxers and the amount of money black women spend on hair. Eye-opening facts emerge, including that there are practically no African-American owned hair product companies: they're mostly Asian. We're also treated to a scientific experiment showing that hair relaxers have enough chemicals to completely dissolve a Coke can.

When Rock learns that much of the hair used for creating extensions for black women comes from India, he travels there and discovers it is actually one of India's largest exports. He visits a Hindu temple where more than 10 million people -- most of them poor -- sacrifice their hair to God in a religious ceremony. Ironically, once cut, religion goes out the window and a multi-million dollar industry rears it's head: the sacrificed hair is processed and sold to hair dealers around the world who, in turn, sell it to local dealers who, in turn, sell it to salons and hair vendors.

The documentary is interspersed with interviews with such celebrities as Nia Long, Ice-T, Raven Simone, Dr. Maya Angelou, Salt 'n Pepa, Eve, Tracy Thomas, and Reverend Al Sharpton. All of them offer up personal stories and observations about black women and hair. ("Relaxed" hair makes white people feel relaxed, they joke.)

Rock also visits high schools, salons, barbershops and hair dealers in places like New York, Atlanta, Birmingham and Dallas to interview local black teens, women, children and men about black women's hair.

Bottom line -- hair is big business and women are willing to spend hundreds and thousands on it to look good, even if in this flailing economy.

The film's weakest part is a through-line featuring a hair battle at the Bronner Bros. Hair Show. Watching stylists cut and shape hair on a stage with loud music and flashy costumes may be a spectacle, but ultimately uninteresting and not insightful compared to the rest of the movie.

Additionally, Rock's strength is not that of an interviewer and his voice-overs can get a little annoying. He's best taking the viewer into that world and then standing back to let us observe. Still, his name is clearly the drawing power to get viewers to board this fascinating ride because without him, the journey may not have even started.

And with this journey, the conversations about hair begin. At a recent press day, many journalists -- black, white, men and women had plenty to discuss with Rock.

Several journalists in the group wanted to know why Rock didn't explore the flip side of relaxers and showcase more black women who choose the keep their hair natural.

"That would be like doing a story on 'Hey, there's no toxins in the water,'" said Rock. "Or 'Let's do a story on people who didn't get murdered yesterday.'"

When one black, male journalist wanted to know why Rock didn't travel to Africa and show the origins of black women and their "natural" hair," Rock shot back: "That's Soledad O'Brien's job."

Good Hair is not hard-hitting like a 20/20 or 60 Minutes-type of piece. With Rock's name on it, you're bound to have comedy. Yet the film is at its best when it touches on those more serious issues which are then hilariously deflected by Rock.

"I want (viewers) to remember that they laughed," said Rock. "I'm a comedian. I make comedies. If they learn something (from this film), that's great, but I'm here to make people laugh."

Still, after Rock left the interview room, the young black man remained frustrated at the film's message he felt Rock was putting out -- "that black women don't have good hair." He and a black female reporter with natural hair in braids discussed how Rock should have done a fictional comedy film about this issue instead, or a stand-up comedy concert film dealing with hair -- just not a documentary.

Rock's co-star came to his defense.

"This movie is not about the 'natural' part about hair," said Raven Symone (College Road Trip, Cheetah Girls). "It's the fact that we put in fake hair to make it look natural."

Symone also felt that Rock didn't "have to put everything on the table" and whatever viewers feel was not addressed "should be talked about at home."

And talking about this issue is no doubt what Rock intended.

Reyne Haines: Comedian Lenny Bruce Memorabilia at Auction

2009-10-09T14:02:20Z

On October 13th, the 84th birthday of legendary icon Lenny Bruce, there will be an auction of rare memorabilia consisting of more than 25 items from his Estate, overseen by his daughter, Kitty Bruce.

The auction is being held to raise funds for Lenny's House, a non-profit recovery house for women healing from drug and alcohol addictions.

Among the items going up for auction are Bruce family photos, personal letters, a typewriter from his early years, his bedroom set and one of his trademark trench coats which he was so famous for being arrested in. This is the first time the Estate has ever auctioned off any of its items.

Bidding for the Internet based auction will start on Tuesday, October 13th and conclude on Wednesday, October 28th. Complete auctions details and registration are available at www.lennybruceofficial.com.

Besides items from the Lenny Bruce Estate, numerous celebrity friends and supporters have also contributed items for auction. They include: Yoko Ono, Hugh Hefner, Jonathan Winters, Elizabeth Taylor, Chris Rock, Jay Leno, Richard Lewis, Carl Reiner, Clarence Clemens, Penn & Teller, Richard Belzer and Arianna Huffington.

Kitty Bruce remarked, "For more than 40 years, I held onto these items, but I am happy to let them go because it will help so many."

Bruce continued, "I also wanted to honor my father's memory in a way that will change lives. And with Lenny's House, I have never felt so right about anything in my entire life. And in these times we need to help each other and those who cannot help themselves."

The auction bidding will conclude on October 28th which is the same day that a comedy benefit will take place at the famed Laugh Factory Comedy Club in West Hollywood, California with comedian Richard Lewis headlining.

Lenny's House will be a place for women to learn life skills, to navigate in a sober world by building self esteem and a strong foundation in sobriety. There will also be a focus on nutrition and physical exercise for the women. Lenny's House is projected in the summer of 2010 in North East Pennsylvania. Lenny's House is overseen by The Lenny Bruce Memorial Foundation a 501C3 organization.

Lenny Bruce (1925 - 1966) was a brilliant comedian and satirist, who literally changed the rules and landscape of modern stand-up comedy. Bruce single handily influenced and affected generations of performers including: George Carlin, Bill Maher, Dennis Miller, Richard Pryor, Jon Stewart and Robin Williams.

Chris Rock & Nia Long Talk Brad Pitt's Sex Life, Why Black Women Love JT (VIDEO)

2009-10-08T14:30:21Z

Matt Zaller, aka the weirdest interviewer in the world, recently sat down with Chris Rock and Nia Long who are on the publicity circuit promoting Rock's documentary "Good Hair." Long along with Ice-T, Kerry Washington, Paul Mooney, Raven Symone, Maya Angelou, and Al Sharpton all talked to rock about the topic of African-American hair and what women go through trying to get "good" hair.

Zaller brought a black baby doll to the interview to "see what, if any, stereotypes he could dispel." He began by asking Rock and Long if it made them uncomfortable to see a white man with a black girl. The pair responded with an unequivocal "no." Rock explained that Justin Timberlake changed the whole game, "There are a lot of black girls into Justin Timberlake." The pair spun off from there talking about Brad Pitt's sex life and mentioning that both he and his wife have slept with black women.

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John Galliano's Last-Minute Facials; Obama's Barber on Presidential Gray Hair

2009-10-07T16:46:13Z

And Chris Rock touched Oprah's hair.

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John Galliano's Last-Minute Facials; Obama's Barber on Presidential Gray Hair

2009-10-07T16:46:11Z

And Chris Rock touched Oprah's hair.

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Regina Kimbell Sues Chris Rock To Block 'Good Hair'

2009-10-07T15:50:36Z

LOS ANGELES — A filmmaker is suing Chris Rock for at least $5 million and trying to block the release of his upcoming documentary "Good Hair."

Regina Kimbell sued Rock and several film companies in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday, claiming Rock's project is a copycat of her film, "My Nappy Roots."

Ice-T Talks About His Perm And Hair Rollers

2009-10-07T09:20:14Z

While he wears his hair short now, the rapper's longtime ponytail was created with the kind of chemical relaxers detailed in Good Hair. "I had a perm and when guys have it straightened, they put the rollers in their head, you know, so you get that Super Fly look," Ice explained. When he was in high school in L.A., he used to actually wear rollers to school, which, believe it or not, was a sign of toughness.

Chris Rock Waxes Some "Good Hair" for NYC

2009-10-06T18:00:19Z

After stints at Sundance and the recent Toronto International Film Festival, Chris Rock brought his doc “Good Hair” to Manhattan Monday night with a premiere screening hosted by the Cinema Society. A host of celebs turned out for the event at IFC Center where passers by were lured to gawk at the red carpet and step and repeat backdrop (which was nearly curbside on a very busy Avenue of the Americas). Rock and producer Nelson George …

Chris Rock with his mother outside IFC Center Monday night for the NYC premiere of "Good Hair." Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE

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Chris Rock on the Weave-Sausage Connection

2009-10-06T17:15:56Z

"You don't want to see them make the sausage, as they say, and you don't want to see them make the weaves, either."

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Chris Rock on the Weave-Sausage Connection

2009-10-06T17:15:55Z

"You don't want to see them make the sausage, as they say, and you don't want to see them make the weaves, either."

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Oprah Winfrey Teams with Chris Rock on New Movie

2009-10-05T14:45:37Z

Ever been asked to be someone's Black friend? Well, GQ Senior Correspondent set out to do just that and wrote an article for the magazine called, "Will You Be My Black Friend?" And now Mogul Oprah Winfrey is getting in on the action as her company Harpo Films teams up with Lionsgate to produce the movie adaption of the article, which will star Chris Rock.

"We're thrilled to continue our relationship with Oprah Winfrey and Harpo Films, said Mike Paseornek, President of Lionsgate. "We can't imagine a better actor to help bring this story to life than Chris Rock, who is simply one of the smartest, boldest comic talents working today."

Oprah Winfrey is also executive producer of the much-anticipated film, "Precious," -CJ

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Maya Angelou Taken to Hospital

2009-10-04T08:30:22Z

Our beloved poet and author Maya Angelou, 81, was taken to the hospital Saturday evening in Los Angeles, NBC reports. The icon was in town to receive a BraveHeart Awards, which honors women who have made great changes in their professions. She has gained worldwide fame for opening up on pains from her past and the power of healing and forgiving in her books. She also appears in Chris Rock's new documentary "Good Hair." Send up your prayers of recovery for the phenomenal woman. That's her. -CJ

Chris Rock Compares Roman Polanski To OJ Simpson (VIDEO)

2009-10-02T11:56:26Z

Now that everyone from Sharon Tate's sister to Governor Schwarzenegger has weighed in on Roman Polanski's arrest, Chris Rock is having his say.

On 'The Jay Leno Show' Thursday night, Rock made the fair if hilarious point that even the most sensational trial in recent memory didn't go places that some Polanski supporters are headed.

"People are defending Roman Polanski because he made good movies 30 years ago?" he said. "Are you kidding me? Even Johnny Cochran didn't have the nerve to go, 'Well did you see OJ play against New England?'"

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Chris Rock Tears Into Roman Polanski on The Jay Leno Show

2009-10-02T11:26:37Z

"He made good movies, THIRTY YEARS AGO. Even Johnnie Cochran don't have the nerve to go, 'Well, did you see O.J. play against New England?'"

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Chris Rock Tears Into Roman Polanski on The Jay Leno Show

2009-10-02T11:26:36Z

"He made good movies, THIRTY YEARS AGO. Even Johnnie Cochran don't have the nerve to go, 'Well, did you see O.J. play against New England?'"

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Celebrity Hairstylist Derek J on the ATL 'Housewives,' Shoes and Hair

2009-10-01T10:15:27Z

"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" fans fell head over Derek J's fabulous heels. The celebrity hairstylist sashayed into Kim Zolciak's home wearing a pair of his signature stilettos to host her wig party as a prelude to launching her own wig collection. ESSENCE.com had to catch up with the ultimate divo, who owns Atlanta's luxurious and very exclusive J Spot Salon (appointment is by referral only), to find out about his signature hairstyle ("I don't have one," says Derek. "I just make women fabulous."), his enviable shoe collection (tops 300 pair), and how he's handling his newfound fame when everyone, including Oprah's bestie Gayle King, knows his name.

ESSENCE.COM: How did you become part of the show?
DEREK J: I knew NeNe, Lisa, and Kandi because I was doing their hair, but I had never met Kim. I got a call one day, asking me to visit Kim's house, which was an hour away. I was told to be there in 20 minutes, so I made it happen. When I arrived, I was told about her wig party and that I was going to help. I guess she liked what I did because shortly after the party a producer told me, "you're a cast member now."

ESSENCE.COM: Congratulations! What has been the reaction to your appearance on the show?
DEREK J: It's surreal to me. I still feel funny when somebody says, "Can I have your autograph?" It's crazy to me that people that I am a fan of, like celebrities, are saying they are fans of mine. When I met Nia Long, she was like, "You're so fabulous. I talk about you all the time!" I'm like. "Really? Cause you're like, Nia Long? I like, love you!"

ESSENCE.COM: How'd you get into doing hair?
DEREK J: My aunt did hair at home and I would watch. I noticed that when she changed a woman's hair, it would give that woman an emotional change too. I was amazed at how a woman could come in with an attitude, but getting her hair done and feeling beautiful made her forget everything. When I do a client's hair and she cries, I'm a wimp. I get to crying too.

ESSENCE.COM: You do hair for Nicole Ari Parker, Angie Stone and Tweet. Is Kim one of your clients now too?
DEREK J: No! I love her, but she's too damn much for me. She lives an hour away and wants me to come to her house three times a week to wash her wig! I tell her to just drop it off at the shop. My car's on a lease. I got to watch my miles (laughs). It's not worth it to me to go out to her house to spend 20 minutes washing her wig for $500 and spend two hours in traffic. I told her, "We need to be friends. I can't."

ESSENCE.COM: (Laughs.)Tell us about your fantastic shoes! When did you buy your first pair?
DEREK J: Four years ago, I was having a birthday party and found these pants the day of the event. There was no time to get them hemmed, so I bought a pair of heels—red boots that I still have actually—and wore those. The pants fit fabulous! I have about 300 pair, mostly Stuart Weitzman and Nine West since they make great shoes for my size 11s. I keep them in boxes with pictures on the outside. I love heels. They make me walk sexier.

ESSENCE.COM: This is a big year for you because you're also featured in Chris Rock's new documentary,"Good Hair." Are you excited about the release?
DEREK J: I didn't know it was going to be a movie. I taped two years ago, and back then I thought it would be an HBO documentary. When I saw the ads that it was coming to a movie theatre, I was nervous. I didn't know how people were going to take me or the Black hair world. We do crazy, outlandish stuff. Some people take it as art, some people think what we do is ghetto. I think Chris did a really good job of capturing the essence of the Black hair industry and the creative and eccentric people in it. After I saw it I was happy.

Tune in to "Real Housewives of Atlanta," on Thursdays at 10 P.M. ET.

Read more: Chris Rock, Atlanta, Home News

Clear Heels Storm the Milan Runways

2009-09-29T18:30:55Z

Remember what Chris Rock said about these?

Read more: Chris Rock, Home News

Clear Heels Storm the Milan Runways

2009-09-29T18:30:53Z

Remember what Chris Rock said about these?

Read more: Chris Rock, Home News

Chez Pazienza: The Fall of Roman

2009-09-29T12:35:21Z

Roman Polanski needs to come back to the United States and face his conviction for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Period.

Why? Because he intentionally ran out on the justice system in the country where he committed his crime and has never been held accountable for what he did by standards that weren't his own. Simple as that.

Now, does he deserve prison time? Does he deserve mercy? These are questions for others to debate so I'm not going to bother getting into them, but one byproduct of the admittedly surprising arrest of Polanski in Switzerland really is worth exploring, because it's something that should leave a bad taste in the mouth of just about everyone, yet strangely doesn't. I'm talking about the idea that Roman Polanski should somehow be considered above the law because he's a talented artist.

It took all of a few hours after Polanski's arrest in Zurich for the notoriously pompous European artist community to rush to his defense, claiming outrage and indignation at the notion that Polanski could be impolitely busted while visiting Switzerland to receive (gasp!) a lifetime achievement award for his filmography. They're calling it a "provocation." The implication is crystal clear: There is often an unnavigable gulf between the artist and his work and, dammit, that's okay; you can honor the man's abilities without letting your paean be tarnished by any of the nastier realities of who he is or what he's done. If this kind of nonsense sounds familiar, it's because we all just lived through weeks of it when Michael Jackson died. Although it's never wise to willfully trample on someone's grave, you can't simply pay tribute to an artist's talents without recognizing that there's a very real person who may be guilty of very real crimes at the center of your love-fest.

And yet Europe's artistic community -- specifically French, Swiss and Polish filmmakers and cultural trendsetters -- seem to truly believe that Roman Polanski's abilities should amount to a Get Out of Jail Free card. That it's okay if the stereotypically tortured artist broke a few eggs along the way as long as the omelet came out looking like The Pianist. That in the end, the greater good was served by having Polanski free to make movies.

Just some of the reaction to the arrest: "(Polanski was) thrown to the lions," says French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand, melodramatically. "In the same way that there is a generous America that we like, there is also a scary America that has just shown its face."

"(He has) atoned for the sins of his young years. He has paid for it by not being able to enter the U.S. and in his professional life he has paid for it by not being able to make films in Hollywood," says Jacek Bromski, head of the Polish Filmmakers Association.

You're kidding, right? Roman Polanski has paid for raping a kid by not being able to live in Hollywood and being forced to make his movies -- and his vast fortunes -- in France? A comment like that is just shocking in its detachment from the reality you and I call home.

It's true we let talented people -- from musicians, to actors, to athletes -- get away with quite a bit more than the Average Joe in our society. As Chris Rock famously said, if O.J. Simpson had been simply "Orenthal the Bus Driving Murderer," he would've been in jail twelve years ago. But there's a difference between admitting that we can occasionally be starstruck blind and literally making excuses for someone's criminal behavior because they happen to entertain us with their music, movies, etc. Once again, I'm not arguing whether or not Roman Polanski belongs in prison; I'm saying that he shouldn't be able to avoid prison just because he's Roman Polanski.

We can let our entertainers get away with being assholes -- but not rapists. In a case like this, you can't separate Polanski the man from Polanski the artist. And it's reprehensible to even try.