The evening after I watched HBO Max’s “Not So Fairly,” I pulled out my make-up bag and hunted by way of the merchandise, flipping every of them over and on the lookout for the dreaded phrase — talc. I discovered it in two powders and, with out hesitation, I chucked them into the trash. I seemed for “perfume” listed as an ingredient in my skincare merchandise, and earlier than I washed my hair, I researched the model I exploit for my curly hair merchandise. By no means had I believed a lot in regards to the merchandise I exploit on my face and physique every day, which most likely speaks to the success of “Not So Fairly.” From famend documentary administrators Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick (“Allen v. Farrow”), “Not So Fairly” is the primary investigative expose of the sweetness business.
With one episode every devoted to make-up, nails, pores and skin and hair, “Not So Fairly” makes use of scientific proof, private tales and interviews with scientists and medical doctors to delve into the corruption behind every respective side of the beauty business. The primary episode, “Make-up,” focuses on the problem of asbestos in talcum-based merchandise, together with Johnson & Johnson’s child powder and Claire’s make-up kits. The episode makes use of the non-public tales of Corrin Ortillo, who works in make-up, and former OBGYN Dr. Tom Mchattie, who’s a very long time person of Johnson & Johnson child powder — each of whom had been identified with mesothelioma, a tumor attributable to inhaling asbestos fibers. It additionally seems to be into Kristiana Warner’s story about discovering asbestos in a Claire’s make-up palette that her daughter Mackenzie used. Coupled with Keke Palmer’s narration, the interviews with researchers, journalists and activists neatly lay out the work that has been carried out surrounding the results of asbestos, in addition to the dearth of regulation within the beauty business and the federal government of these poisonous chemical substances.
“Not So Fairly” is a documentary that truly leads someplace. Sure, it shocks the viewers with the risks of merchandise that many people use frequently, however towards the tip of each episode, there’s a really clear “Dos and Don’ts” part and a QR code directing viewers towards sustainable cosmetics and apps like Skin Deep, Detox Me and Clearya to verify the chemical substances of their beloved make-up merchandise. It’s straightforward to really feel pent up anger and frustration after a well-built documentary that brings consciousness to a real problem, like Netflix’s “13th,” however “Not So Fairly” provides us a spot to direct these feelings with actionable objects.
Although Palmer’s stiff narration makes the documentary appear considerably like one lengthy infographic, the storytelling and brief episodes make it digestible. “Not So Fairly” succeeds in speaking in regards to the wider implications of the unregulated magnificence business. Within the context of the primary episode, viewers are informed that although Johnson & Johnson has stopped promoting their talcum-based child powder in america, they proceed promoting in India, South Africa and Colombia, promoting in the direction of girls of Shade. The second episode, “Nails,” begins with the historical past of the nail business, highlighting the Vietnamese girl–owned salons that made manicures accessible to bigger populations in america and doing justice to the ladies who sacrificed a lot for his or her livelihoods.
The documentary maintains the general construction of zeroing in on the toxicity of sure merchandise or a particular model, outlining the science behind the results of these chemical substances after which discussing the broader authorized and social implications of the businesses whose self-regulation strategies are proving to do extra hurt than good. “Not So Fairly” tells us that sure, the sweetness business has plenty of severe points, however there’s something that we are able to do about it. All the sources talked about are listed on the documentary’s website, which additionally options organizations devoted to well being and environmental safety. “Not So Fairly” is a warning to all make-up, nail polish, skincare and haircare customers to be diligent about their merchandise, as a result of as Keke Palmer says, they will do issues to us which might be “not so fairly.”
Day by day Arts Author Swara Ramaswamy will be reached at swararam@umich.edu.
