So I’m at work trying to program something or other (really, its like way technical, and stuff) and I’m listening to the Howard Stern Show on my radio shark. (the radio shark is a USB radio that plugs into your computer and does Time Shift recording, sort of like TiVo. It’s pretty damn cool). I was out of commercial skipping buffer, so I was just listening to the commercials when one came on for Borick’s Haircare. The commercial stars a kid (maybe 6-8, by his voice and white as the Cleavers), just before his first day of school and his dad.
Text transcribed for your enjoyment:
Kid: Dad?
Dad: What’s wrong partner?
Kid: I don’t want to go to school. I think it’ll be too hard.
Dad: But all of your friends are there, what will you do all day?
Kid: I could go to your office with you. I’m an excellent stapler.
Dad: I’m sure you are. Listen partner, schools really fun. Tell you what, tomorrow you and I will go to Borick’s and get a great hair cut!
Kid: That’s where Mom takes me!
Dad: Yep, but this will be just us boys!
Kid(pouting): But I have soccer practice tomorrow, Dad.
Dad(reassuring):That’s alright, we can just walk right in there and be out in no time.
Kid(excited): LIKE COWBOYS!
Dad: Like cowboys.
Kid: Is it expensive?
Dad: Not at all.
Kid: I have 48 cents. You want it, Dad?
Dad: HAHAHA! I’ve got you covered on this one, pal.
Kid: Now I can’t wait!
Dad: For your haircut?
Kid: Yeah! And for school!
Allow me to issue a big “WHAT THE FUCK?” here. What self-respecting six year old boy likes getting a haircut. Getting a haircut is about the most embarrassing thing that can happen to you when you’re six. Clearly this kid is gay. Worse than gay. He’s a faggot. You know why? Because when you’re six, you don’t know what “faggot” means. You just know it’s something mean to call someone when you want to pick on them. And what better reason to pick on someone than them having a new haircut.
Am I alone here? When I was a kid, that was pretty much the deal. Haircuts were bad. Was this just a black thing? I don’t think so, because I’m pretty sure the white boys I knew felt the same and were teased too. Was it just a boy thing? Did it go away after the 70s? I’m pretty sure it didn’t. So that’s what I want to know. Did you hate getting haircuts when you were a kid? When did you stop caring? Do you still care? Girls too. It seems like girls don’t care as much. And several of you have kids, blk, qiika, whoever, how do your kids feel about getting haircuts?
Of course, now the show is back on and they’re talking about getting high playing the choking game. I mean, that makes sense.
I hated haircuts, but that’s because I’ve wanted long hair for a very long time. I can’t really remember my attitude back to when I was six though.
My 7 year old could care less whether he has haircuts or not.
The 10 year old loathes haircuts.
Both will semi-willingly get them if we bribe them with slurpees. So yeah, hatered of a trim is well and alive in the 00s.
They’ll get over that hatred of trim once they hit puberty….
Haw! HAW! HAAAA!
(I knew that was
comingarriving).My oldest (7) loves getting a haircut. He’s got thick, straight hair that just grows out, so we usually keep it in a buzzcut. I let him choose the length and approximate style, and give him lots of positive attention afterwards, and he just glows over it.
My youngest (4) loves the idea of a haircut, probably from copying his brother. He asks for one frequently. However, after about 5 minutes of snipping, he gets bored and wants to be done. Fortunately, his hair is finer and looks fine in a more mop-like style.
Then again, I’m pretty sure my kids are certified Freaks of Nature.
I didn’t mind haircuts as a kid. I don’t remember my brother particularly minding, either.
I don’t really remember caring one way or the other. Then again, that’s pretty much how I felt about a lot of things. Now, of course, I have long hair, and get it cut once or twice a year. When I do, it feels fantastic to lose what feels like 60-odd pounds of hair-weight.
Haircuts are bad. We did a little teasing about them, but not merciless. But, you know, that’s time you can’t be spending doing proper little kid things. I hated haircuts.
Mine gets her hair cut about once or twice a year (like mom). It’s a matter-of-fact thing, like getting nails trimmed. She had been asking for the last one, but then her hair was getting really long and would get knots in it easily. She picked the hairstyle and after about 15 minutes she had a chin-length cut she was really happy with. I’ll probably take her to get it trimmed again before the end of the year,… unless she doesn’t ask for it. Because I don’t like haircuts. 🙂
For me, it’s the change I don’t like. When I was a kid, I only once got a cut more than 8″ (I’ve had really long hair…) and I’ve only gone past 8″ cut off once as an adult. I’ll go for the maintenance trim once or twice a year, where trim=6-8″ (hair grows fast), but adjusting to change is hard. My daughter seems to have less a problem with it, at least when it’s a change she wants.
But you see, that’s the whole point. Kids hate school because it’s hard and haircuts because they take a long time. If you go to Boricks, your hair will be cut so quick that it will be great.
And, uh, for some reason you’ll then like school.
As a girl “cut” could = “trim” and so no perceptible change. I always had and wanted long hair as a kid (which accounted for any fear of haircuts I had, which was mostly mistrust of the stylists and worry that they’d cut too much off). So, I don’t really have relevant experience.
However, I never had any shortage of teasing.
My theory is that kids will make fun of anything. It doesn’t even matter if it makes sense. Like what you say about “faggot”. It doesn’t even have to be a normal insult word, they can take any word and say it with the right tone of voice and it’s torture. Don’t name your kid a silly name, don’t give them glasses, don’t cut their hair, it doesn’t matter, they’ll still find something to tease about.
I hated haircuts. Particularly since you never knew what you were gonna get. So hard to tell the guy what you want…it’s just a high-stress situation.
Now, not so much.
I remember getting my hair cut exactly once between the ages of 6 or so to 14. I don’t remember actively resisting haircuts nor seeking them out; I guess it wasn’t important to my parents (and my mom lost her quite lovely long hair to cancer therapy, so perhaps that was part of it).
My brother, on the other hand, fought kicking and screaming against getting his hair cut as our parents required until he was a teenager. Come to think of it he fought kicking and screaming against any parental dictates regarding appearance and hygeine… my parents realized he was leaving childhood when he started showering regularly on his own.
And to address the rest of your question: In high school I became a hair chameleon, which I still am somewhat today. I went from waist-length hair to cutting it quite short, and have had various colors and lengths ever since. At this point I prefer to keep it short and find it irritating if my hair gets too long and heavy.
Would the radio shark correct annoying steeler game delays? I’m hating the ESPN guys more and more every time I hear them.
That’s one of the things I wanted it for. Certainly with TiVo technology and Radio Shark technology we can force things to be synched if we want.
sweet.
Hehe, I hated haircuts as a kid. There was only one barber who would cut my hair due the fits I’d throw. He had to put a 2×4 across my lap to keep me in the chair. My Mom would hold it down. Man, she had some serious bribery she had to do just to get me in there, and then would have to take me toy shopping afterwards else I’d be grumpy for a week.
Kid: I could go to your office with you. I’m an excellent stapler.
I routinely use children for their stapling expertise. I might even invest in an additional stapler this year so that two children at a time can demonstrate their mad stapling skillz.
Kid(excited): LIKE COWBOYS!
Cowboys get haircuts?
Cowboys are “in and out” types? If this is what he means, I will not be dating the cowboys.
As for haircuts, I like them, but rarely indulge because people don’t know how to cut curly hair and always try to blow dry it straight and charge extra because it’s long, even though long hair is easy to cut, just take the ends off… As a kid I rarely got my hair cut because it was long. Just like it still is. I really need a haircut, because the last one was crappy and my hair is damaged from all the bleaching. I want it shorter anyway.