Poor Mike Aldrich. After turning away a black patron from his barber shop, saying he wouldn’t be able to help the guy because he wasn’t good at doing black hair, the Bellows Falls barber has become the target of some substantial community ire. The Associated Press reported that Aldrich’s refusal to barber the patron — Dr. Darryl Fisher, of Taos, N.M. — sparked a demonstration by people who claimed his denial of service was racially motivated.
Oh, you gotta love Vermont and its knee-jerk PCness. Well done, white people, for making a fuss about something you know nothing about — black hair.
It is entirely possible that Aldrich is, in fact, a racist who didn’t want to cut Fisher’s hair because he doesn’t like people of color. If that’s the case, I best not be defending the guy. But let’s assume for the sake of argument that Aldrich is a stand-up guy who loves all people regardless of color, creed, political persuasion or sexual proclivity. Then this story makes a lot more sense.
When Fisher walked into Mike’s Barber Shop, he asked Aldrich if a barber was around to cut his coif. Aldrich, the barber who owns the shop, told Fisher the barber wasn’t in. A few hours later, Fisher walked by the shop and saw Aldrich cutting hair. Clearly, dude was a barber. And clearly, he’s also a bad fibber.
But, as Aldrich told the AP, he was simply trying to mitigate embarrassment for both men. See, Aldrich, like 99.9 percent of white hair stylists, doesn’t know how to cut black hair. That’s understandable, since he lives in Bellows Falls, a town of 3000 white people and 11 black people. If you’re the aggrieved patron, Fisher, why would you want someone to cut your hair who doesn’t understand the complexity of your tresses?
When I was in college, one of my roommates was black. Her hair was important to her and, as such, she spent almost as much time on her ‘do as she did on her schoolwork. Our room was full of products that I had never seen in my local Rite Aid — oils, lotions and home relaxers that made our tiny cell of a room smell like the set of Queen Latifah’s Barbershop franchise knockoff, Beauty Shop. Occasionally my roommate’s mother would drive three hours from her home to set up a mini salon on our room. When she left, everything in the room was covered in a fine layer of spray sheen. I couldn’t talk on the phone without the handset slipping from my grip.
If I ever suggested to my roommate that she save her mother the trip and just get her hair done at my salon, she would have looked at me like I had horns, a tail and cloven feet. White people don’t know black hair, she would have said to me. And she’d be right. We don’t.
Similarly, if my roommate suggested that I get my locks lopped at a black salon, I would most likely have balked. It’s not to say that the hair dresser wouldn’t have been able to muddle through and give me a halfway decent cut. But, honestly, I want to get my hair cut by someone who has experience cutting hair like mine — you know, a messy red mullet. If you want to get a wedding dress made, your first stop is not going to be a tailor who makes bespoke suits, right?
The “ethnic hair” industrial complex is a $9 billion business. There are products for silky hair and products for natural hair and products to give you more hair (in the event that you lose some from all the chemical treatment). There are weaves and perms and and braids and locks. Oh, my. Thorny cultural and aesthetic issues aside, clearly this is a specialized industry where some expertise is needed.
So, assuming Aldrich is an upstanding human, it sort of makes sense that he would plead ignorance regarding black hair. And maybe it’s just as well for Fisher. I’m sure he didn’t want some whitey brush cut, anyway.
This article appears in Nov 10-16, 2010.
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With this post it appears Seven Days has discovered their own, in-house “Ed Shamy”.
Well, Vermont may have a reputation for knee-jerk pcness, but it also has a reputation for white liberal racism. ” And maybe it’s just as well for Fisher. I’m sure he didn’t want some whitey brush cut, anyway. “Wowwwww.Good job keeping up that tradition, Lauren!Hands down this is the shoddiest piece of “journalism” I’ve seen come out of this newspaper.
Shockingly enough, someone who actually lives in Bellows Falls and took part in the public action takes issue with this post:http://greenmountaindaily.com/diary/7119/snarky-informed-and-witty-i-respect-ignorant-petty-and-patronizing-not-so-much-so
Honestly – Who cares if he is a racist? Why is it so outrageous to think that someone “with 40 years of experience” is racist?I hear there are plenty of people in salon industry who don’t care whose hair they fuck up, mangle, ruin, or make wonderfully beautiful.If he had a problem with this guy, punch him in the face and walk out, or just realize that some people are the way they are and move on.Either way, WHO CARES?! He’s old. He’s a barber. He isn’t exactly Vermont’s Chair on Ethnic Affairs (hah!).This is a big boo-hoo story. I’m not racist, I have 0 days of barbershop experience, I’d be happy to plug in my set of clippers for you – Thou, I promise no fades.
I am disappointed by the blogging that Seven Days is publishing as journalism recently. Unfortunately, Lauren Ober seems to be the assigned / encouraged author of much of this content. I find these blog entries to be mostly poorly researched and conversational to the point of fluffiness. Most of the time when I read an article by Ober, I actually realize after the first paragraph that I have already wasted my time. I have never felt this way reading articles by Ken Picard, Andy Bromage, or past 7D writer Mike Ives. I miss the intelligent writing I have come to expect from 7D, and the informative presentation of useful research. I wish that the editors would help and encourage Ms. Ober to become a better writer and researcher of stories, and stop assigning or accepting these insultingly trivial and misinformed meanderings of hers.
“See, Aldrich, like 99.9 percent of white hair stylists, doesn’t know how to cut black hair.” What kind of haircut would a 57 year old physician be getting that would be so difficult for a barber with 40 years experience to render? It seems pretty clear to me why Mr. Aldrich denied service to Dr. Fisher.This post is a liability for Seven Days.
I hope this barber didn’t vote for dubie, claiming the VT economy is dead and we need more business here. Total tool. It’s 2010 bro, get with the program.
I’m just about the whitest person I know — as far as skin color and hair type go, that is. I was born and raised in Vermont, but the last two times I’ve had my hair done, it was at Ethnic Elegance Salon on 125th Street in Harlem. The stylist, Monae Shepard, certainly didn’t “muddle through giving me a halfway decent cut.” She gave me two of the best haircuts I’ve ever had. Yes, probably 99.99% of her customers are of African-American decent, and she probably hasn’t had the most experience working with my kind of hair (Do I know that for sure? Absolutely not.) But did she turn me away? No. Because she is a professional. And, unlike Mr. Aldrich, she’s not a moron.
Cripes, where’s Mr. “Holy Overreaction” now? Read the Burlington Free Press story. From that you can’t conclude that this was necessarily racism. Apparently, the barber in question is a curmudgeon, known for telling white people who want a haircut to go away if he’s busy playing cards. It also quotes a black author on black hair as saying that it’s true, white barbers can’t cut black hair.
Bungalow,It isn’t even her opinion, it’s her making up motives for the barber and then spinning a story out of that fantasy.Lauren, I suggest your next Gawker-style puff/snark piece deal with something a bit less serious, like those stinkberries you love/hate so much.