Last Saturday I was invited to Gentlemen’s Top Cuts for a blogger haircut and manicure. GTC is a salon for men. Of course, if you told most non-metrosexuals, "there’s a salon in town where you can get a manicure" you’d probably be laughed at, punched, and called derogatory nicknames. Now, tell a man, "the bastard child of Hooter’s and a day spa is open at 7425 Middlebrook Pike" and they’ll come in hordes! Yes, Gentlemen’s Top Cuts combines sexy women, sports, hot wax, trimmers, scissors, shampoo, massage, beer and general pampering in classy environment for men.
GTC drew a lot of criticism and in at least one instance was implied to be a house of ill repute in disguise. Ladies, you have nothing to fear! I can assure you that men at GTC are just as safe as women are at a woman’s salon. I personally was trying to understand the nature of a more personal service one of the other bloggers was scheduled to sample. It baffled me. Then it was suggested that I try it. Well now, what’s better than a free haircut and manicure? Why, a free haircut, manicure, and waxing! All done by beautiful women to boot! Now before anyone jumps on the morals bandwagon, there is nothing different between what I did and what ladies do in day spas every day of the week. Trust me! I wish I could have derived some pleasure out of the procedure as that might have taken some of the embarrassment away (the room was quite cold!). By the way, it is a "procedure," requiring the ladies doing the work to be licensed for waxing. To imply that it was anything more, would be to imply that the "Hello!" my doctor gave me on my 35th birthday was something more than it was. (that was standard procedure at 35 wasn’t it? I mean, you guys had that too right?)
As seen in the Andy Griffin show, the barber shop has always been a sanctuary for men. I grew up using barber shops (and getting lousy haircuts) but I use a stylist now.
As a child, I always thought it funny to walk into a barber shop and see a man pickup a magazine and sit down in the chair. Then from behind the chair the first thing the barber would do is hand the gentleman the current issue of Playboy which was then concealed by Popular Mechanics or whatever magazine he had picked up. Of course, not all men were as discreet. And this was not unique to small town Cary, North Carolina. I witnessed similar behaviors in New Orleans as well. I always wondered why we didn’t just have topless women cutting the hair. Now that would be a haircut!
[Source, Reality Me, I don’t need a haircut but I’d sure enjoy my visit!]
Gentlemen’s Top Cuts is not topless but it is 18 and older. If you are 21 or older, you can have a free beer with your appointment. Men deserve a haven where we can relax and be pampered. Now we have one! Read more at Gentlemen’s Top Cuts’ blog or visit their website. GTC is classy and a welcome addition to Knoxville!
Others who attended the blogger preview were Say Uncle, Frank Murphy (and son), and Modern Redneck. We shared many laughs!
