A hairdresser sparked controversy on TikTok after asking a client if he had permission to touch her during a consultation and asking her what her pronouns were.
The discussion began earlier this week when JPalm Hairdressing in Omaha, Nebraska, shared a video with one of its customers on its TikTok channel, which has since racked up more than 11 million views.
The stylist begins the video by asking the customer if it’s okay for her to touch their hair and what their pronouns are. The stylist then revealed that their pronouns were she/they and said she was glad they could swap pronouns.
The rest of the four-minute-plus video is a fairly basic consultation you’d expect to receive at a high-end salon. After all, haircuts aren’t cheap, so you should expect the best possible service.
However, this seemingly innocent and uncontroversial video was subsequently flooded with comments that seemed perplexed by the stylist’s thoughtful approach to her clients.
Many of the comments are as follows:What if they say no? Is the promise over? ”
Also, some people think that stylists talk a lot. One person wrote: “The first two questions would have drained all my social battery. I would have just gotten up and gone home.”
Another said: “Barbershop minor and Yapology pHD.”
Whether or not you think a stylist talks too much (she needs to talk to the customer to understand what they want), the question about whether or not it’s okay to touch the customer means that it’s just It seems like they overlooked the fact that they were in counseling. She obviously has to touch them to get her hair cut, but she’s just practicing consent, and that’s nice to see.
This ordinary video likely went viral because people aren’t used to this kind of consideration in barbershops and hair salons, but thankfully some people came to the stylist’s defense in the comments.
One person wrote: “This is amazing. I love everything about this.”
Another said, “I really don’t understand what’s wrong with this interaction and why everyone is tweaking it.”
A third added: “You’re such a lovely person. I love how you ask your clients before touching them and ask them their pronouns.”
If you look at all the videos on the account, this is nothing unusual since the stylist starts every consultation with the same question.
Unfortunately, this kind of attention doesn’t seem to be new to JPalm.
in video Uploaded a week ago, she said, “If you are offended by my work, my salon, or my existence, please continue commenting on my videos.”
She continued, “If it makes you feel validated and heard, even if you don’t agree with it, that’s what JPalm is about.”
Further credit to JPalm. There’s nothing wrong with showing consideration for others or trying to be different.
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