Are You ‘Guy Smart?’

Last night I decided to take advantage of a coupon I got in the mail for a free haircut at the new SportsClips sports-themed shop on Lovers Lane. It’s hard to argue with getting something for free that normally costs $19, but I have a few bones to pick with SportsClips and its “Guy Smart” stylists.

• First off, about that claim that their stylists are “Guy Smart,” which appeared on both my coupon and on signs in the place. I assume they’re not insulting the intelligence of women in general by saying it’s special to employ women who are just as smart as men. I assume they mean their stylists can talk to man-to-man with the customers, and that they’re fascinated by subjects such as football, nachos, and hot women. My stylist only wanted to talk about “product.” That’s Misleading advertising point #1.
• I didn’t go there to scope out hot chicks. (I went there for a free haircut.) And SportsClips doesn’t advertise like it’s this place, the Hooters of barbershops. But … if you design a sports-themed business to attract men and you fill your advertising with pictures of attractive women delivering haircuts dressed in nothing but tracksuits … well, let’s just say this is Misleading advertising point #2.
• And finally, I think it’s a terrific idea to have TVs with sports on at every chair. I quickly found myself engrossed in the World Series of Poker while neglecting to pay attention to what she was doing to my hair. But then why did she keep trying to make conversation with me? Unless she was chiming in with her own thoughts on the finer points of Chris Moneymaker’s game, it seems she was undermining what is likely the primary appeal of going to a place like SportsClips. Again, it wasn’t all that “Guy Smart.” Misleading advertising point #3.

I do have to say, though, that the steam towel treatment lived up to the billing.