OK, Joe and Redtail... How's the atmosphere? Is it a distinctly different experience than a whitebread barbershop?
Very much so. From what I've seen the conversations, while quite often similar in topic, have a tendency to be MUCH more animated. It can be incredible to the barbers themselves and how they can keep track of several conversations at once, their eyes rarely leaving the customer's head, and their lower body in near constant movement.
What about as a cultural experience. People might say "OmiGod, you've never seen X movie." Or "oh my dear Lord, you've never tried... Chinese food."
This is the greatest difference. (of course) There is somewhat of a hierarchy that goes mainly by age.
Children are allowed to pipe up if directly addressed or for entertainment reasons (think
Kids Say the Darndest Things) This ends quickly with whomever brought the kid there giving the kid a
hush up now sign.
Teenagers pretty much talk only to those in their age group unless directly addressed. If the teen is an athlete and the subject at hand is a game they recently played, they have free reign.
College age is the trickiest. The absolute worst thing one could do is take a history course or two then come back home for a visit and try to show off by blathering to people about a particular era/event that they lived through. They will wish they had tried to rape a full grown Kodiak using a badger as a condom.
Mid 20s to late retirement it changes to more of a status thing. Got a good job nice family and act like you have some sense, you're fine. If you're a bum you will hear about it until you straighten up. (Actually you never stop hearing about it it's just more of a joke. No screwup is ever forgotten. I can go back to my old Barber shop in NC and within 5 min Some one will bring up the Candice Johnson affair. Don't ask...
)
Once one is retired, you pretty much have a free pass to say whatever to whomever but you still have to stay on your proverbial toes.
And Redtail, if you're black, as your avatar suggests, then what about when some sourcream whiteboy comes in? And I don't mean white boy from the hood, with a half-black biological brother and a long-lost Puerto Rican father. I mean white boy named Ian, wears glasses, and asks for a "flat top."
I am and Ian would be teased mercilessly. Half the shop would start humming White and Nerdy and the other half would respond in the stereo-typical, Black comedian, White guy voice "Sure! We'll be right with ya buddy." Then Ian would be asked for input on the subject at hand and if he can hold his own or have sense enough to say "I don't know" if he doesn't know, then the teasing is scaled down. If the subject isn't a "hot button issue" and Ian disagrees (Best Football team for instance) and holds his ground while not outright disrespecting the hierarchy that's instant level jumping.
If it's a shop in a really bad "hood". I dunno they might take his wallet.
