In fact, Dale observes, "If anything, the biggest trend around here the last couple of years has been less work." Definitely not hot:

PERMS

"Perms," Jesse shares with us, "are, like, way out, history, '80s." A potent condemnation indeed.

BIG HAIR

Jesse, Edward, Dale and Jerry agree that big hair is a dire faux pas. It is, in fact, a fashion kiss of death, especially here in this urban mecca where we all want to be as mod as we can be.

Dale laments that "you head out to the suburbs--Medford, Revere--and you're going to get the big hair, big bangs. The mall-doll look." Dale has seen these unhappy women. Eeek!

But he adds, in a post-structuralist rupture with classifications, trends and standards, that "it depends on the person."

"It's an individual thing, rather than them being like a school of fish," he philosophizes. Though of course, he says, it goes without saying that "they're not looking for helmet head."

YOUR HAIRDRESSER AND YOU

Sitting down for a haircut is never an easy thing. Let's examine the problematic of the hair dresser-hair dressee relationship:

You are sitting in a chair, mummified and vulnerable in a plastic gown, your own reflection confronting you on all sides and an individual wielding a castrating pair of shears hovering behind you.

You are in a position of almost complete powerlessness.

You know that you "aren't looking for helmet head," and that you want something fetching but also lowmaintenance for your locks. But where do you go from there? Jerry says it all with his observation that "some of the women are out-and-out frightened to death." No doubt some of the men are, too!

Fortunately, you are in the hands of a trained professional. To obtain a hair stylist license in Massachusetts, one must take a 1,000 hour course in hair school, pass an examination on both the practice and theory of styling and complete a two-year apprenticeship, according to Dale and Edward.

This is one power relationship that's not just a construct: your stylist has the know-how to help you; you want the help your stylist can give. You get a haircut; your stylist gets inner peace.