Happy is discriminatory against unhappy ! ~ Salongate ! - Saloon kadai Shanmugam !!

 AT Triplicane, decades ago, there was the family barber who would come home and do hair-cutting ! – children would cry at the crude ways but there was no option ! .. what do you call a hair dressing shop – is that “Saloon” or ‘Salon’ ??  

Pelosi is in news !  .. ..  Nancy Patricia Pelosi   is an American politician serving as a congresswoman from California, and is the two-time and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party, Pelosi is the only woman in U.S. history to serve as Speaker, and is the highest-ranking female elected official in United States history.  She is also the current dean, or longest serving member, of the California congressional delegation. As House speaker, Pelosi is second in the presidential line of succession, immediately after the vice president.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi faced criticism this week after surveillance video surfaced of her visit to a San Francisco salon, where she was seen inside without a mask on – which violated health guidelines in the city. Pelosi responded to the video, calling the visit a "setup."  The video has been replayed giddily by Fox News and covered with fervor by outlets like the New York Post, which have lambasted the congresswoman for her hypocrisy in failing to comply with the now politically charged mask mandates she has encouraged others to follow.  The salon owner has since denied Pelosi's claim, while Pelosi's hairstylist has backed it.

Erica Kious, who owns the salon, eSalon on Union Street in San Francisco, told Fox News Pelosi got her hair washed and blown out during her visit. At the time, salons in San Francisco had been closed for months due to the coronavirus pandemic. They were allowed to start reopening on Tuesday – a day after Pelosi's visit – for outdoor service, according to San Francisco's health department. Face masks are always required during approved services and more generally required citywide when social distancing can't be maintained.  The video of Pelosi's visit to the salon was widely shared on social media, where the House Speaker received backlash and criticism.

It may not be the real Rajni movie but Kuselan  released in  2008  directed by P. Vasu.  Starring Pasupathy and Meena, with Vadivelu  was a neat comedy movie. The plot revolves around a villager, who had shared a strong friendship with a popular cinema actor in his youth. However, due to their different careers they were forced to part ways, one becoming a national figure, the other, a village barber. Decades later, the actor returns to the village to participate in his film's shooting. Whilst the entire village become excited about the prospect of seeing the actor, the barber fears that his old friend would have forgotten him and would neglect him.

Peppered was the barber-shop rivalry of Pasupathy with Vadivelu in as ‘Saloon kadai Sammugam’  who once trained under Balan (Pasupathi) and opens a shop  opposite to his shop.  The scenes involving Vadivelu was really hilarious.

Salon is a shop where you can get a particular service, especially connected with beauty or fashion: a beauty salon; a hairdressing/hair salon

Saloon would mean -  a public bar, especially in the past in the western US.  It would also mean a car with seats for four or five people, two or four doors, and a separate area at the back for bags, boxes, and suitcases.

Elsewhere in UK, an advertisement by a Hair Salon got into trouble as its owner was challenged on the chosen wording.    MailOnline reports that a hair salon owner was  told she cannot place a job advert for a 'happy' new stylist - because the word is 'discriminatory' against unhappy people.

Alison Birch, who runs AJ's Unisex hair salon in Stroud, Gloucestershire was amazed when an official at the local job centre said she could not stipulate happiness as a required quality for a new employee. Her ad said 'Part time fully qualified hairdresser, must be confident in barbering as well as all aspects of hairdressing, must have at least 5 years experience working in a salon, after being fully qualified. This is a busy friendly small salon, so only happy, friendly stylist need apply.'

Mum of three Alison, 54, who has run her salon for 20 years, said: 'It was less than an hour after I'd gone online and placed the ad with the local job centre that I got a call from a man there saying there was a problem. 'I said what's that and he said I couldn't use the word happy because it discriminated against people who aren't happy. 'I honestly thought it was a wind-up and someone I know was pulling my leg. I thought any second now he's going to tell me it's a joke but he didn't. He was deadly serious.  'In the end I told him I wouldn't proceed with the ad. I can't repeat some of the words I used!

'All I wanted to get across in my ad was that we are a small friendly salon and we wanted someone with a smile on their face. We have had stylists in the past who come in after arguing with their boyfriends and slam the door and things like that and I didn't want that sort of thing again.' She said, during Covid times, 'Our eyes are all they can see while we have to wear masks and visors so I don't think there is anything terribly wrong in advertising for someone of a happy disposition.

Her social media friends were as equally as baffled as her with many commenting on whether political correctness had been taken too far.  'After all, who would want someone miserable cutting their hair? It's great to see our customers leaving with a spring in their step after having an uplifting experience here with happy staff - that's what it's all about.'  Alison added - 'I do feel for people who are, sadly, unhappy at the moment - I think we all go through phases of unhappiness. But to say happy is a discriminatory word seems a little bit unfair and a bit harsh.

Strange are the ways of people ! 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
4.9.2020.