The Internet is abuzz since Master Barber, Rusty Fred, owner of A-1 Kutz in Snellville, Georgia, posted some Instagram photos of his witty alternative to corporal punishment for ill-mannered kids who like to act up when they should be listening.
His solution is simple: “if you wanna act grown… well now you can look grown too.” Fred’s kid-unnerving alternative punishment method involves giving children a very odd haircut that makes them appear like bald senior citizens. The bizarre hair style, which Fred calls “Benjamin Button Special,” is expected to shame the misbehaving kid and get him to straighten up very fast without any spanking.
The 34 year old father of three testified that his own son’s school grades, which had been pretty unimpressive in the past, suddenly skyrocketed after he dealt his son the strange haircut blow last fall. His first-hand experience with the effectiveness of his method moved Fred to create a free service that offers to help Snellville parents punish their kids effectively, without having to spank or yell. This creative barbering has now gone viral.
While many parents seem to like Fred’s new child punishment strategy, others believe the method is abusive, and may give school bullies an unfathomable opportunity to inflict even deeper emotional injury on an already victimized child.
One can’t help but wonder if Fred’s free “Benjamin Button Special” is one of the most powerful and out-of-the-box marketing strategies any barber has ever invented. It has gone viral on both social media, as well as the news. In fact, searching for “Barber News” on Google brings up Fred and A-1 Kutz in some of the most coveted top spots.
Talk about free press and massive global exposure – and for a previously unknown barber who lives in a hidden little corner of America!