Did Brian Williams Tell The Truth About The Price of His Haircuts?

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Media
Posted on Tue May 01, 2007 at 01:59:42 PM EST
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In a good Media excoriation piece, Eric Boehlert features Brian Williams, he of the perfect hair, discussing his hair cuts and how much he pays for them:

NBC anchor Brian Williams appeared as a guest on David Letterman's show last week where discussion soon turned to Edwards' haircut. Asked what was the most he'd ever paid for a trim, Williams responded, "probably $12."
Really? I have to pay $16, plus tip, for a trim at a little barbershop on Valley Avenue in the New Jersey 'burbs. But Williams, who lives in a restored farmhouse in Connecticut where he parks his 477-horsepower black Porsche GT2 (that is, when he's not decamping on the Upper East Side), gets his haircut for just $12. And remember, that's probably the most he's ever paid.
Williams enjoys a $10 million salary. He's a celebrity journalist and recent Men's Vogue cover boy, who, up until just a few years ago, was probably known as much for his perfectly coiffed locks as he was his reporting skills. Yet, eager to project himself as one of the guys, Williams insists his trims cost chump change.

I for one think he is not telling the truth about that. $12 for a haircut? Brian Williams? I think it is not true, and it is interesting that Williams chose to say that. It is, as Boehlert points out, Williams' attempt to demonstrate, as he does whenever he discusses NASCAR, his "regular guy" bona fides. But I think he overreached. Probably because he really does not know how much a barbershop haircut costs.

This article said the AVERAGE price for a Santa Barbara, CA (which I think is likely no more expensive than NYC or Connecticut) barbershop haircut is $20. Williams says the MOST he paid was $12. Seems unlikely. But Boehlert gets at the point - Williams, like all of the wealthy Media, from Nantucket Timmah to SoHo MoDo, feel the need to project their "connection" to "Average Americans." OF course they live in another world, but pretend they must.

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Did Brian Williams Tell The Truth About The Price of His Haircuts? | 33 comments (33 topical)

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haircuts (5.00 / 5) (#4)
by dorothy on Tue May 01, 2007 at 02:42:46 PM EST

Brian Williams gets his hair cut for free by a stylist that works at the network. He probably hasn't paid for a haircut in many years. His make up is free, too.

: That was my guess, too (none / 0) (#7)
by roy on Tue May 01, 2007 at 02:47:52 PM EST

The only way he's getting a $12 haircut (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by scribe on Tue May 01, 2007 at 02:43:05 PM EST

is if the barber is cutting prices for famous blow-dryed anchorpeople.

A friend whose standard line to the barber is "do what you can" relates that no one, but no one, gets out for less than $15 - and the prices have recently gone up. With all the hair Williams has, he should have to pay more.

Also, a while back I heard a radio sportscaster telling about his trip to a nice barbershop. Not only did he have to get the haircut and the shave, but he wound up feeling he had to (and therefore did) tip pretty substantially - such that his trip to the barber cost about $150. He felt the fear that, otherwise, he'd be seen as a cheapskate (and treated shabbily next time) and, further, that someone in the shop would call the gossip column at one of the local papers and tell what a bad, cheap customer he was.

So, no, Williams is not getting away with $12. He's probably paying about $100, and tipping a like amount.

"He really... (5.00 / 2) (#6)
by desertswine on Tue May 01, 2007 at 02:46:34 PM EST

...does not know how much a barbershop haircut costs."

I would be most surprised if the 10 million dollar man actually goes to barbershops, and does not have someone "come in" to do his most perfectly cropped hair on a perhaps weekly basis.

Although William's is surely lying. . . (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by LarryInNYC on Tue May 01, 2007 at 03:36:00 PM EST

(he, or his network, probably pay tens of thousands of dollars a year to keep a stylist on staff), it's pretty easy to find a decent haircut in New York for under $12. I pay $12 total for hair and beard.

Where? (none / 0) (#14)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue May 01, 2007 at 03:45:46 PM EST

I never found such a place.

Of course, given the limited work your pate provides, I could see you getting a cut rate . . .


Yes. . . (5.00 / 1) (#20)
by LarryInNYC on Tue May 01, 2007 at 04:29:52 PM EST

I was going to say that on a per-hair basis Williams would probably pay a good deal more than me.

I get my hair cut (I am not making this up) in the subway station at 32nd and Broadway.

The only thing is -- how is your Uzbekistani?


You get trimmed on the subway? (none / 0) (#21)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue May 01, 2007 at 04:49:14 PM EST

Like one of the subway musicians? You toss coin into his portable sink or something?


"Subway station." Can you (none / 0) (#26)
by oculus on Tue May 01, 2007 at 05:24:02 PM EST

not read?


Stop stepping on my joke (5.00 / 1) (#27)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue May 01, 2007 at 05:30:49 PM EST

: I'm totally amused by the subjects (none / 0) (#30)
by oculus on Tue May 01, 2007 at 06:12:28 PM EST

youve tackled today plus the BREAKING and, last of all, live-blogging the Pres.' unsigning statement. What next: polls, photos, you name it.

Brian Williams is human? (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by Dadler on Tue May 01, 2007 at 03:39:31 PM EST

He has real hair to cut? I'm a bit surprised. I always believed him to be animatronic.

Has anyone seen legitimate documentation?

Pansies... (5.00 / 3) (#15)
by Deconstructionist on Tue May 01, 2007 at 03:46:37 PM EST

I cut my own hair with a rusty Swiss Army knife I found in the woods while killing a bear.

: Heh (none / 0) (#17)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue May 01, 2007 at 03:55:49 PM EST

cheapies (1.00 / 0) (#31)
by jimakaPPJ on Tue May 01, 2007 at 06:27:37 PM EST

I can get a haircut for $8.00 that looks like a $8.00 haircut, or I can get a hair cut for $20.00 plus a $5.00 tip that looks like a $20.00 hair cut.

So what?

I'm not running for President, and I'm not running around talking about "two americas" and moaning about how hard I had it when I was growing up. BTW - In 1954 a haircut was .50 cents, problem was, I didn't have the $.50 cents.

DA (1.00 / 0) (#33)
by jimakaPPJ on Tue May 01, 2007 at 09:02:25 PM EST

but he was very successful in his chosen field.

What that makes him is:

very successful in his chosen field.

I mean VERY successful if he can afford $400 haircuts..

Yes sir. No doubt about it. A true Man Of The People.

Brother, can you spare a C note??

DA (1.00 / 1) (#35)
by jimakaPPJ on Wed May 02, 2007 at 08:34:46 AM EST

Nope. He'd take $375 and give it to charity..

Can't have any trickle down, can we??

In Grand Junction CO... (none / 0) (#1)
by rdandrea on Tue May 01, 2007 at 02:16:38 PM EST

I can still get mine cut for $12 before the tip.

Of course I have less hair than Brian Williams.

In DC and Philly (none / 0) (#2)
by andgarden on Tue May 01, 2007 at 02:29:52 PM EST

A cheap mens haircut goes for about $15-20 with tip.

Come the f*ck on (none / 0) (#3)
by scarshapedstar on Tue May 01, 2007 at 02:32:27 PM EST

Asked what was the most he'd ever paid for a trim, Williams responded, "probably $12."

I can't even find that in Louisiana.

: I don't buy it either (none / 0) (#29)
by Warren Terrer on Tue May 01, 2007 at 05:55:14 PM EST

That guy's got at least 12 bucks worth of hair gel alone in there at any given time.

Is this "news" because of Edwards' $400 (none / 0) (#8)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue May 01, 2007 at 03:02:30 PM EST

haircuts? Regardless, here in LA, Supercuts charges $11 or $12 (can't remember which) which includes styling, blow-drying, a little dab'll do ya hair product, etc. Shampooing is extra.

Noooo (none / 0) (#11)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue May 01, 2007 at 03:32:36 PM EST

Frankly, I have been to Super Cuts and that is not true.

Don;t become a Brian Williams now.


What's not true? (none / 0) (#16)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue May 01, 2007 at 03:49:25 PM EST

11$ for a Super Cuts hair cut (none / 0) (#18)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue May 01, 2007 at 03:57:16 PM EST

Not true.

There are Super Cuts everywhere you know.


Too funny (none / 0) (#19)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue May 01, 2007 at 04:05:38 PM EST

I didn't know if you were trying to say that shampoos were included in the price...

Anyway, I just called my local Supercuts (818-865-9876) and you are absolutely right - they charge, now, $14.95 for a men's haircut.

And I still don't know how much a gallon of milk is.

I guess I'll never be POTUS.


See (none / 0) (#22)
by Big Tent Democrat on Tue May 01, 2007 at 04:49:49 PM EST

Reality based.


: You are my touchstone. (none / 0) (#24)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue May 01, 2007 at 05:17:51 PM EST

12 bucks!!! (none / 0) (#9)
by kdog on Tue May 01, 2007 at 03:03:58 PM EST

What a ripoff...I pay 8 bucks, 10 with tip. Granted, my barber is pushing 70 years old.

I'm filing this under (none / 0) (#10)
by oculus on Tue May 01, 2007 at 03:13:03 PM EST

"I don't really care."

I'm with you (none / 0) (#23)
by squeaky on Tue May 01, 2007 at 04:52:47 PM EST

I don't even know who Brian Williams is. Doesn't seem like I am missing much.


I did feel like I was missing (4.00 / 0) (#25)
by oculus on Tue May 01, 2007 at 05:22:31 PM EST

important when some fellow on, probably CNN, was deriding the Democrats for harping on the Nigerian yellow cake myth. The fellos sd.--that's so old, over 4 years ago.


: Crazy (none / 0) (#28)
by squeaky on Tue May 01, 2007 at 05:34:27 PM EST

When there is so much news that's new.