A Cupar barber will work a 24-hour shift in a bid to disprove celebrity theories about laziness.
James Calderwood has challenged himself to cut hair for a whole day and night after becoming frustrated at the “everyone has the same 24 hours” rhetoric.
The 31-year-old who owns Yasper Barbers on Crossgate, says he is fed up of hearing celebrities hit out at a perceived lack of work ethic.
‘Nobody wants to work’
It comes after Love Island star and Pretty Little Thing creative director Molly-Mae Hague came under fire in January for saying everyone has “the same 24 hours in a day” and insinuating that those who are less well off should work harder.
Many were taken aback by the statement, which was widely seen as elitist and insensitive.
Molly-Mae has since apologised for her comments.
Soon after, reality TV star Kim Kardashian was hit with similar criticism after saying “nobody wants to work”.
Burnt out
James says the comments promote a culture of constantly working which he believes is unhealthy.
He said: “There’s been a lot of celebrities saying that we all have the same 24 hours in a day and I kind of got sick of it.
“Molly-Mae, Kim Kardashian, you can take your pick of who is saying it.
“I don’t think it’s fair. These people have chefs, so straight away they’re not spending any time making meals or cleaning up.”
He added: “They have drivers, they don’t need to wait for public transport.
“They have people looking after their kids.
“If you compare their 24 hours to the 24 hours a of a single mum, it’s not the same.
“You have people who are already feeling burnt out, so when they see that they feel guilty and the cycle just continues.
“I just want to show them what 24 hours of work is like.”
40 customers booked so far
So far, the barber has 40 customers booked for his marathon on April 1 – with another eight spaces available.
Each space lasts for half an hour, meaning that he will have very few breaks during the 24-hour shift.
“I’m kind of hoping someone will be late at some point,” he said.
“That way I’ll get a chance to eat something.
“The other guys who work here don’t think I’ll be able to do it.
“They think I’ll be tapping out after 12 hours.”
‘Everyone is really excited’
James is donating all money raised during the shift to the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) and Cupar Foodbank.
James aims to raise £2,500 by combining the earnings from the 48 haircuts with an online fundraiser.
The marathon will also be livestreamed, with the barber taking donations from viewers and playing music by local bands and DJs.
James said: “Everyone is really excited to see it happen.
“I’m aware I’ve not got the most gruelling job in the world, but I’m not tweeting from a mansion somewhere.
“I just want to show these celebs what 24 hours of actual work looks like.”
