Guys, we’ve been quarantining/isolating/social distancing for a long time now. While we’ve all gotten into our WFH and self-care routines at this point, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. And especially as the weather gets nicer, it’s more and more tempting to test the waters of getting back to normal life. Of course, in some states, restrictions have already been lifted, and people are experiencing things like restaurants and hair salons again. Speaking of hair salons, today we’re talking about one salon in Arizona, and two women’s long journey to get a much-needed cut and color.
Those women are Corinne Olympios and Amanda Stanton of Bachelor fame, and yes, they really did break quarantine and drive to another state to get their hair done. I mean, I’m really not that surprised, but still, like, really? On Monday, they drove from Orange County to Gilbert, Arizona, to visit hairstylist Chrissy Rasmussen at the Habit Salon. That’s a distance of around 400 miles, and according to Google Maps, it’s at least a five hour drive. I’d love a haircut right now, but that’s some serious dedication.
Both Corinne and Amanda documented their hair-care journey on Instagram, and Amanda even shared that she brought one of her daughters along to get her hair done. In this photo that Corinne shared, there are three different women working on her hair (and at least two more in the background), and there’s not a mask in sight.
For reference, Arizona salons were allowed to reopen starting May 8th, with new protocols in place to combat the spread of COVID-19. According to the Governor’s guidelines, salons must “provide face coverings to employees and visitors,” and practice “physical distancing in waiting and service areas.” Who knows, maybe Chrissy provided masks, but they certainly weren’t being used. And that’s definitely some sketchy nonexistent physical distancing. Like, maybe given the circumstances, you could have one person do your hair at a time instead of three?
In a post that I think was supposed to be funny (?), Amanda showed off her fresh hair, saying that she “may have peed on the side of a dirt road because I’m scared to use public restrooms.” But don’t worry, it was worth it!! I guess I’m glad she didn’t use a public restroom, but if you’re that scared, maybe it’s a sign that you should rethink what you’re doing?
Unsurprisingly, not everyone was thrilled to see these posts, and Amanda attempted to address everyone’s concerns in an Instagram story that has way too much text, but I read it anyway. She starts by explaining that she’s been VERY diligent about staying home, and hasn’t even gone to the grocery store since March 14th. That’s great and all, but please, go get some groceries, that’s not the issue here.
Then, she gets into the most compelling part of her argument: the salon was safe because she knew everyone there! She assures us that “Not a single person in there was a stranger or even close.” Great, because we all know that you can’t possibly get coronavirus from someone you know. I’ll just invite all my close friends over and see what happens! We’ll be fine! Amanda says that they tested negative before leaving California, which is fine, but did everyone else in the salon get tested? And if they’re just hanging out at the salon like it’s NBD, how many other people are they coming into contact with? It’s one thing to make a questionable decision for yourself, but to explain it away with bullsh*t logic is infuriating.
Amanda then responds to people who “might think this is going to great lengths to get my hair done.” (Sidenote: she literally went to great lengths to get her hair done, but whatever.) She says she has nothing else to do, and she’s totally willing to isolate from her family for a couple weeks in order to get that fresh balayage. She also explains that she posted her trip because she doesn’t feel bad, and that overall, she feels “really good about doing my part during this pandemic.” Ok, whatever helps you sleep at night.
In the grand scheme of things, it seems like Amanda has taken the pandemic seriously overall, which is why it’s so confusing and frustrating for her to do this now. Even with the precautions that she says she took, it doesn’t seem worth the risk. And we all saw Corinne’s photo with no masks, which isn’t any better.
As frustrating as it is to put our lives on pause, we ALL want things that we can’t have right now. I’m about to spend my birthday weekend alone in my apartment, and you better believe that’s not what I had planned. But just because I’ve been good until now doesn’t mean I’m going to throw it all away for something I *want*. Not to get preachy, but there’s still a very real crisis happening, and we shouldn’t just get to pick and choose when we care about it. As unpleasant as they are, the restrictions and guidelines are meant to keep us safe, and they should be taken seriously—not treated as a challenge to drive to another state to get what you want.
This isn’t a competition to see who can quarantine the most responsibly, but for two women with a lot of privilege and followers, they should be mindful of the influence they have over their fans. For every person who rolled their eyes at Amanda Stanton’s explanation, there could be someone else who started Googling the nearest state with open salons. “She said she was safe, so it’ll be safe for me too!” But even if you take precautions or get tested, it’s just not smart right now. We’re all doing our part to make it out of this, and I promise your highlights can wait.
Images: Gary Gershoff / Getty Images; colympios, amanda_stantonn / Instagram
