Last Class on February 23, the Mystery of Bubble/Bobby

In my first visit to the barber shop, one of the barbers didn't identify with his actual name. He said his name was "Bubble". Or, at least that's what I understood. Two weeks ago, professor Reisner asked me how this guy spelled his name or nickname. I didn't know because I didn't ask him. Last class, we watched the movie "Barber Shop".

One character named "Eddie" mentioned a word that seems to be related to what that barber told me. "Eddie" mentioned "Bobby" as the paradigm of a respectable barber. Maybe, Bubble really meant Bobby - a detail I perhaps missed due to my language limitation, his accent, and more probably because of the stress I was under in that first visit.

Anyway, I was determined to ask Bubble not only the spelling but also the meaning of it. I went to my third visit on Friday 24; but, several barbers including Bubble were not working that day. Platinum Boyz was kind of slow because of the All Stars game in Orlando. So, I couldn't see him.

I did some online research and found "Bobby's World" is a very respectable barbershop recognized by giving service to Hip Hop celebrities. This shop is run by a superstar barber known as "Bobby". I clearly remember Bubble told me, or I understood, "My name is Bubble because I live in a Bubble world." Now, I don't know if Bubble referred to the famous barber shop "Bobby's World" or to the paradigm mention by "Eddie' in the movie. Or, maybe "Bobby's World" comes from what it's mentioned in the movie. I'm going to have to wait until Bubble explains all of this to me in my next visit.

I'm amazed how the simple fact that I entered the world of black barber shops took me through this path of cultural codes that seem intriguingly mysterious for me. I don't want to draw conclusions in advance; but, if Bubble, Bobby, and Bobby's World are connected through meaning and use, that would be a remarkable example of the integrating function of slangs in a cultural/ethnic context. But, that's to be confirmed.