Razors Unnecessary in Second Life

One good thing about Second Life, it seems, is that razors are not necessary. That's good, because I've noticed that shaving technology in Real Life is getting worse, not better.

Recently I decided to upgrade to the latest in 2007 shaving technology. I had been using an old, 2-blade shaving system for years. I think the technology was invented sometime in the 1980s, replacing the hundreds-years-old single-blade technology. It always worked well, but over the years it started to feel older and older -- notwithstanding the fact I was buying new blade cartridges regularly, of course. Like any consumer, I became entranced by shiny new technology. With a name like Gillette Fusion Power Phantom, who wouldn't be?

The razor cartridge now has five blades (six if you count the special trimmer on the back, which I didn't even notice until I read the instructions on the web site -- and that's a problem in and of itself in too many ways to count. "Razor" and "web site" were never meant to be in the same sentence together.) Not only that, but it's battery-operated. It has a little vibrator which I suppose is intended to make the blades glide more smoothly over tough facial hair. Or intended to get you stopped at airport checkpoints.

Here's the problem. The vibrating blades don't do anything but make your face feel numb, making it more likely to get nicked. The cartridge has a flexible piece of rubber on its underside which separates the blades from your skin, which causes you to have to press harder, which makes it more likely to get nicked. And the five blades still miss the trouble spots around the chin. As a result, I end up with a patchy shave which I have to touch up afterwards, making it more likely to get nicked or get razor burn.

The moral of the story? Five blades is not better than two blades. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Don't be hypnotized by shiny objects. Razor blades and batteries should not be in the same device.

Second Life does have certain advantages over Real Life.