Most of this strip is one of those ones that Jeph probably thought was hilariously funny when he first wrote it but he's never really been able to make fully connect when it's actually drawn out. That's a long way of saying "No, I don't get it". I know what's
supposed to be funny but it isn't to me.
I feel like this is a nice callback to the last time we saw Emily intoxicated.
Actually, it's a callback to
every time we see Emily intoxicated. She always ends up hacking off her hair, which makes me wonder what the story is here. Does she feel social pressure to have long hair as part of the whole traditional 'willowy oriental girl' aesthetic and only has the courage to have the short hairdo she wants when drunk/stoned? Maybe her friends should sit her down and tell her that, no matter what others (her parents?) say, it's
okay for her to have short hair if she wants it.
I guess I may be overthinking her use of the word 'tyranny'.
Also, it says everything you need to know about Coffee of Doom - Sword under the counter, hair-clippers in the office.