The only hygiene items I can think of that are marketed to men are deodorant and toothpaste, and toothpaste isn't gender specific. Males don't need to be 'clean?' I'm sure we've all heard people proclaim in disgust that something or other 'smells like balls.' Are men comfortable in their own scent? Possibly. Should women be comfortable in their own scent? Absolutely. But many are shamed into thinking that if we smell (even if it's 'natural'), we can't be loved. Enter douche sprays, feminine wash, tampons, etc.
What really grinds my gears is the fact that there are marketable 'male'- and 'female'-specific scents. Women: rainforest, berry, flowers. Men: musk, sport.
Let's reiterate. Women: delicacy. Men: aggression, pugnation, exaggeration. Hmm.
A quick perusal of the Old Spice website leads me to conclude that male scents are a form of 'security' in manliness: scents like 'Swagger,' 'Showtime,' and 'Fiji'; you want to smell like confidence and an entire city? How about 'Assured Dominance?' [Don't get me wrong, the Old Spice guy (Isaiah Mustafa) is hilarious and all, but you can't deny the branded stamp of "MAN" all over this brand.] If a man were to wear female deodorant, he would probably get strange looks and maybe even be pegged as a homosexual.
What bothers me the most is the way marketing officials take advantage of women. "Smellin' a little too much like vagina today? Why not smell like flowers? Cover that cunt up, make it go away." Female consumers are comforted by smelling 'fresh.' I've bought into it, too. Truth be told, females most likely play a large role in the male deodorant industry as well: "Hey, boyfriend, I like it when you smell like ____. I'll pick some up for you later."
Do you expect them to market them as gender neutral? Why isn't there a masculine hygiene aisle? Because the vast majority of men don't care. I have never thought to myself "Gee, I wish they would release more soaps/deoderants/shampoos/perfumes/etc marketed toward men." It just doesn't cross my mind. I honestly don't believe that just because the female gender has more hygiene products marketed towards them that it is somehow persecuting them as having a scent not worth being comfortable with. Thats silly. The male gender is seen as the dirtiest, most vile and messy gender. So at the same time that men are "glorified" for the scent of their gender, they're insulted for it too. Like you said, things "smell like balls" or "stink like dick." I don't often hear someone complain that something "smells like vagina" and ever be taken seriously as a person. The reason for the hygiene marketing differences? Money. Women have, throughout the ages, shown more interest in such things. Women care more about what they smell like, and want more of a variety. They gravitated towards "delicate" scents over "aggressive" "pugnant" or "exaggerated" ones. It isn't a matter of gender inequality, just decades of marketing statistics. The moment women decide to buy scents that aren't "delicate" is the moment companies will start making "Swagger" adds aimed at women.
ReplyDeleteI don't disagree with you. Maybe I didn't make my point clear enough: I agree that men don't care, but I wonder if this is because they don't 'need' to care. They're not shamed into thinking their natural bodily odor is bad (even if it smells rank) because they're men and hard working men should smell like they've, well, been working hard.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there should be a push for male hygiene, but a decrease in the idea that there should be a feminine hygiene section at all.
Like you said, males are dirty and messy, but I think that's because they're allowed to be. Women who do so are viewed as abnormal.
I completely agree with you that the reason for the marketing difference between genders is money/the proclivity of women to buy into such things, but I don't know how much of the buying is conscious rather than guilt purchasing.
I think the fact that stores have a female hygiene section isn't due to a belief that women need to be cleaner, but that there is just THAT MANY MORE hygiene products for women. Maybe that is because society thinks women shouldn't feel comfortable with their scent, but I don't believe that. Sure, the idea that a man can be dirty is more acceptable in common society than a dirty woman, but those men are still looked down on. Who do you hold up to a higher degree of respect, JFK jr or Larry the Cable Guy? A construction worker or a young business man? I know I feel ashamed walking out of the house if I've forgotten to put on deoderant, or didn't have time to shower, because I know my stench will be off-putting to any people I meet. The idea that we should be ashamed of how our bodies smell isn't a female thing, its a human thing. Women just gravitate more towards the idea of smelling good. If that is societies fault than it is an equal part male/female issue, not a misogynist plot.
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