Boys like blue

I cant help noticing that there are a slew of new commercials aimed at men who want soft skin - or at least don’t want craggy flakey skin.

This is all fine, who wouldn’t want baby soft skin? I guess the problem I have is one of stereotypes or at least the assumptions that are made about men.

1 - Why is it necessary for advertisers to shout the product name at me?
“NIVEA Q10 EXTREME, FOR MEN! WHO WANT SOFT SKIN!”
2 - The men in question can only feel justified using these skin care products on the pretext that have just returned from all night bender.
3 - All these products (and if you don’t believe me look in Boots) have to be in blue packaging and contain some kind of blue cream - or, better yet A GEL. Apparently, men who might feel a bit squeamish using a girly cream, will feel much better if the beauty product is delivered in an alcohol based gel that stings like fuck when applied to a freshly shaved face. Maybe men secretly base the depth of their machismo on how much they look like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone in the now famous aftershave scene.

So, in conclusion, if you’re a man you want a blue gel, advertised by a shouty man. It should be in a blue tube and be called X100GT. Finally it should sting, really sting, when applied.

Written by exmonkey on February 20th, 2005 with no comments.
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