I watch a lot of youtube, and these new deodorant ads abound.
There was one a few days ago that I couldn’t believe at first. A woman was posed with her split crotch towards the camera, and though clothed, there was an emoji or something covering her hoo-ha. The displayed text and her spoken message was something like “My vagina smells delicious!” I may be getting the facts wrong, because I exited out of that video as fast as I possibly could and it only existed as an unwelcome afterimage for awhile. I will continue to quickly exit the video any time one of these nauseating groin/pit/feet commercials are shown.
I listen regularly to a chess podcast that for a while had this as one of their regular running ads. On one hand I can’t imagine a bigger demographic mismatch between the voices in the ad and the listeners to the podcast; on the other hand, having been going to chess tournaments my whole life, chess players sometimes stink, so this isn’t the worst idea.
They make me think of a “Mad Magazine”-style parody in which some overweight sweaty looking woman has a visible fog of miasma emanating from her pants, which causes people to double over unconscious, plants wilt and birds fall dead from the sky.
ETA: on second thought that would be more Hustler magazine’s style.
For some reason, the Lume ones annoy me the most of all…maybe it’s because I can’t wrap my head around a female gynecologist in the 21st century who cheerfully profits off the decades-old tactic of telling women that they have a “stinky crevice” between their legs.
I haven’t seen the ‘scentaur’ one; it sounds mildly entertaining, in a way that’s meant to appeal to younger people/young internet culture.
There’s some Allegra commercial that features a girl singing angrily and stalking towards the camera, as a spokesman talks about Allegra. I don’t get it.
Exactly! Young women, especially, are very likely to develop insecurities about their bodies’ very natural states. This crap is just not something that anyone with a healthy “crevice” actually needs on a daily basis. But, with enough marketing, it will be perceived as a dire necessity.
Also, I saw a big Lume display at Target today. It’s 15 damn dollars!!
Since my spouse passed away no one at all has been sniffing my crotch at all… although I do practice basic hygiene so I do not offend myself. Seriously, I watch these commercials and think “soap and water anyone…?”
Body wash is mostly water and water is cheap. I suspect there’s a higher profit margin for manufacturers for body wash, hence the heavy advertising.
Due to my hyper-sensitive skin I use a dermatologist-recommended “cleanser” which is more of a gel, but if that wasn’t available I’d probably opt for a bar soap with minimal extra crap in it over body wash.
At a minimum I do a face, pits, crotch, feet, hands “whore’s bath”, which nails the parts that absolutely need washing daily (more often for hands) and/or generate most of the offending odors. Works like a charm and much cheaper than the “whole body deodorant” thing.
I suspect the demographic using these is more likely to shower multiple times a day than to go multiple days between showers. It may, actually, last 72 hours but I think it’s more to say “look how strong and powerful this product is!”
People of any age can stink - sweaty teenager anyone? No thanks - but “old people stink” carries the double whammy of body odor AND age. Body shaming for profit you might say.
Yes, in the days after some of last year’s surgeries when I wasn’t showering daily (that first week can be rough) I realized I was starting to develop some “old person stink”. Which was easily fixed by, you know, washing the old body. And getting the laundry done when I was up to it.
::: whinnies ::: “Naaaaaaaaative!”
That was funny once
Marketing.
Also, if you shower frequently using bar soap can seriously dry out your skin and cause problems. Which can be fixed by 1) not over-showering and 2) choosing a bar soap that’s easier on your skin. Or you can use bodywash, which tends to not be as drying.
For people with allergies it’s recommended that they shower/bathe/wash their hair before going to bed so as not to be inhaling dust and pollen all night. If you do that prior to going to bed and use your bed only for sleeping there will be less “filth” than if you roll into the sack unwashed. And, of course, change the bed on a regular basis.
You will never eliminate all dust, dirt, and germs in your environment. Get rid of most of it on a regular schedule and don’t fret about the rest.
Yeah, me, too - it’s the scrubbing. I exfoliate about once a week, but daily scrubbing with abrasives would leave me raw and bleeding. Not eager add another entry to the Epic Broomstick Skin Infection Series on this forum. For people like me the tendency for loofahs and scrubs to trap and hold debris and bacteria are kryptonite, which is why I use a clean washcloth every time (I keep a stack in the bathroom). As I noted, I use a “cleanser” recommended by a skin doctor (not from TV, from real life).
Perhaps the point is to develop a body cleaning regimen suited to your own body. If your skin is less delicate than mine count your blessings.
I might stink if I’ve been out camping for a week, or if I’ve been working in the summer heat and sweating all day, but in normal indoor activities it’s not a problem, all feedback has been positive.
^ This. I never re-use socks (well, I launder them - you know what I mean). In home I go barefoot. Don’t wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row, let those puppies air out really good.
Yeah, WTF? I’ve never had a OG/GYN talk about, much less recommend, deodorant of any sort.
My impression is that Lume somehow caught on and the other soap/wash/deodorant companies are not trying to cash in on the concept.
^ This.
Although men can also have crotch problems that need medical attention. Back when I used to stock shelves there was a guy who’d buy a new bottle of jock itch spray every single day. I’m thinking dude, have a doctor look at that because that is not at all normal but, of course, I’m a retail drone and he’s a customer so I said nothing.
No, I never noticed any objectionable odor around him. Bit of a whiff of crotch-spray all the time, but as these things go that’s pretty innocuous.
ISWYDT - good one!
Hey, if it works for you more power to you. I don’t think anyone here is objecting to someone choosing to use these products, it’s more the advertising that is INSISTING that this is NOT OPTIONAL and absolutely everyone NEEDS this.
Any doc will tell you that dealing with stinky patients is part of the deal, then go on to tell you that normal body isn’t anything compared to [insert anecdote here, bring barf bag]
If women’s crotches smell that bad to you why would you go into gynecology in the first place?
I’ve twice had an offensive odor emanating from my crotch. Both times it was addressed by a short course of antibiotics. And if you have an offensive issue from your ass that you can’t remove with soap, you should probably see a doctor, too.
Soap is probably good enough for the usual smells of healthy people. Sometimes i wish i had an antiperspirant for my crotch, but that tissue is kinda sensitive.
Interesting; not to refute what you said, but of all the doctors, allergists and sinus specialists I’ve seen over the years, not one has suggested this. Strange, as it makes sense. Would the smart thing be to shower/bathe morning and night or are we getting into that “people are too clean” mind-set I’ve been hearing a lot of lately?
Pardon my ignorance, but is there something you can put in yer drawers to counteract funk? Or doesn’t it work that way?
And BTW, I’ve always heard it’s better to use deodorant to cover your smells than antiperspirant to block your sweating (secretions are necessary, or something). Comments?
I’ll tell you what, Walmart’s Gold Bond powder knock-off immediately puts out crotch fire (armpits, too) and significantly helps skin healing; I think that’s mostly cornstarch.
I don’t have a problem with funk. I have zero interest in a deodorant. I have a problem with damp. I sometime change my clothes mid-day because they are too wet. And my crotch (and underboobs) are the chief problem areas.
