# So do old men stink or what? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886 "2007-10-24T23:10:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/1 "2007-10-24T23:10:50Z")
Why is it every time I see an air freshener commercial they always got some old man in the background? As if being old and male itself causes one to stink. Hmmph! I’m _trying_ not to be offended for my future self. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/2 "2007-10-25T03:12:51Z")
Well, I guess that Depends. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/3 "2007-10-25T03:17:48Z")
If you can’t take the smell, stay off the lawn. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/4 "2007-10-25T03:18:54Z")
Hey! I resent this thread! And my shit don’t stink, either. Harumph! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/5 "2007-10-25T03:28:29Z")
Why, when I read the header, did the name _Aqua Velva_ immediately come to mind? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/6 "2007-10-25T04:21:32Z")
Just don’t bring up my Old Spice again. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/7 "2007-10-25T04:26:12Z")
I come in very close contact with 20-50 old men a day. (No, I’m not a high-class prostitute in DC with a lot of Congress business.) A small minority, maybe 10-20 percent, do smell bad. I figure they think since they’re retired and don’t do much besides go to the doctor’s, that they don’t have to shower every day. Or even every week. It’s not very many of them that smell bad, sometimes they even smell _good_ but then it’s been a long time for me- but when it’s bad, it’s really, really bad. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/8 "2007-10-25T05:18:24Z")
[QUOTE=Alice The Goon] sometimes they even smell _good_ but then it’s been a long time for me [/QUOTE] _blink_ Hi. I have at least one grey hair. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/9 "2007-10-25T05:23:35Z")
Yeah, when your list of standards has fallen to “smell good”, it’s bad. It’s real bad. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/10 "2007-10-25T05:43:56Z")
[QUOTE=Alice The Goon] I come in very close contact with 20-50 old men a day. (No, I’m not a high-class prostitute in DC with a lot of Congress business.) [/QUOTE] Then what _are_ you? Cruise director? Hat store employee? Shuffleboard pro? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/11 "2007-10-25T05:46:53Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Then what _are_ you? Cruise director? Hat store employee? Shuffleboard pro? [/QUOTE] I work in a derm office that specializes in skin cancer (note the location). ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/12 "2007-10-25T05:50:35Z")
Ah. All becomes clear. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/13 "2007-10-25T20:14:15Z")
Yeah they kinda do quite often. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/14 "2007-10-25T20:23:07Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] Hey! I resent this thread! [/QUOTE] Do you deny it? and, FWIW about the same percentage of old women, in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/15 "2007-10-25T20:26:03Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Why, when I read the header, did the name _Aqua Velva_ immediately come to mind? [/QUOTE] Yep, with a Vitalis chaser. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/16 "2007-10-25T20:26:47Z")
[QUOTE=SHAKES] Why is it every time I see an air freshener commercial they always got some old man in the background? As if being old and male itself causes one to stink. Hmmph! I’m _trying_ not to be offended for my future self. [/QUOTE] Which commercials are these? The only ones I see blame it on the dog. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/17 "2007-10-25T20:29:10Z")
[QUOTE=outlierrn] and, FWIW about the same percentage of old women, in my experience. [/QUOTE] The sense of smell diminishes along with the other senses, though maybe not at the same pace. Although maybe it _does_ at the same pace, if all those over-perfumed and -aftershaved elders out there are any indication. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-old-men-stink-or-what/423886/18 "2007-10-26T03:50:26Z")
[QUOTE=outlierrn] Do you deny it? and, FWIW about the same percentage of old women, in my experience. [/QUOTE] Dadburn young whippersnappers! Grumble, grumble, grumble.