Oh, puke.

Besides the obvious, isn't it grating that hygiene/care products are sold to women as necessary upkeep for your gross unsexy self, but men get "hey this is awesome! also, hot girls!" (something nice you can choose as opposed to a requirement)?

Oh, puke.

Besides the obvious, isn't it grating that hygiene/care products are sold to women as necessary upkeep for your gross unsexy self, but men get "hey this is awesome! also, hot girls!" (something nice FOR YOU that you can choose as opposed to a requirement that makes you nice FOR OTHERS)?

Oh good, look what I did lol. This is a lesson to finish my morning coffee before posting ;)

Great, another awful ad, another awful reason not to turn on my TV.

And so true, greensprout. Women are constantly told that we need to be hairless, tan, smooth, exfoliated, blemish-free, sweet-smelling, generally hell of overgroomed just to attract any kind of dude. Guys are being told, "Hey, it would be great if you could scrub your feet, then even hotter chicks will dig you."

Yah, and apparently guys aren't even capable of washing themselves without assistance.

Does anyone else find the whole "undercarriage" part disgusting? (The whole thing is disgusting, but really--what a gross inuendo!)

I've been subjected to this ad twice at a movie theater (seeing it on the big screen is even worse) but the second time the last half of the ad was cut off by the movie starting. I couldn't suppress a cheer and there was quite a bit of supportive laughter in response.

The scent isn't the only thing about Axe that's cheap.

Between their vulgar commercials and the guys that wantonly spray that crap where I work (retail puppet), Axe definitely does not have the desired panty-moistening effect on me either.
Love the blog, by the way.

Anyone seen the new Nivea body-wash commercial? It basically contrasts young men/boys talking about how they want their soap to have a large radius of smell to attract women. These young men are portrayed as fairly typical USA versions of what a Brit might call a "hoodie" or a "chav". Then it cuts to a smartly dressed young man (mid 20's early 30's) who says he just wants his soap to clean him and not stink.

No women in commercial at all, just a good case of contrasting examples without being obnoxiously insulting to the "bad" example.

Good commercial. No idea if Nivea is any good, but the commercial was pretty good. (Oil of Olay moisturizing is what I use. It's good.).

The only good thing about this commercial was my S.O's reaction. He looked a bit confused, then he sneered, and followed that up with a single finger salute at the tv. It was rad.

Nobody has mentioned this so far, but Axe and Dove are both owned by Unilever. That's right - The Dove of campaign for real beauty and the self esteem fund.

There is a lot of information on this with a simple search on google, and there are even a few Youtube videos pertaining to this.

Here is one (not sure if it will work - it's easy enough to find anyway):

What a crock.

Well to be entirely fair, when they said "blow dry" with the emphasis on blow, I was expecting something MUCH worse . . .

Logrus: I was just thinking of that Nivea commercial. I really liked it. But then when I was looking for links to try and find it, I found this even creepier Nivea razor commercial with a robot that inserts the razor into her body (arm) has an intimate show shaving scene with a man, then the razor glides out of her arm. umm, yea, not at all creepy and sexualized.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6ZSZGUlHZ8

FemiDancer:

I gotta' say that while I do see that commercial as sexual, I wasn't bothered by it. I think that they were saying the electric razor with moisturizer is a melt of the mechanical and the sensual. Having used and electric for years when I was in the Army (speed of use, no cuts, etc) the image of a smooth, moist shave is fairly sensual (electrics almost always cause me razor burn and irritation).

Also the robot, while clearly a woman and clearly servile was at least not giant boobed or otherwise exaggerated.

But hey, maybe I just watch too much anime.

It just reminds me a lot of that Heineken woman/robot/keg. If the company wants the image of a woman shaving a guy's face in a sexy and sensual way, use a woman, not a robot that would be the robot version of a curvy attractive woman. I think the fact that the robot shows some agency (seems to actually like giving the guy a shave and is wistful that it is over) makes it even more awkward, because the robot becomes more like a person than just a machine. And if it is a person, then it is being treated as a weird shaving slave.

It's not the worst commercial I've ever seen...it's just vaguely creepy.

Logrus commented at August 18, 2008 12:24 PM : "Anyone seen the new Nivea body-wash commercial? It basically contrasts young men/boys talking about how they want their soap to have a large radius of smell to attract women. These young men are portrayed as fairly typical USA versions of what a Brit might call a "hoodie" or a "chav". Then it cuts to a smartly dressed young man (mid 20's early 30's) who says he just wants his soap to clean him and not stink."

I haven't (but now I'd like to), and when I tried to find a video of it online I found this: http://www.whatisgender.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=113&t=1268&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=0

Mina: I don't know what commercial they are talking about, but if it is the one I'm referring to they are way off base.

Nivea is saying "adult men don't want to stink like they used an entire bottle of cheap cologne." Which I think is true.

When I was a much younger man I would spray on at least ten spritzes of whatever cologne I was wearing and even Obsession stinks like ass when you put that much on.

Honestly I don't see the problem with this ad. Yes, the usage of woman as robots is blatantly sexist. However, the ad is clearly pandering to a male consumer, not female. This is a fantasy for men. If this were a body wash commercial for woman, and light and airy, there was copious use of the words "soft" and "feminine," and all of the loofahs were pink, then I would find reason for it to be offensive. Lol, its just a funny ad to me.

Honestly I don't see the problem with this ad. Yes, the usage of woman as robots is blatantly sexist. However, the ad is clearly pandering to a male consumer, not female. This is a fantasy for men. If this were a body wash commercial for woman, and the music was light and airy, there was copious use of the words "soft" and "feminine," and all of the loofahs were pink, then I would find reason for it to be offensive Lol, its just a kinda funny, slight corny ad to me.

Well... sometimes I want to wash naked men and be a robot, but generally not at the same time. And it sure as hell isn't all I wanna do!

Nobody has mentioned this so far, but Axe and Dove are both owned by Unilever. That's right - The Dove of campaign for real beauty and the self esteem fund.

Exactly! It makes me really angry and sad. I think I'm gonna stop using Dove products.

Also, because I couldn't resist:
"Did you know you can donate one or all of your vital organs to the Aperture Science self esteem fund for girls? It's true!"

Sigh... all that just to market a loofah to men.

Really boys (Axe)... do you have to objectify women and reduce them to robotic washers just to make yourselves feel less girly when buying a pouffy thing that lathers you up in the shower?

Holly: Really boys (Axe)... do you have to objectify women and reduce them to robotic washers just to make yourselves feel less girly when buying a pouffy thing that lathers you up in the shower?

If I don't then I'll turn gay. It's in the bible.

In a sense it's sort of fair because now they are trying to sell men crap they don't need just as they sell it to women.

I say we all just buy generic wash clothes instead of name brand loofas and let them all go out of business.

...the Axe shower TOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

Two posters have beaten me to it, but yes, "Axe" is brought to you by Unilever, the very same company that runs the "Dove", love yourself as you are, cosmetics campaign. They own a whole host of brands from Flora margarine to Sunsilk haircare products, to, wait for it, SLIM FAST... So much for loving our bodies the way they are. If you want to confirm this, go to Unilever.com where all their products are featured in all their hypocritical glory.

What it makes me think of is that at so-called Asian Massage Parlors, a body shampoo or a table shower is something men pay for, then they offer a negotiated tip for other so-called favors.

"Women are constantly told that we need to be hairless, tan, smooth, exfoliated, blemish-free, sweet-smelling, generally hell of overgroomed just to attract any kind of dude. Guys are being told, "Hey, it would be great if you could scrub your feet, then even hotter chicks will dig you." "

Trust me, both women and men have equal societal pressure to look good. If you're a decent looking man in any highschool you'll have random girls lifting your shirt up to see if you have a "six pack". Could you imagine it being acceptable for boys to lift girls shirts up, just to check out their breasts? Don't even get me started on this large penis shit.

Same folks that brought you this shit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WKpsYU14q8

I thought that Nivea electric shaver things was creepy as well. Do you know what country it was for, cause the robot lady definitely looked Japanese to me (which, for me, if it wasn't for an Asian country, added another level of creepiness by calling to mind geisha stereotypes).

Also, DevilLover, you're clearly super ignorant

They can "man" it up all they want - it's still a fucking loofah.

The first time I saw this commercial I dissolved into giggles for about 5 minutes, because the fact that they have to work so hard to sell something to dudes (that chicks have been using for years without thinking twice) is hilarious.

No pink or purple mesh here, boys! This Ultra Masculine Tool (Fixing things! Making stuff! Penises!) has black (Dark! Strong! Manly!) mesh, what appears to be a large red rock (Rough! Tough! Uncomfortable!) at the center, and it looks like a tire (Cars! Trucks! Cars, again!) to get you so clean, the ladies' feeble brains won't be able to process what a misogynist creep you are and will totally fuck you! What's next? Soap that just burns the dirt off because bubbles are too girly?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this is so fucking patronizing to dudes. If I were a guy, I'd be offended. Axe thinks they can slap some "masculine" colors on a loofah, call it a "tool," and they'll pay 5 times as much for something they could get for 99 cents if they were just willing to put up with pastel colors? Talk about not giving men credit. Jesus.

Also, I didn't realize that the revolutionary idea that a washcloth or sponge of some sort gets you cleaner than simply your hands has just now been discovered by men. And they say we're the intellectually inferior ones.

That being said, I'm probably going to buy it. I'm an exfoliation junkie, and this thing looks like it's about one step below a power sander. Just the ticket for averting those goddamned bumps on my ass.