Masculinity in a Spray Can

Interesting article recently in the New York Times about the appeal and marketing of male body sprays (such as Axe or Swagger by Old Spice) to teen guys. An increasing number of tween boys are now jumping on board... adding to the fog of fumes that tend to follow young guys around these days.

ONE bathroom in Stefanie Mullen's home in a suburb of San Diego is stocked with enough products to line an aisle in a drugstore:

Body wash. Face wash. Exfoliator. Exfoliating wash. Body hydrator. Body spray. Deodorant. Shaving cream. Shampoos and conditioner. Hair gel, of course.

All told, 18 different containers.

They belong to her sons Noah Assaraf, 13, and Keenan Assaraf, 14. They have been dousing themselves for years.

"Every day they walk out the door in a cloud of spray-on macho," Mrs. Mullen said.

When boys pile into her car, that's her cue to roll down her window, no matter the weather. "The smell drives me nuts."

So boys are turning to hypermasculine guideposts like Instinct from Axe, Swagger by Old Spice and Magnetic Attraction Enhancing Body Wash by Dial with results that are poignant, comic, confused — and stinky.

Source: New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/fashion/31smell.html?pagewanted=1