Pet Peeve - Age-ism / Scent-ism

I have to get this off my chest as I've read another review of a product using imprecise terminology.  The individual was reviewing Tabac's new gentle care line and he pointed out that the new product didn't have that "old man smell" of the original Tabac.  Come on, what does that tell a reader?  Everybody will have a different idea of what that smell is and frankly, its a little offensive.  There are plenty of middle aged and older men who shave and many on this forum and I don't think any of us think we smell bad.  In my experience older men use fragrance conservatively.  Subtlety is the key.  Its often the younger men who overdo the fragrance - it doesn't matter if its some expensive designer cologne or axe body spray.  If you douse yourself in it you will stink, you will make the eyes of those around you water and trigger their gag reflex. you will be hated in every elevator you ride in and people at the office will talk derisively about you behind your back.

Sorry for the rant, my point is that if you want to be a blogger and post meaningful reviews of products that you expect people to take seriously use more precise language to describe the products and be respectful of your readers.  Its one thing to be sitting around with your pals talking about stuff and quite another to be posting online to a broader audience.  Even here on DFS members tend to make a distinction between posting their thoughts/experiences and doing a formal review.  Think of it as the difference between you sitting around with your friends in the pub talking about the beer you're drinking vs a skilled Beer Judge judging various beers in a competition.  If you were to blog your random pub thoughts on the beer you likely won't be taken seriously.  The Beer Judge not only knows the product but he can express his views in clear concise terminology that is commonly understood across the beer world.  You know what he's talking about.  The opinions of the former aren't very helpful while those of the latter at least give you some reasonable basis for forming an opinion as to whether you'd like to try the product.  You may have tried the product and disagree with the judge but you have a common rational basis for that opinion, not just that it smells like old men.

I did mean to be (mostly) helpful with this post so I guess my point is, if you're going to take the time to blog reviews, do so in a precise and rigorous manner so that your work isn't wasted.  I realize it takes time and effort to review and blog on products so make it count.  Now if the point is to just entertain then I guess you can say what you want but you'd better be funny.
Thanks,
Mark

I totally agree. Something as complex as scent can not be reviewed in a simplistic manner. It does a pretty big disservice to the reader.

I would agree- particularly if "publishing" reviews. I am curious in the absolute, not the relative opinions of the reviewer.

Nice thread. Another reason why I take reviews with a super grain of salt and most of the time outright dismiss them.

I've gotten alot of compliments from some mighty pretty women when I wear Tabac, or some of the other old school aftershave's. Aqua Velva Ice Blue is my go to on date night. The trick is don't put it on heavy. I cut mine 50/50 with Witch Hazel.

Clayton

Thanks for the thoughts. For the most part, I agree. And I find it helpful when a reviewer uses comparisons, such as "The scent of this aftershave lasts on me about half as long as Creed GIT" or "The cool burn of this menthol aftershave is about 30% as intense as..." and also uses rating scales, such as "On a scale of 10, this aftershave's soothing qualities for me rate about a 7." Totally subjective comments about "an old man smell" or "a scent straight from the 1980s" are not helpful for me.

What I find so interesting about comments like "old man smell" or "it smells like something my grandmother wore" is that many scents are now considered unisex or, if not, men may wear a scent aimed at women and vice versa and each person may suit that scent. It does not alter who that person is but, to me, shows someone, no matter what age, who is an individual thinker. To not particularly like a scent is fair enough but to denegrate it because it doesn't appeal is quite something else.

What I find so interesting about comments like "old man smell" or "it smells like something my grandmother wore" is that many scents are now considered unisex or, if not, men may wear a scent aimed at women and vice versa and each person may suit that scent.  It does not alter who that person is but, to me, shows someone, no matter what age, who is an individual thinker.  To not particularly like a scent is fair enough but to denegrate it because it doesn't appeal is quite something else.

I agree Freddy. Then you add in an individual's body chemistry that regardless is going to make any scent unique to that particular person...

Most often I attempt to find reviewers that seem to have similar tastes and I more heavily weight their opinions as I feel that more often than not we will have a similar outlook. I look for more neutral descriptions and for the qualitative will hope that they use a "common" language. Old man smell means little to me. Mainly due to the fact that I am an old man.

Floral, sweet, citrus, peppery, etc. are descriptors that I can form a mental picture of and may lead me to either buy or pass on a product.

What I find so interesting about comments like "old man smell" or "it smells like something my grandmother wore" is that many scents are now considered unisex or, if not, men may wear a scent aimed at women and vice versa and each person may suit that scent.  It does not alter who that person is but, to me, shows someone, no matter what age, who is an individual thinker.  To not particularly like a scent is fair enough but to denegrate it because it doesn't appeal is quite something else.

I agree Freddy. Then you add in an individual's body chemistry that regardless is going to make any scent unique to that particular person...

Most often I attempt to find reviewers that seem to have similar tastes and I more heavily weight their opinions as I feel that more often than not we will have a similar outlook. I look for more neutral descriptions and for the qualitative will hope that they use a "common" language. Old man smell means little to me. Mainly due to the fact that I am an old man.

Floral, sweet, citrus, peppery, etc. are descriptors that I can form a mental picture of and may lead me to either buy or pass on a product.

Welcome to the club.

According to Scientific America there is such a thing as "old person smell" but I am guessing that isn't what the reviewer was getting at.  http://www.scientificamerican.com/articl...son-smell/

Personally I lean toward the traditional scents like the classic barbershop smell.  I find a lot of the newer scents too floral for my taste.  Understand this isn't a put down in anyway, I just tend to like the more traditional Bay Rum, Fine Barbershop, Shady Past, and the citrus based aftershaves.  I am with kwsher when he says "Floral, sweet, citrus, peppery, etc. are descriptors that I can form a mental picture of and may lead me to either buy or pass on a product.">  But I guess to some young kid that just bathed in Axe - those scents smell like "old men".