While women are more prone to talk about our body insecurities, we’ve long known that men are not immune to body image woes. I have discovered this both via research – incidence of eating disorders among young men has shot up over the past decade – and via personal observation. Remember this Gym Adventure? (Incidentally, that man later went on to become a good friend of mine and do quite a few workouts with us!)
As a mother of three sons, I’ve counted myself lucky that I never had to worry about telling my kindergartner no to wearing fishnets like Miley or my first grader to wash off that face of make-up. But according to The New York Times, I am no longer safe in my smugness as pre-teen and tween boys are the latest targets of cosmetic companies.
PS> Be warned that their commenting process is wacky. It routinely rejects my comments and I write for them! I’ve found the best way is to post as anonymous and just sign your name at the bottom. Or sign up for a Never Say Diet account! Or just leave me a comment here if you feel so inclined:)
Great article over there! I read that New York Times article, too. It's so silly, but when you're a kid smelling good seems like the difference between being a cool man and being a geek. I just hope it doesn't have an affect on girls, forcing them to sex it up even earlier to nab the good-smelling older boys. What's wrong with just being a kid?!
Charlotte, one more thing in an already crazed media world! I am glad I don't have boys to worry about but I do have young grandsons… I am passing this on to my stepdaughters!
Nowadays, the lines of protecting the innocence of youth seems to be blurring more and more.
Suing! Gah! Will wonders never cease.
I must be really out of it because I haven't been "into" fragrance for so long, I just assumed that they weren't that popular- but it's very sad that it's the lads partaking. But I really would worry if they tried to dawn the face makeup and the fishnets- that would be worse. 😉
PS the reason it rejects your comment is because you OBVIOUSLY don't know that 11+5=16! Puh. 😉
Nice article Charlotte, but I have to point out one thing. You say, "What are second grade boys doing wearing cologne?" I say, what are second grade boys doing going on "dates" with girls…chaperoned or not? You may not like what the fragrance, etc companies are doing to masculinize our young boys, but aren't you doing the same thing by encouraging or simply allowing an 8 year old to "date" already. God, aren't our children growing up fast enough? Do we really have to encourage this "manly" behavior in them? We need to start letting our children be children!
Anonymous – That is a really good point and I'm glad you brought it up. If by "date" you mean a pairing off two people (or kids in this case) for romantic purposes then no, this absolutely was not a date. This was a "play date" where two kids enjoy hanging out together and is as innocent as it comes. The problem comes when we impose an adult interpretation on a childlike activity. I love that my son has girl friends as well as boy friends and enjoys their company. I think hanging out with girls and being friends with them will help keep him from objectifying them or stereotyping them in the future.
Interesting article Charlotte. Good to know.
I have to point out to Anonymous that "dating" by kids started long ago. When I was a kid I had a "boyfriend" in kindergarden. Completely innocent. Now my daughter has had several "boyfriends" (she is now 7) whom she has gone to movies and had playdates with. All innocent (really just friends-nothing romantic) and all have been good experiences for her.
At the beginning of the school year she told me she was no longer a certain boy's "girlfriend" because he was making bad choices at school and misbehaving. I asked her if she told him that and she replied "Of course!" That's my girl!!
Yeah, I'm not on board with the whole 'scent' scene. I've never had a boyfriend who wore cologne (thankfully), and I don't wear perfume. I like to shower with scented products, but my lotions tend to be unscented. It just gives me a headache after a long day.
Today at the gym a girl started using the elliptical beside me, and her perfume was so overwhelming, I stopped immediately.
The health centre at my school has a 'no scent' policy…I'm really hoping the gym institutes it soon.
And I agree with the ridiculousness of commercials aimed at men. I will say that it does actually seem to affect them until they're…26 or so? Even the law school boys under the age of 26 are (generally) looking for one thing only. I've essentially decided to hold off dating until I'm finished law school, because every male in my age bracket is…well, sort of gross, in some way or another.
Not surprising that boys are affected also! Our distorted food supply, and economically driven unrealistic expectations makes for a dangerous combination.
PS They are training a new editor at Calorielab so my column will be on a short break 🙁
Great article.
I personally think velcro shoes are the bomb. I can't wait to get old so I can wear them all the time 🙂
adding to the difficulty, the same company that makes Axe also makes Dove. Is it possible to love a company that encourages self esteem and all types of beauty, but simultaneously be grossed out by their misogynistic Axe ads?!
My 3rd grader came up to me awhile back, very serious, and said he didn't want to use the hair gel I had bought for him anymore because someone at school told him he smelled like the dr's office.
🙂
I really hope they don't want to use smelly products as they get older. I don't like strong smells on people.
When my fifth-grader started school this year, part of the requirement for gym was bringing deodorant in their gym bags. I couldn't believe that there was not one 'men's' deodorant at one retailer (red dot w/ a circle) that wouldn't make my then 9-yr-old smell like he was an SNL Roxbury Guy.
The AXE is thick as pea soup in my middle school!! 6th graders LOVE it. Maybe it's the rancid sex inducing commercials that make the 11 year old boys think the ladies love it!
I hate perfumes and that every thing has to have a bunch of chemical esters masquerading as any natural (or not) scent. While I don't think 8-year-old boys should use body fragance, I actually don't think it's the worst thing for young men to learn to groom. We pound into girls at a very early age that they must have pretty long hair and spend much miserable time caring for it while we fail to teach boys the slightest thing about grooming. Maybe boys are pouring on the Axe because TV is teaching them more about grooming then their parents are. And as a woman who works out, eats healthy, tried to dress nicely before I became a stay-at-home dog sitter, and who goes crazy for a sharp-dressed man, I want more men to learn how to dress, which happens during adolescence.