milo E minderbinder's little corner

I'm a Mitchum Man

So I've been noticing these new Mitchum deodorant commercials plastered all over the subway and NYC bathrooms alike. Lets face it, they're a bit ridiculous. They are without a doubt playing right into the hands of over-testeroned Wall Street types, and I've proudly been so perceptive as to mentally note this from the first time I saw these billboards. I admit, they are entertaining. Lines such as, "If you're pretty sure you could kick out the window in an emergency, then you're a Mitchum Man," ashamedly but undoubtedly puts a little grin in the corner of your mouth. I then noticed that the signs in men's bathrooms were a little more forward and "racy" if you will. I believe the phrasing of one was, "If you don't worry about stagefright, then you're a MM ."

Sidebar (for women): "Stagefright" in the men's urinal world means that when someone else is standing right beside you at the urinal - or even just IN the bathroom, depending on the level of stagefright seriousness - you feel pressure to pee and can't! I'd be lying if I said I've never gotten stagefright, but I'm also a little embarassed to admit so. I don't know, there is just something intrinsically degrading about allowing another guy prevent you from peeing. I could actually spend a whole post on stagefright - when it comes about, what you can do about it, what to do if the guy next to you knows you have stagefright, etc. But that's another day.

Back to being a MM .....

Anyway, I brushed these MM ads off as an obvious play on faux-masculinity, and even subtly noting that giving into this campaign would be obfuscating my quest for not rewarding "corporate overstepping" in our daily lives. Honestly though, I didn't about it that much at all.

Fast forward to last Wednesday. There was a problem with our DC office, so I had to rush down from NYC to implement a backup solution and also try to get the root of the problem resolved. So I left the office at 2 and immediately started working at 5:30 or so when I got there. I had no time to go home before I left, so naturally, being the high-maintenance guy I am, I needed to go to CVS to get my toilettries. I purchased the following items:

• Toothpaste + toothbrush
• Superhold Hairgel - why did I buy superhold?
• 1 Axe spray - I swear, I'm striaght
• 1 Renu contact solution + case

and of course, you guessed it ....

• 1 deodorant - Mitchum for Men!!!

noooooooo!!!! I'm so dissapointed in myself, but you have to believe me when I say this was a completely subconscious purchase as I was thinking nothing about their ad campaign when I bought this. In fact, it didn't even hit me until I got back to NY and saw the billboard again. In light of this suckering, I came to one of either two conclusions, or perhaps a combination of both:

1) either I'm much more shallow than I fancied myself

or

2) these marketing folks are just that damn good

But you know what? The deodorant was pretty damn good too - and come to think of it, I believe I could kick out a subway window if I had to!

posted by miLo @ 11:49 AM