[SIZE=3]Is our world defined by Madison Avenue? Many could argue that this is the case even when it comes to gender. Perhaps the true test of our acceptance into society will be when we begin to see bath products made with the transgender consumer in mind. I'm not holding my breath until that happens because blue just isn't my color. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]As I stepped in the men’s shower trailer this morning I noticed a phenomenon that has been one of the few constants in my life throughout my years. Despite the advent of inventions like shower baskets, gym bags, shaving kits and lockers, the male of our species has an innate tendency to orphan their personal hygiene products. Go take a peak at any men’s locker room in a school, gym or wherever else men decide to groom and you will note this inevitable occurrence with your own eyes. You will see numerous bottles of wayward shampoos, mouthwash, body sprays and other hygiene products. I find this to be further proof that I am female at heart. Despite my ability to loose car keys in a matter of nano-seconds I never misplace my personal hygiene products. A girl has to have her priorities and mine are directly anchored in vanity. Unfortunately, I have never used the female shower room at a school, gym or even in a war zone, but I would expect that the collection of wayward shower products ever present in men’s showers is not found in the female shower room. I wonder if Transmen inherit the ability to just depart the shower room with no regard for the bottles of beauty products that they are abandoning. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]As I stared at this strange collection of colored bottles I also began to notice another tendency concerning these products. Almost every one of them had some method of denoting they are a masculine product. Some were simply labeled shampoo for men. Some appealed to male sexual desire with line drawings of naked buxom females on them kissing a male. Others we more inconspicuous but the dark green and black colors on the bottles that certainly trend toward the male segment of the market. I did not see one pink or light blue bottle in this motley collection of products. There were no words that said anything about floral smells, spring mist or even sea spray. Almost every bottle in the place screamed use me and you will prove that you are 100% manly man. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]This made me think. What would happen to personal hygiene product marketing if society stopped forcing us into one gender box or the other? Would Madison Avenue start ad campaigns like, “Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman and appropriate for everyone else”? Would we see shampoo for men, shampoo for woman, and shampoo for transgender? Could we actually shave our faces with the pink razors rather than the grey razors? Oh the possibilities are endless! In the immortal words of Louie Armstrong, “What a wonderful world it would be”. We would be free at last to proudly display our light green scrunchies and Olay peach dream body wash! [/SIZE]
