The "Smoother you" section in Sainsbury's

[TheBigJessie]

Okay, there's been a lot of talk about the feminism section lately, so I wondered if any of you might be able to help me work out something.

A few months ago, I noticed the hair-removal products section in Sainsbury's had a little signpost saying "Smoother You". For some reason, this really annoys me, but I can't word to myself why?

I know that I am not against people using hair-removal products, if they so choose, but I don't like that sign. I think it should say say Hair Removal Products. But I don't explain why i feel that.

[KeepingAwayFromTheJoneses]

What does the sign say near the men's shaving products? I haven't seen the Smoother You sign but I think it would annoy me too. I think it is because it somehow implies that hair removal is part of a journey to self-improvement. The Feminine Care sign annoys me and I would prefer it to say Sanitary Products. Having said that the Home Baking sign gets my back up because I don't generally go to Sainsbury's to buy products for commercial scale baking. I think it should just say Baking.

I find supermarkets very annoying overall.

[SardineQueen]

I thought it said "smother you"!!!

Is it because "hair removal products" is factual and straightforward and judgement free

Whereas "smoother you" contains the message that smooth is a good thing, it is making a positive judgement about smoothness being desirable and implies that obviously that is what you will want? Also it's a bit odd because if you have hair on your arms say it's not "rough" - so what is it? And also it implies that even with all these fantastic products women will never quite get there - they will be smoother but not smoothed. Sort of thing.

What does the aisle for mens shaving stuff say?

[TheBigJessie]

Thanks. Your posts are helping.

I'm not sure what the men's section says. I only noticed the women's, because it was on the opposite side from 2Baby Prerequisites". (Yes, really. That's what it's called.) I will have to check the men's.

[TheBigJessie]

Or it's "Baby Requisites". The 2 doesn't actually feature on their sign.

[SardineQueen]

baby requisites?

WTF?

How many people in the UK know what requisites means? It's not exactly modern parlance is it

Also get naffed off by feminine care / feminine hygiene i mean FGS why the fannying around (pardon the pun) just say what it is dammit

[AIBUqatada]

I think "smoothness" has historically been used in association with shaving products for men, and I wonder if the distastefulness of the slogan comes more from the word "You". I wonder if adverts aimed at women are more likely than those aimed at men to take the form "[Something]-er You," playing on the constant nagging need felt by women to reshape, redefine a self that is always taught to feel flawed.

I know that obv all adverts, to men and women, emphasise a sense of lack, incompletion, to make you imagine you need the product, but this word "You" foregrounds the project of a kind of redemptive reshaping of a hated self, rather than focussing on a specific problem-solving objective as an advert to a man might be mpore liekly to do.

And "Smoother You" suggests a self that is just generally more effective, higher-performing, a "smooth operator", as if spurious forms of grooming were a part of functioning well.

All that, plus, as Sardine says, it is so annoyingly different from a plainly informative, value-neutral "Hair-removing products."

Mind you, a sign in my local Sainsbury's has "Biscuitts [sic]" which is bloody annoying too.

[SardineQueen]

so "smoothing products" would be less twitch-inducing than "smoother you"

yes that's true

although then I would think yhat the aisle contained DIY stuff - fillers and sandpaper and that

[MMMarmite]

I think you have a point AIB. (Although the 'smoother' adjective is kind of silly too, hair doesn't have to be 'rough').

It's like "the new you" used to sell weight loss products, beauty products, plastic surgery. It's saying there's something wrong with the current you, and you need to replace yourself with a new and better you, and the way to do that is to buy their product. And it implies that your looks (specifically the aspects of your looks that can be changed by using a product or surgery) are a massively important part of your 'self', and changing them will magically make your life better.

[TheBigJessie]

That's it! It's the "you" that's been making me prickle. I think it might make me think of "a better you".

[Beachcomber]

I was just about to post they might as well call it 'better you'.

It is a marketing technique but it is an unpleasant one because there is an implication that you are not good enough as you are and that you must buy these products if you want to be considered half decent.

[Trills]

Just say what it is, silly Sainsbury's.

Stuff for periods

Stuff for babies

Hair removal stuff (women)

Hair removal stuff (men)

[Trills]

Stuff for when your pelvic floor control is not what it was

[AIBUqatada]

Yes, say it like it is. The euphemism "Feminine hygiene" is vomitous and makes me want to replace it with the most dysphemistic term I can think of. "Bloodmoppers" or some such.

[WidowWadman]

AIBUqatada - my 3yo will shout out loudly, happily and very often that "when I'm a big girl I can use mummy nappies too!" It's her own coinage, personally I prefer the hygiene euphemisim.

[Hullygully]

Oh I LOVE feminine hygiene, it is my phrase of choice.

[Hullygully]

Bloodmoppers is very good tho.

[Hullygully]

"Hairless Freaky You"

"Shave, Wax and Fry yourself Bald as an Egg"

[AIBUqatada]

"Drunker You" for the alcohol aisle
"Naffer You" for supermarket attempts at homeware.

[yellowraincoat]

AIBUqatada and SardineQueen have it spot on I reckon. "Smoother" is generally seen as a positive in any situation - smooth sailing, smooth things over - it is positive, not the neutral that a non-hairy leg should be. And YOU. Like YOU will not be rough and horrid after shaving your legs. It's a judgement not just on your legs but on your person.

Feminine hygiene makes me laugh - fanny pads, surely.

What also makes me laugh is the sheer volume of sprays and wipes and washes for the vulva which simply do not exist for the penis. Cockwipes? Dickspray? No. This despite the fact that penises get equally as unfresh as vulvas. And why on EARTH would you need to spray it?!

As Sarah Silverman said "if you get out of the shower and there's still a rancidish odour you don't need feminine deodorant, you need a doctor."

[WidowWadman]

yellowraincoat - You can actually buy cockwipes to "look after your manatomy" (don't worry, no explicit pictures or anything pornlike on that link).

I can't see a big market though (and prefer men to have a shower rather than to just wipe)

[yellowraincoat]

FELLAS! Ha ha ha.

They're not all over Superdrug and Boots though. And yes, seriously, shower. Wiping is not enough.

[Hullygully]

manatomy. brilliant

[wasabipeanut]

Thank you for that Sarah Silverman quote yellowraincot - love it.

[TunipTheVegemal]

yes, 'smoother you' is a bit personal.
I'll stick with the rough me thanks.

The other problem is it equates 'you' with 'your skin in the places where you're expected to take hair off'.
I am not the skin of my legs/fanjo/upper lip. I am a human being with needs, dreams and a brand new Kenwood Prospero.