Sexist Deodorant?

OK, I consider myself a pretty laid back feminist (I'm one of those feminine feminists who can't wait to watch the superbowl later and down jello shots), but I saw a product today that actually made me raise an eyebrow and say "Oh no they din't!"

The product is a tried and true one that I have been using for many, many years: Degree for women in the "Sheer Powder" scent. I don't use any other kind because it has never let me down. Until recently.

Years ago, when they first began launching this "body responsive" campaign, I was immediately drawn to the ad in my "Seventeen" magazine. There, in a full page glossy color, was the picture of a young female director behind a camera looking over her scene. All around her were problems written that had arisen during her day like "Your lead actress is stuck in traffic," or "Boom just collapsed onto the scene," and for good measure "Studio execs paying a visit after lunch." All these problems were followed by their famous slogan of "When the heat turns up, Degree turns on!" Or something like that.... I loved this ad so much, because it portrayed a strong young woman who was not going to be intimidated by the daily problems handed to her unexpectedly; she was not only going to face those problems head-on, she was going to bulldoze through them full force... and all with the help of Degree. I was so moved by this ad I even tore it from the magazine and kept it.

Fast forward thirteen years. I ran out of deoderant so I went to the store and immediately reach for my faithful product only to stop short upon reading the new slogan on the cap. Get ready for it..."Extra RESPONSIVE in EMOTIONAL moments." What the fuuuuuuuuuuck? Oh. No. They. Didn't.

I grabbed it anyway because the product works and I wanted to take a picture of it so I would have proof that I was not hallucinating, but let me tell you, it is enough to make me go in search for another deodorant with a demographic that does not target a massive group of "emotional" sweaty women. Last time I checked, I was sweating because I went for a hike not crying because I had just watched "The Way We Were." In fact, that movie evokes more eyerolls than beads of sweat from me.

Ironically, their main slogan on the website is "Degree: It Won't Let You Down." Sorry Degree, but I disagree. Maybe your next slogan should be "Degree: Body responsive to control your sweat while you slave over the pot roast you've been working on all day because you have no life."