Secret - 1982

[corridor7f.livejournal.com]

 

Comments

[suchakiller.livejournal.com]

Isn't that Carl Winslow?

[charlotterhys.livejournal.com]

I wanna know just what they're doing.

Also, her pants scare me.

[avec-bonheur.livejournal.com]

Lol. I'm old enough to remember the controversy over the "strong enough for a man, but made for a woman" slogan.

Oh, feminists.

[crabofdoom.livejournal.com]

Isn't that just as sexist as saying "woman, get away from my Speestick!"...? It's interesting that with such a segregated stance (boys on that side, girls on this side,) there's nothing to clearly indicate that that is a woman. A man could wear anything she has on, even a wig, at the very least in a vaudeville spirit. That outfit does nothing to highlight physical features that would actually be feminine. Even her neck is covered, to hide whether or not there's an Adam's apple. She kind of reminds me of El Debarge's lead singer, in fact, sans mustache.

[crabofdoom.livejournal.com]

Being that I'm an FtM, myself, no. I meant 'that' as in 'that picture'. And while I'm wholly in favor of androgyny, I don't understand why it would be used in an ad intended to illustrate some fundamental difference in gender-specific deodorant. If they're going to go with a polar approach, there had to be a more feminine outfit on hand, even if this was in style in the 80s.

[caerfrli.livejournal.com]

I believe he's supposed to be an umpire.

[kimerastorm.livejournal.com]

He's wearing a standard MLB Umpire's uniform.

She's wearing a -very- popular jumpsuit style club outfit from the mid 80's.

[air-and-angels.livejournal.com]

I think the 'joke' is that he's an umpire and she says 'Bad call.'
Oh well, her sparkly purple jumpsuit gives me agreeable flashbacks to Jem and the Holograms!

[je-reviens.livejournal.com]

He;s an umpire -- see how he is brushing off the plate? That's why she tells him it's a bad call.

[minniemousegirl.livejournal.com]

This ad is not putting forth an androgynous idea. This was the style back then. Simple. Back then this was a very feminine outfit from this time period. Shoulder pads made a huge comeback during this time fashion period, and I hated them, still do. Women wore tailored suits during the 1940's complete with shoulder pads. So what was the "message" back then?

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

Nope, it's just cool 80s style sorry to say. I remember, alas. I don't think they thought about the gendered element beyond "woman in sexy nightclub attire that is currently fashionable."

[kimmy-kun.livejournal.com]

*looks at ad, clearly sees a woman*

What?

[meleth.livejournal.com]

The ad makers probably figured the purple sequins would clarify that she's a woman. And the choice of a more "power suit" kind of casual getup is most likely there to support the idea that Secret is strong enough to do anything men's deodorant can do, but is designed for women (I don't know how much truth there is to the Ph balance thing).

Also wut.

[je-reviens.livejournal.com]

Well that was how we dressed in the 80s and guess what, we were considered very feminine at the time! Geez.

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

This. Sigh, this jumpsuit reminds me of the burgundy boucle I *slaved* over with its welt pocket and quilted shoulder pad detail, that I ruined after only wearing once because there was bleach residue round the toilet, and of course you have to drop the whole thing...

Man, that jumpsuit was exceptionally cool at the time. EXCEPTIONALLY.

[je-reviens.livejournal.com]

I had a white flannel jumpsuit with a black paisley pattern on it and shoulder pads. I wore it with a thick black belt and Egyptian mummy earrings. And spiked hair. STYLIN'!

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

Kids today just DON'T UNDERSTAND.

[je-reviens.livejournal.com]

Remember when it was PARENTS that didn't understand???

You know parents are the same
No matter time nor place
They don't understand that us kids
Are going to make some mistakes
So to you, all the kids all across the land
There's no need to argue
Parents just don't understand

I remember one year
My mom took me school shopping
It was me, my brother, my mom, oh, my pop, and my little sister
All hopped in the car
We headed downtown to the Gallery Mall
My mom started bugging with the clothes she chose
I didn't say nothing at first
I just turned up my nose
She said, "What's wrong? This shirt cost $20"
I said, "Mom, this shirt is plaid with a butterfly collar!"

The next half hour was the same old thing
My mother buying me clothes from 1963
And then she lost her mind and did the ultimate
I asked her for Adidas and she bought me Zips!

I said, "Mom, what are you doing, you're ruining my rep"
She said, "You're only sixteen, you don't have a rep yet"
I said, "Mom, let's put these clothes back, please"
She said "no, you go to school to learn not for a fashion show"
I said, "This isn't Sha na na, come on Mom, I'm not Bowzer
Mom, please put back the bell-bottom Brady Bunch trousers
But if you don't want to I can live with that but
You gotta put back the double-knit reversible slacks"

She wasn't moved - everything stayed the same
Inevitably the first day of school came
I thought I could get over, I tried to play sick
But my mom said, "No, no way, uh-uh, forget it"
There was nothing I could do, I tried to relax
I got dressed up in those ancient artifacts
And when I walked into school, it was just as I thought
The kids were cracking up laughing at the clothes Mom bought
And those who weren't laughing still had a ball
Because they were pointing and whispering
As I walked down the hall

I got home and told my Mom how my day went
She said, "If they were laughing you don't need the,
"Cause they're not good friends"
For the next six hours I tried to explain to my Mom
That I was gonna have to go through this about 200 more times

So to you all the kids all across the land
There's no need to argue
Parents just don't understand

[craving-vintage.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

[dachsie-mom.livejournal.com]

I can't believe that silhouette for pants came back in-I swear I saw pants like that last year, only worse...Her purple sparklies have a lot less fabric bunched up around the hips/thighs than the 2009 ones did.

[dachsie-mom.livejournal.com]

Yeah, only magazines...Now that I think of it, I never even saw any in catalogs or stores!

[je-reviens.livejournal.com]

*raises hand*

I did. I was very fashionable back then. My favorite outfit involved shoulder pads and dolman sleeves. It was very chic. :-)

[je-reviens.livejournal.com]

You just have to consider that the fashionable shape was inverted triangle, whereas today's is straight up and down. So big shoulders and lots of material on top was preferred, big fluffy hair, lots of accessories.... with skinny legs and all material as tight as possible the further down you got. For a while the triangle shape was big in fashion -- super tight tops that didn't even cover the midriff, super tight and low cut jeans that came down to wide legs with heavy thick shoes or boots.

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

They're kind of fun to wear. No good if you have any belly at all though.

[kimmy-kun.livejournal.com]

That's some getup there, hun.

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

Is it wrong that I love her outfit?

[juliannamkh.livejournal.com]

If it's wrong than we both are. :p I remember outfits like that. Not sayin' I'd wear it, but I'm diggin' the sparkle.

[je-reviens.livejournal.com]

I went to the Awesome 80s Prom last year and came out of it thinking that modern fashion is sooooo boring (for women). We need more sequins, lace ruffles, gold lamé, and giant bows!

[eonism.livejournal.com]

I'm okay with her outfit, but then I get to the hair accessories and I'm lost.

[paintmeamovie.livejournal.com]

I always adored aunt viv's clothes.

[glass-houses.livejournal.com]

YES!

[paintmeamovie.livejournal.com]

I remember these ads! And then when they nixed the male comparison approach

[misstia]

i remember 'em too!

[glass-houses.livejournal.com]

Whoa, Cosby Show for reals!

I can see my older sister having worn that outfit in the 80s. It's so her.

[leoprincess.livejournal.com]

That was hot the year I was conceived, huh?

[belcantante.livejournal.com]

Interestingly enough, Russian has the same word both for 'secret' and 'secretion'.

[tink-queen.livejournal.com]

...got anything against that horrid sparkly purple vision? (the goggles, they do nothing!)

[stormer1-1.livejournal.com]

My mother still dresses like this.

[je-reviens.livejournal.com]

Next time she does, start singing Hammer Time. Maybe she will give it up and join the new millenium?

[je-reviens.livejournal.com]

However that OUTFIT is for a man.... if that man is MC Hammer.

[koneko-wish.livejournal.com]

The pants are scaring me. O___o


I always, always got a kick out of the suggestion that women must not sweat as hard as men do; if the product was strong enough to handle a man's sweat, it's just gotta be plenty strong enough for a woman!

That's what I always interpreted it as, anyway. Definitely a strange marketing campaign.