Like a splash of Old Spice

About one week ago an article appeared on the internet with a title that caught my attention; it was that old people do smell, but not that badly. As a middle-aged man who knows that old man land will soon be my mindscape, I had to go past the title and actually read the article.

Seems like a group of supposed scientists with nothing better to do conducted a study where study participants were given “whiffs” from pieces of pads worn under the armpits of young, middle-aged and elderly people for five consecutive nights. Researchers found that study participants were able to reliably distinguish the body odor of the elderly, who were 75 years and older.

Does this mean that this middle-age man can bellow a sigh of relief since he’s not 75 years or older, and does this also add validity to those private thoughts of “Grandpa you really do stink?”

Not quite as the participants rated the body odor of men to smell the worst and the strongest in middle age. “Those are fighting words” shouts this middle-age man, the self-proclaimed ambassador of all middle-age men of the world.

I’ve always been slightly skeptical of scientific research and know that the design and findings of research can be skewed by who funds it. Obviously this research was funded by women since the study found that the odor from women of all ages was rated as less intense than men, and closer to neutral smelling for the young and middle-aged. Do I hear the sound of the Avon lady calling?

Well this middle-age man is not buying any of this scientific research nonsense. Just as every middle-age man who looks in the mirror sees a 16 year old kid, we middle-aged men will always smell nice like a splash of Old Spice.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum