I have seen the end of it all.

[valis2]

There is a product, created by Glade, that is being advertised on TV. I had the misfortune to view said advertisement. The product is called Scentstories, and purports to tell a story using scents.

A story.

Using scents.

You put a "disc" in, and it "tells a story in five scents, one after the other". (That's a relief. I'm glad they didn't try to tell it with all five scents simultaneously.) The disc has pictures of rainforests and waterfalls on it, but you cannot see the pictures after you put it in the device.

This is unusual. Many cultures have amazing storytelling traditions, oral tales that are passed down from one generation to the next. Here in the States we apparently are developing a new tradition: olfactory storytelling. I like that we have five scents, because this means that Glade can follow the traditional plotline of introduction...action rising...climax...resolution...epilogue.

I can just see it now: you put in the Scent Disc, and the scents begin to disperse...Perky, adorable young woman turns to geeky husband..."Aww, they just kissed!" she says dreamily.

"Honey, I thought you'd given up the smack," he says sadly.

Comments

[webbapettigrew.livejournal.com]

Isn't that the dumbest thing? I can tell a story when my kid pees his pants, and I don't need a CD...it's "scent"-sational.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Ha! Of course.

I'd like to know who they think they're marketing this to, honestly. Is the average American thinking that there is a deficiency in our ability to smell stories?

[todayiamadaisy]

There's a TV show here in which the two lead characters will see something new and stupid and say: "That's nice (pronounced "noice"). Different. Un-YOOS-u-al." And that's the only possible response to this!

Is telling a story its only purpose? Or is it doing that while working as a room freshener or something? Imagine being stuck in a room and saying, "No, I can't go out yet, I have to find out what happens in the smell!"

[valis2.livejournal.com]

LOL! That's great.

Instead of As the World Turns we could have As the Nose Burns. Tune in next week for an exciting and dramatic burnt pumpkin pie followed by a surprise guest scent appearance...

[kitschicat.livejournal.com]

"Honey, I thought you'd given up the smack," he says sadly.

Bwahahahahahaha!!!!

Those things are so lame.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

But they are marketed to us in the general public, which means that they are indirectly insulting us. I say we take arms against them. And feet too.

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

When I was in High School there was a brief fad of these olfactory thingys, very similar. They had disks of 'movie popcorn' or 'rain' or whatever and it was supposed to make your room smell like whatever and enhance whatever experience you were having. My friend had one. It didn't work very well. Or rather it worked too well. Made the room smell like artifical popcorn. V. strange. Sounds like someone found this in their closet and decided to re-market it.

Scary thing is, people will probably buy it. It is nonsenscial. (non-sents-acal?)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Wasn't one of John Waters's films released in "Smell-O-Vision" or something like that? I remember hearing about theaters who were equipped with scents that were released during certain sections of the movie. Or perhaps I'm just hallucinating.

[b2wm.livejournal.com]

I read this thread, was amazed that there were actually such things in existence, and then came home for holiday break. Guess what my mother the Proctiod got free from work. I mean, I know my first roomie moved out because our room smelled funny from the time we moved in, but I've got a spray bottle to keep the bad sneaker scent down.

There're air fresheners and then there are real scents. Apparently the disks are good for 50 hours, but it managed to outdo my brother's edau de wrestler and smelly dog within five minutes in an open, well ventilated kitchen. It'll really last forever in the little dorm room. And from the mechanics of this one, since it "plays" one scent for 30 minutes, you'd really have to be on crack to finish a 5 scent disk.

/proctiod's daughter unintentional advertisment section. Sorry about that. Tune in next week, when B2WM reviews Swiffer...

[valis2.livejournal.com]

And what did you think of the story? Was it...er...refreshing? scentsual? perfumerrific?

[b2wm.livejournal.com]

"Soothing Tea" all over the flagit kitchen. Enough said. It's not so much a story as themed scents, so I'm waiting for a real actiony one: y'know, blood, gym socks, wet dog...

[zakkati.livejournal.com]

'Nice' scents generally make me sick/trigger headaches.

I'd rather put up with the charming! fragrance of my hubby's back-passage and my kitty's fishy breath (fondly known as, 'zakkati's weapons of mass destruction!')

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I have a friend whose house always has some sort of plug-in scent percolating and it makes my eyes burn every time.