Saturday, 1 October 2011

Mondegreen Moment

hitler & swastikaEugenics ; the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population.” The idea of eugenics was behind many Nazi abuses, such as enforced "racial hygiene", human experimentation, and the extermination of "undesired" population groups.

This doesn’t sound too good to me!

So I was a little confused the other evening when I thought  I heard ‘eugenics’ being mentioned in an advert break on TV [I was busy casting off my cardi at the time, looking at the knitting needles and not at the screen] But it was another Mondegreen Moment.

What was actually said was “Anew Genics” – a new product from Avon cosmetics – which is, according to the blurb

anew genics“A rich, luxurious cream formulated with exclusive YouthGen Technology to stimulate the Youth Gene, your longevity protein, and help minimise the signs of visible skin ageing, including wrinkles, dullness, age spots and loss of firmness”

Good grief! Do people believe all that? and at over £78 per 100ml, will they buy that? Does this stuff help minimise loss of firmness in the brain cells?

Personally, I find the easiest way to ‘minimise the signs of visible skin ageing, etc’ is just to take off my spectacles before I look in the mirror!

And now I have this horrid feeling that there is a team of creative people sitting round a table somewhere at Avon HQ who had a “Brainstorming” session, to find a name for their product, and thought that “Anew Genics” sounded awfully clever and scientific, so Jane Doe would be persuaded into purchasing it. But that those creative types are probably all aged under 40, and never did much history – and have no idea that the name sounds so similar to an evil Nazi Philosophy.

7 comments:

  1. I think perpetrating the need to look beautiful is dubious. The whole beauty industry is flawed, IMHO because it implies judgement and comparison. I can't be compared with you or you with me. We were all made perfect!
    "For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
    I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well."

    So! If I'm good enough for the person who made me! I don't need any adjustments! I am his work and I am wonderful..........no youthful essence required over here! Silly face cream at silly pounds, and as you said, a silly name! I love the fact that I am 'wonderfully made'!

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  2. I can't believe they never clued onto the sound alike in the name - maybe they have all been using too much of the product themselves?

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  3. LOL -- you and I use the same technique! Yeah, I think most of this stuff is hype but KNOW most of it is full of stuff you don't really want to put on your skin to have it soak in and get into your system. I think the best wrinkle reducer is to quit worrying about it! Aloe vera gel works nicely though. I agree -- bad choice of a name -- maybe somebody ought to tell them.

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  4. Did anyone in the fancy marketing dept. actually say the name aloud? I'm guessing not.
    I wonder that you didn't drop your stitches.
    Jane x

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  5. Excellent post! What the world won't buy... And this is why it's so important to know history. So our under 40's don't make decisions that are uninformed and embarrassing. I won't even talk about the minds of the women who would pay outrageous prices for this stuff. I'm with you, I think that God was generous when He decided to have our eyesight fade with the passing of years. Just take off the glasses.

    Blessings, Debbie

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  6. You're right. I doubt the history students were sitting around that table! I must say that vitamin C does help improve upon some of the sun damage that my freckle face possesses. I find wrinkly faces quite lovely, really.

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  7. I noticed that it sounded like eugenics too & did wonder why no one had done their homework & realised before the mistake & marketing the product.
    Hardup Hester

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