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PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 69: Perfume: The Culture of Scent

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Finally, we’ve found the way that Holly and I are complete opposites: fragrance! I’m very selective and tend to go with everything unscented except for the one fragrance I want to smell like. Holly, on the other hand, is a big fan of pretty much everything that smells good.

We didn’t just talk about the smells we like, though. Here’s some of the other stuff:

  • Smells as pop culture: Charlie and Christian Dior fragrances were, for example, an aggressive response to dantier scents.
  • You can’t wear perfume in the Theo chocolate factory.
  • Do you wear perfume for yourself or other people? (Answer: That mostly depends on your sex and age.)
  • My opinion on body spray is influenced by Put This On.
  • Signature scents vs. wearing whatever scent you want whenever you feel like that particular one
  • Most people intuitively are drawn to scents that enhance their natural histocompatibility. That’s a fancy way of saying you wear scents that are more likely to attract people you’ll make healthier babies with.
  • Birth control also affects this whole histocompatibility perception thing.
  • Smell: Super important to memory and nostalgia. Which is why I have a nostalgic response to diesel fuel. Holly also has this with leather that reminds her of dance class.
  • Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, which Holly and I love. Holly’s favorite: Shango. Mine: Dorian.
  • You may be happier when you smell good. People also may be nicer to you.
  • Please don’t spritz me with things in the mall or mail me magazines with perfume samples in them.
  •  Olfactory fatigue and its part in people wearing way too much perfume.
  • Too much cologne is also a big enough deal to invalidate the social drive not to talk to strangers in elevators.
  • Packaging as part of the perfume experience.
  • The Avon car packaging and the Jean Paul Gaultier bust packaging.
  • Fragrance museum!
  • Covering up bad smells vs. enhancing good smells.
  • Animal-derived scents and vegan scents.
  • Listener mail! Listener Kat wrote about one of our food episodes and told us about a favorite restaurant of hers, Slater’s 50/50.
  • How Perfume Works
  • Episode link: Perfume: The Culture of Scent

My research:

  • DeLong, Marilyn Revell and Elizabeth Kersch Bye. “Apparel for the Senses: The Use and Meaning of Fragrances.” Vol. 24, Issue 3.
  • Dove, Roja. “Scents of the Past.” History Today. Nov. 2010
  • Fulsong, Deborah. “30 Years of Iconic Fragrances.” Flare. December 2009.
  • Green, Timothy. “Making Scents Is More Complicated Than You’d Think.” Smithsonian. Vol. 22, Issue 3. June 1991.
  • Kern, Stephen. “Olfactory Ontology and Scented Harmonies: On the History of Smell.” Journal of Popular Culture. Vol. 3, Issue 4.

Holly’s research:

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Filed under: PopStuff Tagged: perfume, PopStuff Show Notes

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