White Teeth: His and Hers
Can we take a moment to talk about all of these teeth whitening commercials. We live in an age where every major oral hygiene brand is promising their product is the best one on the market to give you the brightest, whitest, most stunning smile. With so many options it can be a tad confusing trying to decide which one is best for you.
What is not confusing? Just how one sided these commercials are. For some unknown reason, all of them are geared towards women. As if somehow having white teeth is a woman’s issue.
From the practical ads that show us how over the years our teeth have been yellowing and tells us that whitening them is just a part of good dental care. To the vain ones that compare having white teeth to an accessory akin to sunglasses or a scarf. Or show models on a runway and then proceed to claim that white teeth are this season’s hottest new fashion must have.
Then there is that completely ridiculous one. You know the one I am talking about. It basically goes like this. “Hey you, woman in a café, see that hot guy over there that you just locked eyes with? I know you know literally nothing about him but guess what? He might be the one! Halt your search woman, for right over there might be the man you have longed for. He might love cats and romantic strolls through the city, he might even like kids, better yet he could be the father of your children! Well before you get any further carried away with this fantasy, make sure your teeth are white. Only with a white smile will you be able to lure him in and make all your matrimonial dreams come true.”
Do not get me wrong, I think having a smile that you are confident about is great. A smile coveys a powerful emotion from the professional environment to the personal one. From meetings with potential investors to blind dates, and white teeth in addition to a confident smile are a definite bonus.
Yet if we were to go by what is marketed to us we would see this as being a requirement only for woman. Why? Every woman I ask lists ‘smile’ as one of the top physical features she finds attractive in a man.
So where are the commercials for men? Have his teeth not yellowed over the years too? Can’t they link white teeth with being equally as important as a thick head of hair? Where is his fantasy commercial about the sexy woman across the room who will want nothing to do with him unless his teeth have been bleached to perfection?
A white smile is universally appealing to both genders! It’s about time the commercials pressured the men into getting with the program.
You can read more from Samantha Kasse on her Twitter.
Feature image via.
