Men Get It!

I'm not too sure about other television stations, but I know that Spike runs this ad all the time. It starts out with a father and his young son throwing a ball in the back yard. The shot fades once to show a somewhat older boy doing the same thing, and then again to an older teenage boy. We then see the father and his older son in the bathroom, seemingly getting ready for their day. The father pulls out his Aqua Velva aftershave and applies it, then he passes it to his all too enthusiastic son. If I remember correctly, the son then blurts out some cheesy line like "Cool!". The commercial informs us that "some things never change over time," and ends with "Aqua Velva ... men get it."

My issue is, what is this commercial saying? And why do I get so irritated every time I watch it? It's a man and his son happily playing catch, and then them applying grossly overpriced aftershave. There shouldn't be something wrong with it, but it really bugs me.

First of all, why are they playing catch? Do fathers and sons even do that anymore? Are the busy moms and dads of our generation actually able to set aside time to interact with their children? If so, this is news to me. The only thing I can figure is that the commercial is bringing us back to a simpler time when this sort of thing was commonplace. I'm also assuming that the commercial is implying that this should remain commonplace as well. The phrase "some things never change over time" is a major source of confusion for me. So basically, fathers and sons should play catch, and then apply Aqua Velva aftershave... forever.

Point is: things DO change over time. The paternal role is definitely much different than it was no more than twenty years ago. The idea that parents are supposed to act as role models and guides for their children is slowly becoming a "nice idea" rather than a "necessary job." Perhaps getting Aqua Velva aftershave will allow you to feel a little more like you support how things have been in the past. However, no matter how much rank blue liquid you splash on your face in the morning, things are changing.