VISIBLE, INVISIBLE (June 17, 2014)
I am using a deodorant of my beloved’s choice. It is Nivea’s “Invisible” antiperspirant, which leaves no marks on her clothing. I recognize it immediately by its black-and-white label. As of late, there is a red sticker on its cover, too. I never paid it any attention, but I assumed it carried the usual message for such products: “New.” For some strange reason, this morning I looked at the whole thing a bit more carefully. The text on the deodorant’s black-and-white label is actually a bit longer than I thought: “Invisible for Black & White.” And the text on the sticker is much longer than I naïvely assumed: “Invisible Also for Color.” Oh, how I laughed after my morning ablutions! Nivea had to add the red sticker because customers—most of whom are women, of course—thought the deodorant was invisible only for black and white clothing. How stupid can you get! How could a deodorant be invisible for black and white clothing but not also for clothing in color? Together, the label and sticker make human stupidity, which is invisible, perfectly visible to all. Glaringly visible, as a matter of fact. Congratulations, Nivea!