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What SpongeBob and Dora smell like
August 16, 2010 4:09 pm
Companies like Viacom and Warner Bros. are notoriously unpicky about how they license their characters, but using preschool cartoon characters to unload perfume onto children sinks pretty low. What is the smell that appropriately evokes a four-year-old Hispanic girl? Or an undersea sponge for that matter? When I scratched the SpongeBob sample at the drugstore checkout counter, I half expected the briny scent of the ocean and seaweed. Alas, the people who made these weren’t that thoughtful; all of them had a generic synthetic smell that evoked nothing. My floor wipes have a more sophisticated scent than these sorry excuses for children’s merchandise.
15 comments
posted in Cartoon Culture, Dora, SpongeBob Squarepants 
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P.U. to twee, pukey Spongebob! P.U. to dead-eyed, hair-helmeted Dora!
Given what Nickelodeon considers humorous, I’m surprised that Spongebob’s perfume doesn’t smell like poot.
Preschoolers wear perfume?
In the UK these have already turned up in discount store priced at two for a pound… so I guess the business plan got it wrong.
That is just sad… Who in their right mind would want to buy perfume for a 4 year old anyway? I guess they assume kids will nag their parents for anything with a Dora picture on it.
When I lived in Spain 4 years ago, these kinds of character tie-in scents were EVERYWHERE. I was intrigued by the “Smurf” perfume – since Smurf related merchandise is scarce in the States these days – but finally opted for Smurf toothpaste instead. It’s interesting to see that they are trying these out in America now. However, I don’t see it as being very different from cartoon shampoo and bubblebath marketed at kids, and those have been around for ages…
Thats pathetic.
Look down, back up. Where are you? You are on a boat, with the sponge your child could smell like.
Ha! What does Batman smell like? Or the Bratz? :-P
(I have to assume Superman has no smell at all.)
I’m guessing Bratz smell like a bracing cross between skunk and skank.
So did you go with the Batman one?
I have mixed feelings. If those were properties I created, I’d feel kinda flattered. Sure it would have meant that I ’sold-out’ but at least I’m making money. Also keep in mind that this merchandise wouldn’t be around if there were no demand for it.
They had stuff like this in the 80s, I see nothing wrong with it, it’s a toy of sorts and kids smell bad, they need some stuff. I imagine kids older than 4 will be using these, up to 10 even, maybe even a few adult crossovers for the boys line.
If it looks like a brat, and smells like a brat…
What children will buy that with their pocket money. Or think on Christmas eve ”oh god I hope I get the dora explorer scent”. It’s just weird, let kids be kids…