Ghost of a flea: Beckham as Christ-figure

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May 25, 2006

Beckham as Christ-figure

Towelroad is calling it "the scent of a metrosexual."

David Beckham enlisted Annie Leibowitz to shoot this dark and stormy ad for his new fragrance, Instinct. "The Real Madrid star obviously wanted to show a darker side to his character in the photo" said British tabloid Hello!. The Times online just this week ran a story lamenting that the Real Madrid footballer's star is on the wane, yet it also said that he's the "perhaps the closest thing that modern Britain has to a Messiah figure."

"'Beckham the brand is all about salvation, redemption, even resurrection,' Carlton Brick, of the politics and sociology faculty at the University of Paisley, said. 'It is not me saying that Beckham is a pseudo Christ-like figure but it is how he is often portrayed and it is how he portrays himself.'"

Quite right. At least something like this was on my mind when I rushed to the Instinct display at Shoppers Drug Mart (where they do an excellent deal on whole milk in the grocery section). I am sorry to report the cologne is an inoffensive citrous-based affair with nothing in particular to commend it to me.* That said, the packaging is impressive with the first magnetic stopper I have encountered. I was also pleased to note a horizontal wrinkle across Beckham's forehead. A figure of lesser stature might have been tempted to PhotoShop that sort of thing into non-existence.

*Instinct is a concoction of orange, mandarin, Italian bergamot and white amber fragrances; presumably synthetic. Not for me. I wear Penhaligon's Love Potion No.9 whose top notes of hand-squeezed bergamot, orange, lemon and mandarin, while a superficially similar list, are offset by sandalwood and vetiver as well as amber in the base notes. It is a totally different product not only for this choice of base scents but because Penhaligon's uses proper ingredients. I would be astonished if Beckham ever wore his own branded product by Coty.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at May 25, 2006 07:24 AM

Comments

Metrosexual...hrm...there are some believe he is more bi then metro,

Posted by: Andrew Ian Dodge at May 25, 2006 08:37 AM

There are some who wish he was more bi than metro. Though I expect clawing by Victoria would be a challenge.

Posted by: Ghost of a flea at May 25, 2006 08:39 AM

I've been thinking about bailing out of the boutique cologne scene and going back to basics -- Brut 33 and Hai Karate.

Posted by: Chris Taylor at May 25, 2006 11:22 AM

Hai Karate remains the benchmark by which masculinity is set. Axe should release an updated version.

Posted by: Ghost of a flea at May 25, 2006 11:36 AM

Did Christ have a squeeky little voice too?

Posted by: Alan McLeod at May 25, 2006 01:45 PM

I was thinking about Beckham's squeeky voice this morning when I posted this. That's almost creepy how you did that.

Posted by: Ghost of a flea at May 25, 2006 04:18 PM

This post is very very very gay. I haven't bought cologne in years unnumbered, another reason I'm an abject failure as a poof. Someone felt sorry for me 3 years ago & got me a small bottle of Dirt (CK?) which wasn't bad. So I recently ran out & asked where she got it. She's like, You STILL have it????

Posted by: beautifulatrocities at May 26, 2006 08:00 AM

Hmm. Could be it's time for you to face up to your latent heterosexuality, Jeff.

Posted by: Ghost of a flea at May 26, 2006 08:04 AM

I have a microphone in your sock drawer.

Posted by: Alan McLeod at May 26, 2006 10:20 AM