Sniffing the good, the bad and the glandular with the fragrance critic of the New Yor

[Grant]

Sniffing the good, the bad and the glandular with the fragrance critic of the New York Times


I never thought I?d be sniffing essence of armpit with Chandler Burr, the first and only fragrance critic for the New York Times (NYT). I expected to be listening to him talking behind a podium in syncopation with his PowerPoint slides. This is what usually happens at break-out sessions at tradeshows. Instead, Burr, 45, strides into the windowless room in the bowels of the Jacob Javits Center in New York and instructs us to move our chairs to the front of the room and form a circle. ?Like Romper Room,? he says, referring to the once popular American children?s TV show. ?We?re going to smell lots of things, talk to each other, and have fun.?

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[AromiErotici]

Originally Posted by Grant

Sniffing the good, the bad and the glandular with the fragrance critic of the New York Times


I never thought I?d be sniffing essence of armpit with Chandler Burr, the first and only fragrance critic for the New York Times (NYT). I expected to be listening to him talking behind a podium in syncopation with his PowerPoint slides. This is what usually happens at break-out sessions at tradeshows. Instead, Burr, 45, strides into the windowless room in the bowels of the Jacob Javits Center in New York and instructs us to move our chairs to the front of the room and form a circle. ?Like Romper Room,? he says, referring to the once popular American children?s TV show. ?We?re going to smell lots of things, talk to each other, and have fun.?

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Nice read man. I enjoyed his realistic approach to fragrance and lack of snobbery.

[Natural_Juice]

Carole, first I have to say that you provided us with a great recount of the event. Sounds like you had fun, which is very important, armpit sniffing aside, LOL.

But some parts made me wince:
>“Art is artifice. It’s not meant to be real,” Burr says, jabbing the air, like an attorney giving closing arguments. “Jean-Claude Ellena told me that perfume is a beautiful lie. All art is. There is truly nothing like nature.”<

Where the other attendees ears plugged with wax and their lips sealed shut that they could not hear this wonderment of posturing and challenge it? JCE proclaims something and Burr swallows it whole and regurgitates it, and that makes it real? The logic and reasoning behind such a statement and the "truly nothing like nature" bit - pure silliness. It's why I can't take Burr seriously, as much as I want to.

>The fragrance industry should talk openly about synthetics and the perfumers in laboratories who manipulate them as a way to help sluggish sales, Burr contends. He points to the cosmetic industry as an example of attracting customers with technical product information. Most marketing executives remain unconvinced, but Burr holds his ground.<

He's sooooo wrong. Worldwide demand for non-synthetic materials is at a historic high, and he thinks broadcasting the testtube origins of perfumes is OK? I vote with the marketing execs and giggle at the quicksand Burr is holding on to.