10
Very helpful Review
"Let's smell Paul Allen's cologne"
The fragrance notes already suggest before the first spray that the bloody-brutal character traits of Patrick Bateman are not captured here. Rather, 16-96 interprets the subtler subtext of "American Psycho".
The scent is clean, fresh, flawless - and therein lies its statement. It is pleasing, smells expensive, but remains somehow interchangeable. No special recognition value and nothing that evokes strong emotions. And that is the essence of Bateman. The book "American Psycho" questions whether he even exists as an individual or if he is merely a copy of a financial yuppie from the 80s: "I simply am not there". The spirit of a generation that defines itself through perfection, but not through personality. Everyone strives to appear flawless, not to stand out, and only to shine through status symbols: hairstyles, suits, business cards - and presumably also fragrances.
In American Psycho, perfumes play a recurring role and are sometimes described with a similar level of detail as musical pieces. Bateman's signature scent is Green Irish Tweed by Creed. A luxurious classic that is consciously meant to stand out from the scents of the masses. In contrast, he despises more popular compositions like Drakkar Noir and Obsession for Men, which seem too ordinary to him. Yet his own perfume is nothing more than another status symbol. A calculated choice, without emotional significance. It is not meant to express him as an individual, but simply to make him appear better than others. Another layer of his mask.
In this respect, I see this fragrance as a good representation of the story. "American Psycho" smells pleasant, was released by a niche brand, and is correspondingly exclusive. A scent that smells good and will appeal to many, but reveals nothing about the wearer - because it was made exactly for that purpose.
The scent is clean, fresh, flawless - and therein lies its statement. It is pleasing, smells expensive, but remains somehow interchangeable. No special recognition value and nothing that evokes strong emotions. And that is the essence of Bateman. The book "American Psycho" questions whether he even exists as an individual or if he is merely a copy of a financial yuppie from the 80s: "I simply am not there". The spirit of a generation that defines itself through perfection, but not through personality. Everyone strives to appear flawless, not to stand out, and only to shine through status symbols: hairstyles, suits, business cards - and presumably also fragrances.
In American Psycho, perfumes play a recurring role and are sometimes described with a similar level of detail as musical pieces. Bateman's signature scent is Green Irish Tweed by Creed. A luxurious classic that is consciously meant to stand out from the scents of the masses. In contrast, he despises more popular compositions like Drakkar Noir and Obsession for Men, which seem too ordinary to him. Yet his own perfume is nothing more than another status symbol. A calculated choice, without emotional significance. It is not meant to express him as an individual, but simply to make him appear better than others. Another layer of his mask.
In this respect, I see this fragrance as a good representation of the story. "American Psycho" smells pleasant, was released by a niche brand, and is correspondingly exclusive. A scent that smells good and will appeal to many, but reveals nothing about the wearer - because it was made exactly for that purpose.
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1 Comment
The scent is probably exactly as intended from 1969.