Scare Tactics

plus, two things you do not need to be afraid of

Welcome readers, old and new!

Please hit that ❤️ above to learn why agreeing to disagree might be disagreeable for your relationships.

But regarding agreeable relationships: Today at 3 pm EDT, I’ll be doing a live interview with Sari Botton, proprietor of The Oldster Magazine. I assume we’ll talk about appearance issues, but I’m sure there will be some surprises; you should be able to comment and ask questions in the chat. I’ll be looking for you! You can find the conversation here.

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What else is on today’s menu? A generous helping of scare tactics—lately dished out by sources like the U.S. government and… as always, beauty product marketers.

The government’s serving: Returning from Japan last week, I was stopped at customs—for the first time ever—and told brusquely to follow an agent. Where were we going? One never kno… oh, evidently, to an area marked Agriculture.

Agriculture?

I found this serendipitous, as I recently discovered my burgeoning sartorial affect in Japan—having bought several locally made articles—seems to be that of a Japanese farmer.

Twinsies! Which one of these is your devoted correspondent? Photo credits: Ronnie Halper; Wiki commons

Anyhoo.

“Do you have food, plants, or meat in your bag?” asked a generic little man in uniform. Odd, as I’d already told the customs agent who checked my passport I did not.

“Meat? Like… what?” I asked. Was he hungry? Hoping to appease him, I said, “I have pretzels?” I held out a small shopping bag and offered him some.

“Pretzels are good!” he said, but declined. With some effort, he chucked my heavy carry-on, handle still extended, onto a conveyor belt. I watched it go through an X-ray machine.

“Okay!” he declared, waving me away. It was up to me to wrangle my suitcase off the rack. About that goat in my carry-on, I wanted to say, but thought better of it and high-tailed it out of there.

This reentry experience was notably different from my many previous ones, when the first thing any customs agent said to me was, “Welcome home, Valerie.” It was a breeze, though, compared to that of other travelers for whom such a moment might have graver consequences.

As for beauty product marketers, maybe you’ve noticed they’re fond of serving up scare tactics, too. Our friendly AI counselor points out:

Beauty marketing often employs scare tactics by exaggerating the perceived dangers of not using specific products or by highlighting the perceived negative effects of aging, ultimately aiming to create a sense of urgency and drive sales. These tactics can involve misleading claims, selective use of imagery, and negative framing of natural processes like wrinkles.

Consumers should be wary of these tactics and make informed decisions about the products they choose, based on evidence-based claims and their own individual needs and preferences.

What she said. (And, I’d add immodestly, about informed decisions, best to make them based on advice you find here at HNTFUYF.)

Sometimes a scare is generated by an unknown source. A couple of readers recently asked about two products generally considered safe—but under the hot lights of scrutiny, seemed worrisome. After the paywall, a cool assessment of the whats, whys, and wherefores.

HNTFUYF is a payola-free, reader-supported zone. I get no cut from sales when I mention a product. My recommendations are offered without obligation, making HNTFUYF one of the very few places where you can get unadulterated beauty advice.

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