I went to the drugstore the other day to buy deodorant. After wandering through the dental care aisle, the hair care aisle, and then the skin care aisle, I found the men’s grooming aisle.
There were 10, 15, or maybe 20 brands to choose from. I zeroed in on the one I always bought, but once there, I was stumped. I had no idea which version to buy. Clean Comfort? Extra Fresh? Sensitive Shield? Stain Defense? SportCare Comfort? SportCare Fresh? Sport Fresh? Clinical Protection?
Marketing’s job is to turn wants into needs. I did that for a living — and bought stuff my whole life as proof. But we don’t need Clinical Protection deodorant, in either an aluminum-free roll-on or a European-style spray. The list of needless stuff is endless: artisanal ice, Wi-Fi-enabled slow cookers, beer with added protein.
Standing there got me thinking not just about the men’s grooming aisle, but the entire drugstore. And the supermarket. And my favorite online clothing brands. And, of course, Amazon.
So I teamed up with Claude, the A.I. assistant, to compare our wants to the world’s needs. It made me wonder: Do I really need deodorant?
The list:
Safe Drinking Water
Americans pay extra for water described as “volcanic,” “glacial,” and “artisanal.”
Two billion people drink water contaminated with feces.
Life Expectancy
There are more than a thousand creams on the American market that promise to reverse aging.
In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 54.
Poverty Wages
The average American wears a garment seven times before throwing it away.
Bangladesh makes 8 percent of all the clothing in the world, yet the people who make it earn 65 cents an hour.
Dental Access
Americans spend $2 billion a year on professional teeth cleanings for dogs.
In Angola, 90 percent of children have never seen a dentist.
Electric Lights
There are 10,000 varieties of scented candle on sale in America.
Six hundred million people in sub-Saharan Africa use actual candles to see in the dark.
Child Nutrition
Americans have added extra protein to water, beer, breakfast cereal, and candy bars — foods that already have enough.
In Burundi, 55 percent of children are stunted from not having enough of it.
Maternal Mortality
Americans spend $18 billion a year on cosmetic surgery to change how they look.
In Sierra Leone, one in 17 women dies in childbirth for lack of a surgeon.
Transportation
More than half of new cars sold in America have heated seats.
In the Central African Republic, there is one car for every 3,000 people.
Literacy
Americans spend $7.5 billion a year on greeting cards — paper printed with someone else’s words, opened once and thrown away.
Seven hundred million adults worldwide cannot read.
Housing
Americans throw away 12 million tons of furniture a year, most of it less than five years old.
Six hundred million people in sub-Saharan Africa sleep on the floor.
Electricity
Americans spend $2 billion a year on decorative string lights to make their yards and bedrooms look prettier.
Six hundred million people in sub-Saharan Africa have no electricity.
Sanitation
Americans spend $10 billion a year on toilet paper that is quilted, scented, moisturized, or four-ply.
Two billion people don’t have toilets.
Extreme Poverty
One in three Americans pays monthly rent to store possessions that don’t fit in their homes.
In Chad, nine out of 10 people own nothing that requires electricity.
Water Access
Americans spent $150 billion last year having meals driven to their door.
One in three women in sub-Saharan Africa walks six miles a day to collect drinking water.
Hunger
Americans throw away 60 million tons of fruits and vegetables every year because they look “ugly.”
It is enough food to feed all 200 million hungry people in India for a year.
Jonathan Cranin is a retired advertising executive. He lives in Water Mill with his wife and rescue dog.