Who Knew the Dark Side Was So Cute?

Yeah, I'm late to the party (as per usual), but I couldn't help but talk about little Max Page, the baby Vader in the Volkswagen Super Bowl ad.

 

In case you're even more behind than I am, here's the spot:

Now, I'm sure you'll be shocked to know that Thomas and I skipped watching the Super Bowl (*gasp*), so I actually stumbled across this thanks to a friend's Facebook post. After about two solid minutes of cracking up, I calmed down, caught my breath, and found Thomas to show him. The commercial's cute, but it's this kid's reactions that really sold it for me. Thomas was convinced it was a very small adult, and that a child couldn't possibly have pulled that off. How wrong he was...

 

Max Page is six years old, and just as cute as a bug. It should come as no surprise that he's a veteran actor, with commercial spots for Walgreen's and Clear Channel under his...um, hood, and a recurring role as Reed Hellstrom on The Young and the Restless. His mother told Today that she originally thought this would be his first national commercial spot. It wasn't until halfway through filming that the family was told Max would be in a Super Bowl ad. The popularity of the ad has been a pleasant, albeit overwhelming surprise.  

 

"I can't even keep up with the messages and the calls," says Jennifer, Max's mom. "It's just overwhelming. The first night, [web hits] were at 60,000. I went to bed and the next morning it was at 1 million. My mind couldn't comprehend!"

 

A couple of interesting facts about young Padawan Max are that he has a congenital heart defect, and has used a pacemaker since he was three months old. He also has, believe it or not, NEVER SEEN A STAR WARS MOVIE!!! How can this be? Someone get this child a copy of Episode IV, stat!!

 

Also, who's with me in thinking he looks a bit like a tiny Mark Hamil? Anyone? Bueller?

Photo Credit: Today

 

Okay, so on a totally unrelated note, I think I may have finally found a shaving cream that I like almost as much as the Soap & Glory that is now, unfortunately, no longer available in the states. (You may recall my overly melodramatic lamentations here.) However, I do have an update that S&G may be back in the good ol' U.S. of A. in September 2011. No word on who's distributing, but they promise to keep the shelves fully stocked, unlike Target. Apparently, my local stores weren't the only ones with empty shelves.

 

Anyhoo, until the S&G shows back up, I'm really enjoying eos (Evolution of Smooth) Shave Cream in Pomegranate Raspberry. For this review, I thought I'd go with a Pro/Con list. There's so much good about this, but the bad is, well, really bad.

 

PRO:

Lovely texture. It's silky, like a body lotion, and leaves almost a light glaze on your legs. It shaves away easily, and leaves no residue.

 

Wonderful scent. I love raspberry, so this was a nice treat. However, it's not so overpowering that you can't use your favorite moisturizer or perfume later for fear of mixing. (Vanilla is wonderful, too, but I've not tried any of the other varieties). 

 

Close shave. I am smooth and soft, with nary a nick. Really, I think this is the most important part.

 

Heavy duty plastic container. I love the design of this container. The lid stays on tightly, the pump is large enough for wet fingers to manage, and the shatterproof bottle has grips hewn into the side. Most shaving cream cans tend to be metal, and leave little rust rings on your tub. This won't do that. Plus, it's just darling to look at.

 

So...basically, it's a fantastic shaving cream in a really easy to use pump that won't leave rust on your tub. So far, so good.

 

BAD:

Clogs blades. However, you can rinse it out fairly easily. Bad, but not horrible.

 

Can't tell when you're running low. The container is solid plastic and not see-through, so there's no way to tell, by looking, if you need to add another one to the shopping list. The cream itself is very lightweight, so there's also no real difference in the heft of the bottle as it runs out. I've found myself in a pickle before, from running out with zero notice. I now keep a spare in the cabinet, just in case.

 

Bottle doesn't hold a lot of product. You only need one pump per leg, but one bottle won't get you very far. I'd estimate I replace a bottle every three weeks, give or take. I replaced my S&G about twice a year.

 

Price point. The actual price varies (widely) by store. I've purchased bottles at both Target and Walgreen's brick and mortar shops for somewhere in the $3-$4 range, which I think is a little high. Drugstore.com has it listed at $5.29, which is flat-out ridiculous for such a small amount of shaving cream, especially if you have to buy two at a time to keep from being left in a lurch. The best deal I've found is actually on the eos website. You can buy any of the scents you want for $3.49 each, and they'll throw in a free Bic Soleil razor. Keep in mind, though, shipping is a flat rate of $2.75, so if you only buy one bottle, it'll cost you $6.24. Of course, if you buy more than one at a time (recommended) it's not so bad.

 

All in all, it's the best shaving cream I've been able to find since the whole S&G debacle. I've been able to live with the flaws because the actual product itself is exactly what I wanted: a light, non-foaming, non-greasy, moisturizing lotion that gives a clean, nick-free shave. Final Verdict: 6.5 out of 10, but come September, the real judgement will commence.