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🇫🇮 Finland /Culture & Society

The Finer the Cultural Event, the Thicker the Perfume Cloud: Why?

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • A reader asks why strong perfume seems especially common at high-status cultural events.
  • The question appears in a Helsingin Sanomat advice column where a culture editor answers questions readers may hesitate to ask.
  • The column begins by recalling the 1990s expression “mink wall” for women who regularly attended high-culture events.

Why does the perfume cloud seem to grow thicker as a cultural event gains prestige? That is the question posed by Tuija from Helsinki, who says she cannot tolerate strong fragrances.

Many places advise people to use scents considerately, but the reader says that expectation appears to be disregarded at refined cultural events. Her question is addressed in “Ask Aino,” a Helsingin Sanomat column in which a culture editor answers questions readers may feel too embarrassed to ask.

The article opens with Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s 1888 painting *The Roses of Heliogabalus*, noting that the scene is not a view of the Finnish National Opera’s foyer. It then recalls the old 1990s term “mink wall,” used for women who frequently consumed high culture.

Why is it that the greater the cultural importance of an event, the more heavily the audience seems to be perfumed? I cannot tolerate strong fragrances myself.

· TuijaA reader from Helsinki asks why strong perfume appears common at prestigious cultural events.
About this summary

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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