Decoder Ring: F--k Everything, We're Doing Five Blades
b"In the early 2000s, an arms race broke out in the world of men\\u2019s shaving. After decades with razors that had only one blade and then decades with razors that had only two, the number of blades rapidly spiraled up and up and up.\\nIt\\u2019s a skirmish sometimes referred to as The Razor Blade Wars, and it was a face-off about innovation, competition, capitalism, masculinity, and most of all, how strange things can become after you\\u2019ve created something that\\u2019s the best a consumer can get \\u2014 and then you have to keep going.\\nSome of the voices you\\u2019ll hear in this episode include Rebecca Herzig, author of Plucked: A History of Hair Removal; Tim Dowling, Guardian columnist and author of Inventor of the Disposable Culture: King Camp Gillette 1855-1932; Dan Koeppel, razor blade zelig; and Kaitlyn Tiffany, writer for the Atlantic.\\xa0\\nIf you want to read more about razor blades, check out:\\n\\nCutting edge : Gillette's journey to global leadership\\n\\nKing C. Gillette, the man and his wonderful shaving device\\n\\nSatisfaction Guaranteed: The Making of the American Mass Market\\n\\n\\nDecoder Ring is written and produced by Willa Paskin. This episode was produced by Elizabeth Nakano. Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts.\\xa0\\nIf you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com\\nIf you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you get ad-free podcasts, bonus episodes, and total access to all of Slate\\u2019s journalism.\\n\\nCheck out Home. Made. here\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices"