A long time ago in an American far, far away, a land where there were three little girls who went to the police academy only to run around in form-fitting bodysuits as Charlie’s Angels, career opportunities for women were limited to a handful of roles such as nurse, secretary, school teacher and flight attendant.
Flash forward to 2009, to an America progressive enough to elect its first black president but still misogynist enough to deny the oval office to a woman. The American woman may have a way to go, but she’s certainly come a long way. Although hawking products like Mary Kay, Avon and Tupperware are still viable options, today they’re far from not the only game in town.
One sign the pendulum has swung? Gay male direct sales reps are stepping into the comfortable pumps traditionally occupied by women–and, in the process, obtaining the same economic independence.
Avon Representative Nick Vannello( has been selling Avon products for less than six months, but is already ranked #12 out of 700 Cleveland area reps.
Proof that gay men are natural born overachievers, he’s already gained entry into the coveted “President’s Club”-a status one achieves by selling over $10,100 worth of Avon in a year.
“I’ve been using Avon for 40 years,” says Vannello, who has fond teenage memories of “saving my lunch money to buy pimple cream from the Avon lady up the street.”
Now it’s Vannello himself who’s that “Avon lady up the street,” in the form of a gay man whose client roster is comprised of “gay men who are very much into skin care” and “a strong core group of straight women” – plus a couple of drag queens.
Logo from Avon