Gillette ad causes ire for addressing toxic masculinity

[PacificBoy]

How so?

 

[CJ]

 

[Donner]

Oh my god you guys are so upset

Women get bombarded with ads to reverse the aging process, get fitter, drink detox teas, buy expensive makeup and you guys are getting all up in arms about an ad asking men to stick up for women and each other.

That's sad.

 

[CaptainWagner]

Oh my god you guys are so upset

It's crazy how un-self aware they are. By reacting this way and claiming that Gillette is attacking men, they themselves are essentially declaring that all men act this way and proving the point Gillette wasn't even trying to make in the first place.

 

[super85]

Nah, i am Good now. Had a chuckle at that commercial. Posted a few thoughts and now I can continue enjoying my evening.

 

[Mani-Man]

That's not what I got from the ad. I just saw two minutes of baseless accusations directed at the male gender and how I as a man am somehow supposed to feel guilty for the wrongs of others because I share the same genitalia.

Oh probably what you got from that ad comes due to your fragile masculinity.
From the fact that some of those criticised behaviours are ones you dont see as a problem, but instead of reflecting on the possibility that those things you think are okay are a problem...your fragile masculinity cant grasp this idea and instead makes up this whole "buhu not all men" nonsense.

I wonder why i as a man dont feel like this speaks to me and that i should feel guilty?
Oh is it maybe because i think most of the criticised behaviours in this add are bad and i myself feel that they are awful? Hm...a lot to think about.

Why is an ad like that even nessecary? EVERYONE has flaws. Why point all the blame to an entire gender?

An ad like this is neccessary because people like you dont get that its not just "flaws".
"why point all the blame to an entire gender?" Didnt happen.

Imagine if there was an ad that said how women could better themselves from negative behaviors and attitudes? Would that not generate a TON of backlash and be labeled as sexist? Why is this acceptable?

Do you walk blindly through this god damn earth or what?
Woman get thrown constantly in their faces how they could...no, how they should be better.
Every walking minute, every day, every moment they are reminded how they are supposed to be and how everything they do is negative behaviours and attitudes.

They should not be small but not too tall, dont wear too much make up but dont wear no make up, dont be too skinny dont be too chubby, dont have too many muscles but be fit, work hard but not harder than man, make your voice heard but dont disturb men, be smart but not the smartest and so and and so on.
For thousands of years women have been told that what they do is wrong and that speaking out to it is just being a drama queen.

How naive are you...jesus christ.

Why not celebrate strong men? Like those who serve our country overseas? Single fathers who are raising families? This whole ad just demonizes males as a whole. It is disgraceful.

Oh what a surprise, the first thing that the guy with the small ego comes up with is the picture of the manly man with a gun...if that doesnt tell you enough.

What is disgraceful is how you come in here while missing every single point this add makes just to cry how your ego cant handle being called out.
How about you wait a few years until you are old enough to need a gillette product in the first place instead of your "not all men" whining.

 

[samsnee]

Good message, bad execution. Way too heavy handed and lecturing.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Honestly, if this ad makes you angry as a man, you're part of the problem. Sorry you had to learn the news from me of all people.

 

[samsnee]

Doesn't make me angry, I'm just looking at it through the lens of is it good marketing or not, and trying to leave my bias out of it. I do agree with the message, just think it could have been less patronizing.

 

[Mani-Man]

Doesn't make me angry, I'm just looking at it through the lens of is it good marketing or not, and trying to leave my bias out of it. I do agree with the message, just think it could have been less patronizing.

Maybe, but i do think alone the fact that this has so many dislikes and Men are so upset about it...shows that we need even more patronizing in this case.
Mens Masculinity has been literally burned into our society, our way of living...to change that we need to be slapped in the face with it...otherwise we wont change..

 

[Pink Ranger]

Doesn't make me angry, I'm just looking at it through the lens of is it good marketing or not, and trying to leave my bias out of it. I do agree with the message, just think it could have been less patronizing.

Hey, I hear you. I think Lady Speedstick needs to come out with its own:

As women, we need to hold each other accountable.

• To not call the cops when we see a black guy just doin' ****.
• To not reward violent jocks in highschool with teenage sex because we like how they bully the gay kids.
• To not bully the girls in school who wear baggy clothes and like math, alienating young girls from STEM careers.
• To not blame the lack of women in STEM careers entirely on the patriarchy, forgetting how girls treat each other when we're young.
• To not use fear of racialized men to help prove a point about how women are victimized.
• To not try to lump in pay equity with sexual assault under the same hashtag, though both issues are important.
• To not treat our daughters like divine perfect goddesses, and then defend them when they cyberbully other girls.
• To not treat minority coworkers the same way white males treat us.
• To not write blogs postings about how we only feel comfortable around/dating white guys.
• To not allow blogs postings on our feminist news feeds about how women only feel comfortable around/dating white guys.
• To not sit back with self satisfaction on feminism when every other progressive cause (labor, gay rights, environmentalism, civil rights) has made actual progress in addressing racism since the 1990s

 

[jmc]

Let me explain why this ad is a marketing disaster. Regardless of the intention behind it, the fact is a company that specifically targets men to sell its products has just released an ad effectively saying that men aren’t doing enough. The problem is most men are perfectly fine individuals who are doing as best they can and are going to take this the wrong way as a company trying to tell them how they should act. Now, if the intention was to show aspect of positive masculinity that should have been the entire focus of the ad, it should have shown fathers teaching their sons how to shave, brushing their daughters hair, helping fix things around the house, etc, instead it starts off with negeative aspects about masculinity. A big rule of advertising is you don’t talk down to your customers, and this ad does exactly that whether intentional or not, to my utter bafflement. I’d go so far to say this is the worst decision I’ve seen from a big company since New Coke. Once the bond is broken with a company it’s hard to get it back. So yeah, this is a terrible campaign. If Shcick had any sense right now they’d do a response to this add that focuses entirely on the good men in the world, because Gillette has just scored an own goal.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Ad from Dollar Shave:

Dude, just don't be a dick, okay?

 

[jmc]

Dollar Shave Club was lapping it up on Twitter yesterday, lol. I’ve been meaning to try their service, their products look good and far cheaper than Gillette.

 

[Donner]

*sigh*

Toxic masculinity is a problem. It's a problem enough that male suicide rates are higher than women's, gay males are higher than heterosexual males, and gay black males have the worst time of it all. The ad asks you to be better to everyone. If that's a problem, cool I guess?

 

[Pink Ranger]

The problem is most men are perfectly fine individuals who are doing as best they can and are going to take this the wrong way as a company trying to tell them how they should act.

I disagree with that. Not saying that most men are rapists, or catcall women, etc. But most men contribute to toxic masculinity and rape culture in their own way.

Classic example: a dad with a daughter and son almost the same age. When they get to be teenagers, the dad jealously guards the daughter's purity. Any boy who expresses romantic interest in her is given the evil eye. The son, however, is encouraged to "go out there and get 'em." He gets a friendly punch in the arm if he's seen with a pretty girl. If he expresses no interest in girls, the dad expresses concern openly, maybe to his wife, maybe to his peers, that his son isn't "normal."

This example is extremely typical in the American family, and we treat it as a harmlessly benign paternal stereotype. But this is where rape culture comes from. When we encourage young boys to build up experience points with girls that don't "belong" to us, while treating the sexuality of our own daughters as some sort of precious commodity. It's a subtle way of treating women like things that we can trade or keep away from other men.

 

[samsnee]

Hey, I hear you. I think Lady Speedstick needs to come out with its own:

As women, we need to hold each other accountable.

• To not call the cops when we see a black guy just doin' ****.
• To not reward violent jocks in highschool with teenage sex because we like how they bully the gay kids.
• To not bully the girls in school who wear baggy clothes and like math, alienating young girls from STEM careers.
• To not blame the lack of women in STEM careers entirely on the patriarchy, forgetting how girls treat each other when we're young.
• To not use fear of racialized men to help prove a point about how women are victimized.
• To not try to lump in pay equity with sexual assault under the same hashtag, though both issues are important.
• To not treat our daughters like divine perfect goddesses, and then defend them when they cyberbully other girls.
• To not treat minority coworkers the same way white males treat us.
• To not write blogs postings about how we only feel comfortable around/dating white guys.
• To not allow blogs postings on our feminist news feeds about how women only feel comfortable around/dating white guys.
• To not sit back with self satisfaction on feminism when every other progressive cause (labor, gay rights, environmentalism, civil rights) has made actual progress in addressing racism since the 1990s

I support this 100%.

 

[Donner]

I support this 100%.

Come on man. Now you need an ad about women for this to be fair in your eyes? We get bombarded with ads every day telling us to be younger, hotter, fitter, etc. Some ad agencies even use young girls covered in make up to sell their ****. Are you as vocal about how horrible those ads are as you are about this one? And this ad isn't even horrible. It's asking you to reflect on your behaviour and the behaviour of those around you and maybe make a change.

This is just so disappointing. So many of you were probably bullied in school and by other boys. You don't see how changing the dialogue surrounding what it means to be a man would be a good thing?

If the first thing that you think of after seeing this ad is how women need to be "belittled" as well, then you have a ****ing problem.

 

[Black Narcissus]

I'm more offended by how pricey their razors are. I ain't spending over 5 dollars for replaceable blades, man. I bought one of them 10packs from the dollar store.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Also, when I use to run-out of deodorant, I used to use my gf deodorant stick, I believe called Secret or Dove...smells fresh af, but it gives you a rash. I don't know if that is their anti man thing or menstruation in the product that attracts bears, but I may sue.

 

[jmc]

I disagree with that. Not saying that most men are rapists, or catcall women, etc. But most men contribute to toxic masculinity and rape culture in their own way.

Classic example: a dad with a daughter and son almost the same age. When they get to be teenagers, the dad jealously guards the daughter's purity. Any boy who expresses romantic interest in her is given the evil eye. The son, however, is encouraged to "go out there and get 'em." He gets a friendly punch in the arm if he's seen with a pretty girl. If he expresses no interest in girls, the dad expresses concern openly, maybe to his wife, maybe to his peers, that his son isn't "normal."

This example is extremely typical in the American family, and we treat it as a harmlessly benign paternal stereotype. But this is where rape culture comes from. When we encourage young boys to build up experience points with girls that don't "belong" to us, while treating the sexuality of our own daughters as some sort of precious commodity. It's a subtle way of treating women like things that we can trade or keep away from other men.

That in and of itself is a stereotype. For every one of those fathers you could easily find 25 other dads who are hard working men, who love their wives and family, who enjoy the times with their kids, who play for the local soccer or rugby team on the weekends and who will step in when someone is being unfairly targeted. These men are already doing the best they can. So please, spare me your overly dramatic perspective on what masculinity is really like. The people who are terrible fathers, are terrible people, and no amount of Gillette trying to say 'do better' is going to change that.

 

[Sithborg]

And how many of those men defended Trump talking about grabbing a woman in the genitals.

Its a problem. That frankly, is almost unconscious in a way. And once again, I bring up this video in how insidious these kind of things can be.

 

[Donner]

That in and of itself is a stereotype. For every one of those fathers you could easily find 25 other dads who are hard working men, who love their wives and family, who enjoy the times with their kids, who play for the local soccer or rugby team on the weekends and who will step in when someone is being unfairly targeted. These men are already doing the best they can. So please, spare me your overly dramatic perspective on what masculinity is really like. The people who are terrible fathers, are terrible people, and no amount of Gillette trying to say 'do better' is going to change that.

So why are suicide rates for men higher? Why do gay men kill themselves more than heterosexual men? Why are men still afraid to seek help for their mental health? Do you really think the stereotypes of what a real man is aren't continuing to permeate into society?

No one is knocking the good men or saying they don't exist, but they have a hard time as well living in a society that promotes toxic masculinity.

 

[jmc]

So why are suicide rates for men higher? Why do gay men kill themselves more than heterosexual men? Why are men still afraid to seek help for their mental health? Do you really think the stereotypes of what a real man is aren't continuing to permeate into society?

No one is knocking the good men or saying they don't exist, but they have a hard time as well living in a society that promotes toxic masculinity.

And you think an ad talking down to men helps with that?

 

[CaptainWagner]

That in and of itself is a stereotype. For every one of those fathers you could easily find 25 other dads who are hard working men, who love their wives and family, who enjoy the times with their kids, who play for the local soccer or rugby team on the weekends and who will step in when someone is being unfairly targeted. These men are already doing the best they can. So please, spare me your overly dramatic perspective on what masculinity is really like. The people who are terrible fathers, are terrible people, and no amount of Gillette trying to say 'do better' is going to change that.

As someone who has lived his whole life in the heart of rural America, if you seriously think that toxic masculinity is restricted to "a few bad apples" then you have to be willfully ignorant. This remains a systematic problem. And well Gillette clearly isn't going to change the minds of the toxic men who fulfill this culture, it can inspire the good men to stand up against the system and women to stop accepting toxic behavior.

This "talking down" complaint is BS. Any form of correction is inherently talking down. Because the one doing the correcting is in the right. To "come at it eye to eye" implies there is a legitimate debate to be had. The opponents to this message do not have legitimate views. Bullying, harassment and the other trademarks of toxic masculinity are WRONG.