A new advertisement released by the well-known razors’ company Gillette on “toxic masculinity”, sexual harassment and the MeToo movement has taken the internet by storm.
The video was released on Monday and took less than 24 hours to get viewed by millions of users on social media platforms like Twitter and YouTube. It also received around 95K dislikes on YouTube as a result of the wide criticism it sparked.
In the ad, Gillette features clips showing reports on the MeToo movement, sexism in some movies and violence between boys with a voice over can be heard saying: “Bullying, the MeToo movement against sexual harassment, toxic masculinity, is this the best a man can get?”. Playing on their old slogan “The best a man can get”, Gillette had adopted a new slogan that says: “The best men can be”.
The ad led social media to explode in debates, criticism and even support by many.
Accusations that Gillette are attacking all men and assuming they are all sexual harassers or violent thugs have also offended many men.
Several calls to boycott Gillette, that is accused of adopting the feminist liberals point of view, have also circulated social media.
Many argued the way Gillette unfairly used generalization to include all men when saying "some already are but some isn't enough".
On the other hand, there have been widespread praise for Gillette's attempt to address modern men in a time of the MeToo movement.
Others denied being offended by the ad arguing it showed both points of views and it “clearly” addresses sexual harassers.
Some of the ad’s fans also asked Gillette to translate the video and run it in the Middle East where “toxic masculinity” is being widely challenged.
Meanwhile, Gillette company had released a statement on their website saying the ad is just part of a broader initiative where the company is “committing to donate $1 million per year for the next three years to non-profit organizations executing programs in the US designed to inspire, educate and help men of all ages achieve their personal “best” and become role models for the next generation”.
“From today on, we pledge to actively challenge the stereotypes and expectations of what it means to be a man everywhere you see Gillette. In the ads we run, the images we publish to social media, the words we choose, and so much more.”
