A new advertising video by razor company Gillette is making headlines for telling men how they can be the best they can be, but not everyone is impressed with the message of the new campaign.
The new We Believe: The Best Men Can Be campaign is a variation of Gillette’s well-known “The Best A Man Can Get” motto and is the company’s answer to how men should behave in the Me Too era. The video was uploaded to social media on Sunday evening, with the official YouTube clip being viewed more than 7.9 million times in a matter of days.
The clip takes on bullying, sexual harassment and sexism and features reports from the Me Too movement against sexual harassment, images of sexism shown in films, TV shows and in the workplace, as well as violence between boys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=koPmuEyP3a0
“Bullying, the MeToo movement against sexual harassment, toxic masculinity — is this the best a man can get?” a voice over in the video said. “We can’t hide from it. It’s been going on far too long. You can’t laugh it off making the same old excuses.
“But something finally changed and there will be no going back because we believe in the best in men. To say the right thing, to act the right way. Some already are in ways big and small. But some is not enough because the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow.”
The message of the clip was echoed by P&G Global Grooming President Gary Coombe.
“Gillette believes in the best in men,” he said in a statement. “By holding each other accountable, eliminating excuses for bad behaviour, and supporting a new generation working toward their personal ‘best,’ we can help create positive change that will matter for years to come.”
In addition to the video, a charitable program dedicated to celebrate the stories of men making a positive impact was also set up, while Gillette pledged to donate US$1 million (AU$1.39 million, UK £780,000) a year for the next three years to non-profit organisations that help men of all ages achieve their personal best.
Despite this, the video has attracted a lot of negative reactions, mainly from men who didn’t like being told how to act.
One Twitter user shared a photo of themselves throwing their razors in the bin with the caption: “Straight to the trash they go.”
https://twitter.com/TaterSalad37/status/1085347763712229376
Another person on YouTube branded the ad “disgusting”.
“This is an entire new level of disrespect. This ‘ad’ literally demonises an ENTIRE gender, (a large percentage of your patronage, I might add),” the person wrote. “This right here is what leftists accuse right wingers of doing.
“Shaming. Discrimination. Misandry. Demeaning. Gillette you’ve lost every dollar from me for the rest of my natural life.”
A third added: “This ad has no bases in reality, and just joins in on an ineffective and misguided attack on manhood. The best a man can get is masculinity, a father figure, and a role model. Like every other company that wants to get in on the social justice movement that will pay in sails.”
Others were inspired by the message of the video, with one comment on Twitter reading: “Thank you @Gillette for this reminder of the beauty of men. I’m so moved by your call to action #TheBestMenCanBe.”
Thank you @Gillette for this reminder of the beauty of men. I’m so moved by your call to action #TheBestMenCanBe https://t.co/mWSDhENHZM
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) January 16, 2019
Another message read: “a commercial about not being an a**hole has exposed people who are a**holes. Shocking.”
A third added: “Finally got around to watching the Gillette ad and I found absolutely nothing wrong with it. If you’re personally offended by it, you’re part of the problem.”
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