If you need proof that the Gillette ad is necessary, just go to Twitter and search # BoycottGillette . Make sure you take your blood pressure medication before you start reading. Users complained that the Gillette ad is part of the “pussification of America,” and that the company is “hell bent on destroying males.” Piers Morgan tweeted that Gillette is “eager to fuel the current global assault on masculinity.” Many more of the complaints aren’t suitable (or worth) repeating here. Someone thought they were being clever by writing, “Gillette, the best a trans can get,” presumably referring to transgender women. But just as rapidly as it garnered praise for taking on sexism, bullying, and actions that fall under the annoyingly dated adage “boys will be boys,” it became a lightning rod for critics and Internet trolls who complained that the message is part of the “war on men.” The ad is uplifting, inspiring, and, most astounding of all, it asks its customers to think about the consequences of their actions, and not just at the cash register. Gillette’s “ The Best a Man Can Be ” ad debuted Monday, and by Tuesday it was a viral sensation. Obviously not all who criticized the ad are hateful humans who oppose its message. Some men simply have no interest in mixing their shaving cream with politics. But as of Tuesday afternoon, callous comments were running 10 to 1 over positive on YouTube, and hateful language and slurs were plentiful. Advertisement Do you know who isn’t taking to Twitter to complain about the Gillette ad? Those of us who have been bullied, beat up, and sexually victimized. When I watched the ad, I didn’t see tanks gathering at the border of masculinity. I saw myself, and it nearly brought tears to my eyes. Advertisement When a distraught young boy is shown being held protectively by his mother with text bubbles that read “Sissy” and “Everyone hates you” surrounding them, I was transported back to my high school track team, which I eventually abandoned because I was tired of being called “faggot” and “queer.” When a teenager is shown running from a pack of boys who eventually catch him and begin beating him, I flashed back to a pack of junior high bullies who slowly started tormenting me with spitballs and eventually worked their way up to punching me in the back of the head whenever they walked past me. In the eighth grade, I skipped school for three weeks, not because I didn’t like my classes, but because I was scared of the bullies and too ashamed to talk to anyone about it. I have wonderful parents, but I didn’t want to feel as if I was letting them down. I kept quiet. Instead, an older man who could spot an easy 14-year-old target circled and made a move on me. More shame, more silence, more isolation. This all took place during the 1980s, which is practically the Dark Ages when it comes to bullying and LGBTQ issues. The world is a more enlightened place. Or at least that’s what I sometimes think. Then, suddenly, a highly evolved advertisement for razors (!) jerks me back to reality. I made the mistake of reading Twitter and YouTube comments and realized that the hate is still there, only it’s expressed behind the cowardice of screen names and shady profiles. Advertisement Many of the #BoycottGillette hashtags are accompanied by #SoyBoy. In my protective Boston bubble, I’d never heard the term. For those in the same bubble, here’s what I discovered: “soy boy” is an alt-right term, which, according to Urban Dictionary, means “males who completely and utterly lack all necessary masculine qualities. This pathetic state is usually achieved by an over-indulgence of emasculating products and/or ideologies.” Here’s where the second theme of the ad comes into play: How men treat women. If those who take issue with Gillette fret about the “pussification of America,” what does that say about how these men see women? If detractors of the Gillette ad are sticking with the “boys will be boys” mantra, does that mean the #MeToo movement is just a feminine construct? Perhaps it’s just a weapon used by women and soy boys in the war against men. According to Piers Morgan, who appears to be the new voice of the war on masculinity, “Let boys be damn boys. Let men be damn men.” Of all the negative tweets and comments, Morgan’s is the most chilling of all. It has an undercurrent of excusing poor behavior, objectification, and assault of women. Listen carefully, guys. No one is trying to take away your freedom. A commercial for razors is not a rallying cry for an imaginary war on masculinity. Many of the hundreds of thousands of complaints against “The Best a Man Can Be” come from men who feel that the ad, which was directed by a woman, paints all men as bullies, sexist, or predators. I’m not an advertising expert, but it’s clear to me this ad isn’t calling you names. It’s asking you to be an example to your children by not calling other people names. This ad is not trying to emasculate you; it’s asking you to treat people with respect. Advertisement I do have one gripe with the ad. I wish it had debuted during the 1989 Super Bowl rather than the original “The Best a Man Can Get” ad, which was a halcyon vision of sweaty feats of athleticism, featuring Wall Street bros with women as arm candy and father-son bonding. If the younger, more timid 1989 version of me had seen the new ad, perhaps I would have spoken up. Maybe I would have fought back or been able to help a close friend who was bullied to the point of suicide. I can’t turn back time, so instead I’ll defend Gillette against the naysayers who are somehow offended by its positive message. This soy boy is no longer afraid. Christopher Muther can be reached at christopher.muther@ globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @chris_muther.<doc-sep>Gillette faces backlash and boycott over '#MeToo advert' By Michael Baggs Newsbeat reporter Published 15 January 2019 image copyright Gillette A Gillette advert which references bullying, the #MeToo movement and toxic masculinity has split opinion online. The razor company's short film, called Believe, plays on their famous slogan "The best a man can get", replacing it with "The best men can be". The company says it wants men to hold each other "accountable". Some have praised the message of the advert, which aims to update the company's 30-year-old tagline, but others say Gillette is "dead" to them. The ad has been watched more than 2 million times on YouTube in 48 hours. Figure caption Warning: Third party content may contain adverts It currently has 23,000 likes and 214,000 dislikes, at time of writing - and that's increasing all the time. image copyright Gillette image caption People such as Piers Morgan have said they will boycott Gillette because of the message of the new advert In it, the company asks "Is this the best a man can get?" before showing images of bullying, sexual harassment, sexist behaviour and aggressive male behaviour. It then shows examples of more positive behaviour - such as stepping into prevent these behaviours when they happen in public. image copyright Gillette image caption In the advert, one man stops his friend from harassing a woman in the street Comments on the video are largely negative, with viewers saying they will never buy Gillette products again or that the advert was "feminist propaganda". "In less than two minutes you managed to alienate your biggest sales group for your products. Well done﻿," wrote one angry viewer. Twitter users are also sharing their disappointment with Gillette's new campaign. I’ve been shaving since I was 12, since the beginning I used Gillette because that’s what my father used, now I will never use it again, and neither will my father, collectively been your customers for 50+ years never again #BoycottGillette #Gillette — Ary (@ary31574363) January 15, 2019 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. View original tweet on Twitter @Gillette has made it clear they do not want the business of masculine men. I will grant their wish. I have used #Gillette razors since they sent me a free sample on my 18th birthday, and will no longer buy any of their products. — Rule The Wasteland (@MongoAggression) January 14, 2019 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. View original tweet on Twitter There have also been calls for Gillette, which is owned by Procter & Gamble, to post an apology video. But the brand believes the new advert aligns with its slogan and says it believes in "the best in men." "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," says its president, Gary Coombe. The advert was directed by Kim Gehrig from the UK-based production company Somesuch, who also directed the 2015 campaign for Sport England, This Girl Can. image copyright Gillette image caption The advert encourages men to act with more respect and to set a positive example to young boys Gillette has partnered with the Building A Better Man project, which seeks to reduce violent behaviour in men, and The Boys and Girls Club of America, which helps young men develop better social and communication skills. It's also donating $1m (around £778,000) a year for the next three years to US charities aimed at supporting men. 'They must have known there would be backlash' But while the response to the ad has been largely negative, as the old saying goes, there's no such thing as bad publicity. "Their next steps are very important but it shouldn't necessarily be widespread panic yet," Rob Saunders, an account manager at UK advertising company the Media Agency Group, tells Radio 1 Newsbeat. "Their ad is getting them good publicity and good numbers and causing a debate - which they must have known when they put out this ad. Rob says Gillette will have anticipated a negative reaction to the advert from some people. "This ad would have been approved by many people high up at Gillette," he adds. "So they must have known that there may have been a backlash." Rob believes the strong reaction is because the ad is such a shift from how Gillette was previously promoted and that has surprised people. "It's such a change in stance for Gillette and it's happening overnight, particularly with the social commentary and that's why it's done such huge numbers." 'This conversation needs to happen' But alongside the negative reaction to the brand's new message, there has also been widespread praise for its attempt to join the debate on what it means to be a modern man. The #Gillette ad clearly calls out sexual harassment and bullying, and says "Some men are already doing fine." Yet tons of men are still going to take it as an attack on "normal male behaviour," and will interpret it as "painting ALL men with a wide brush." Priceless. — Ethan Matisa (@ematisa) January 14, 2019 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. View original tweet on Twitter Thank you, #Gillette, for taking a chance on attaching your tagline to something meaningful, important and real. This conversation needs to happen. Why are there is so many complaints when it’s showing the good and bad side of #masculinity? https://t.co/gd4rsp5SP0 — happyasbarry (@happyasbarry) January 15, 2019 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. View original tweet on Twitter The #Gillette ad gave me goosebumps. Great and strong message. Simply put, just "care". But would also like to hear those who have issue with it, as I can't figure why. — Filip Matys (@FiMatys) January 15, 2019 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. View original tweet on Twitter "We knew that joining the dialogue on 'Modern Manhood' would mean changing how we think about and portray men at every turn," adds Gary Coombe. "Effective immediately, Gillette will review all public-facing content against a set of defined standards meant to ensure we fully reflect the ideals of Respect, Accountability and Role Modelling in the ads we run, the images we publish to social media, the words we choose, and more. "For us, the decision to publicly assert our beliefs while celebrating men who are doing things right was an easy choice that makes a difference." Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.<doc-sep>The video was accompanied by a pledge to donate $1 million per year for the next three years to a nonprofit working in the United States to help men “achieve their personal ‘best,’ ” according to a news release from Gillette. Its original slogan, the company said, was aspirational. “But turn on the news today and it’s easy to believe that men are not at their best,” the release noted. The first recipient of the funds will be the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, according to Adweek.<doc-sep>
Is there such a thing as "too woke?" Gillette recently released a two-minute commercial that had almost nothing to do with razors and shaving cream. Instead, a montage of news clips including the words "bullying" "#MeToo" and "toxic masculinity" opens the short, along with a more socially conscious twist on the brand's "The best a man can get" slogan. "Is this the best a man can get?" ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website The undoubtedly woke ad depicts fathers setting examples for their sons. One breaks up a fight between young boys, another saves a kid from bullies. A third dad has his daughter recite the words, "I am strong." Young men are also shown calling each other out for being inappropriate toward women. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website The video was released in tandem with the launch of Gillette's "The Best Men Can Be" campaign. A statement on the company's website promises "to donate $1 million per year for the next three years to non-profit organizations executing programs in the United States designed to inspire, educate and help men of all ages achieve their personal 'best' and become role models for the next generation." On Twitter, many heralded the commercial. One summed up the message in three words: "Don't abuse women." Others saw it as an attack on traditional masculinity. Some even called for a boycott against Gillette's parent company, Procter & Gamble. It's a complicated subject, no doubt. Men are often raised to be uncomfortable with "soft" emotions, and to see what looks like bullying to others as normal "horseplay." Then again, many men will get misty-eyed thinking about their dad teaching them to shave or tie a tie, and there are a ton of men in the most stereotypically "masculine" jobs imaginable who respect women as equals and would never behave in an inappropriate way. But in the age of #Metoo, even the most upstanding guy can feel worn down by being lumped in with men who behave terribly towards others. Is Gillette right to call out the biggest chunk of its customer base this way, or do they deserve some criticism after all? What do you think?