News and Commentary

Categories
#MeToo

#MeToo-Inspired Ad Campaign Draws Sharp Criticism

SAVE January 26, 2019 In January, Gillette introduced a new advertising campaign. “The Best a Man Can Get,” which addressed issues of harassment, bullying, and men’s mental health. The ad also promoted the idea that men can and need to do better when it comes to holding each other accountable. The campaign proved to be

Sharing is caring!

January 26, 2019

In January, Gillette introduced a new advertising campaign. “The Best a Man Can Get,” which addressed issues of harassment, bullying, and men’s mental health. The ad also promoted the idea that men can and need to do better when it comes to holding each other accountable.

The campaign proved to be highly controversial, triggering a boycott effort and numerous editorials. Following is a selection of these articles published as of January 25, 2019:

  1. Armin Brott: Talking About “Toxic Masculinity” – When Is It Okay to Be a Bigot? https://mrdad.com/ask-mr-dad/talking-about-toxic-masculinity-when-is-it-okay-to-be-a-bigot/
  2. Cathy Young: Is masculinity really toxic or is it unfairly under assault? https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-young-masculinity-20190124-story.html
  3. Kay Hymowitz: What’s Really Toxic Is “Toxic Masculinity”. https://www.city-journal.org/toxic-masculinity-covington?fbclid=IwAR1GlO1F5IAeYLU-0_GDimZF0AV112Dz_sb7nCuKxi0lrIMwhDesMVUU_YM
  4. Matt Vespa: This Company Just Took Gillette’s Nonsense Toxic Masculinity Ad Campaign to The Woodshed. https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2019/01/22/this-company-just-took-gillettes-nonsense-toxic-masculinity-ad-campaign-to-the-w-n2539376?fbclid=IwAR3yS2mst6nv_I9ytal2YOVGdzgzzz0WzBDahKZTNmF5QBpWKpFNom-xPVM
  5. Babylon Bee: Striking Blow Against Toxic Masculinity, Man Graciously Allows Wife To Shovel Driveway. https://babylonbee.com/news/striking-blow-against-toxic-masculinity-man-graciously-allows-wife-to-shovel-driveway?fbclid=IwAR1qxKOF7bS8Ubk9a7anwRP1VxuCrDOfCwnVVfaRkUdLj9mbBv0T-4spjpA
  6. Brent Bozell and Tim Graham: Gillette’s Sexist Sermonizing to Men and Women. https://townhall.com/columnists/brentbozellandtimgraham/2019/01/18/gillettes-sexist-sermonizing-to-men-and-women-n2539240?fbclid=IwAR0JIe2kT5kN1MRVM-MvXbBpAeNnX2yUWor3aoiwsLcakI4ofMpPlRK32fs
  7. Charles Taylor: Why Gillette’s New Ad Campaign Is Toxic. https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlesrtaylor/2019/01/15/why-gillettes-new-ad-campaign-is-toxic/?fbclid=IwAR0G45AOGBRlDITcvea73l_FkAFlO-iDE0bzN8Tavl28f3c1e4-JSL95sZ0#6807ea2f5bc9
  8. DC Larson: Surprise: Genius behind man-hating Gillette ad is a radical feminist. https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/01/surprise_genius_behind_manhating_gillette_ad_is_a_radical_feminist.html#ixzz5dlFWWiV4
  9. Matt Walsh: 3 Reasons Why Gillette’s ‘Toxic Masculinity’ Ad Is Incredibly Stupid And Degrading. https://www.dailywire.com/news/42190/walsh-5-reasons-why-gillettes-toxic-masculinity-ad-matt-walsh?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=062316-news&utm_campaign=benshapiro
  10. Damian Reilly: Masculinity isn’t toxic – corporate moralizing is. https://spectator.us/masculinity-toxic-corporate/?fbclid=IwAR3w496k8-kAn85mUFAao2Cca4SNOJnVgRXCIecU4HqtiiXYm_wn0LTa9Eo
  11. Janice Fiamengo: The Gillette Ad – No Joke. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFO4xvnv_DM&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR3xtuRE6UcjOBCkQnFJ5maw9koHvMwKuzj3OZTkiF_F_NG_CDeWFCAZIXY
  12. James Barrett: Backlash Builds Against Gillette Over ‘Toxic Masculinity’ Campaign. https://www.dailywire.com/news/42256/backlash-builds-against-gillette-over-toxic-james-barrett?fbclid=IwAR3_OjprfVMraobONbDF31H5N8qHfXuF-oVLmAZvransiBWUrCSdTGuEY9M
  13. Janice Fiamengo, Paul Elam, and Tom Golden: Regarding Men. https://youtu.be/tOkUPcMQexA
  14. Karol Markowicz: That idiotic Gillette ad may have turned the tide on ‘toxic masculinity’. https://nypost.com/2019/01/20/that-idiotic-gillette-ad-may-have-turned-the-tide-on-toxic-masculinity/?utm_source=facebook_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site+buttons&utm_campaign=site+buttons&fbclid=IwAR1YcPIxm4CHf-UAzl8W-oJacAeawHB4Yz4ADvwu3Ek_I8cg9pO1tcHTPDA
  15. OAN: Dear Gillette, Men Are Not the Problem! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VnTNDxnikU&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR05DyjbUupfI1a4zYtncWpy2ZhpW0_ro76cCRfLpPDs2jYWj0pBKApzzu8
  16. Isaac Stanley-Becker: Gillette ad takes on ‘toxic masculinity’ in #MeToo-era rebrand, provoking a backlash. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/15/gillette-takes-toxic-masculinity-new-ad-rebranding-metoo-era-inviting-backlash/?utm_term=.504ec61ea3f7&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
  1. Michael Gurian: Blaming Masculinity Will Only Make The Male Crisis Worse. https://thefederalist.com/2019/01/14/blaming-masculinity-will-make-male-crisis-worse/.
  2. Michael Bartiromo: Gillette’s ‘We Believe’ ad focusing on ‘toxic masculinity’ gets mixed response, sends upset customers to seek other brands https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/gillettes-we-believe-ad-toxic-masculinity-draws-mixed-response-sends-upset-customers-to-seek-other-brands
  3. Charles Taylor: Why Gillette’s New Ad Campaign Is Toxic. https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlesrtaylor/2019/01/15/why-gillettes-new-ad-campaign-is-toxic/#3860aa1e5bc9
  4. Piers Morgan: I’m so sick of this war on masculinity and I’m not alone – with their pathetic man-hating ad, Gillette have just cut their own throat. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6594295/PIERS-MORGAN-Im-sick-war-masculinity-Gillette-just-cut-throat.html
  5. Frank Camp: Watch Company Launches Response To Gillette ‘Toxic Masculinity’ Ad; It Goes Viral. https://www.dailywire.com/news/42408/watch-company-launches-response-gillette-toxic-frank-camp
  6. Leslie Eastman: Egard Watch Company video counters Gillette’s “Toxic Masculinity” ad. https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/01/egard-watch-company-video-counters-gillettes-toxic-masculinity-ad/
  7. The Conservative Woman: Does “toxic masculinity” target ALL males? https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/gillette-a-turning-point-in-the-war-on-men/
  8. Barbara Kay: Toxic Masculinity in advertising: Keeping women scared and men shamed: https://www.thepostmillennial.com/toxic-masculinity-in-advertising-keeping-women-scared-and-men-shamed/