Toxic masculinity is one of the greatest curses of humanity. It turns boys into beasts and bullies.
It demeans women, and kills them in horrifying numbers. It drives men to murder each other all over our bloody planet, in one senseless war after the other.
It was largely responsible for Donald Trump's victory, and it's what the ghastly Andrew Scheer is trying to use against Justin Trudeau.
And since I hate bullies of any kind with a passion.
I really like this video.
And what makes me like it even more, is the hysterical way many right-wing men are reacting.
Gillette is under fire from men’s rights activists and rightwing publications for a new advertisement that engages with the #MeToo movement and plays on its 30-year tagline “The Best A Man Can Get”, asking instead: “Is this the best a man can get?”
With some of the sleaziest Trump supporters in the U.S. lining up to declare that they will NEVER use a Gillette product again.
And this tells me all I need to know about our own scuzzy right wingers.
The Conservative Canadian political commentator Ezra Levant wrote: “A shaving ad written by pink-haired feminist scolds is about as effective as a tampon ad written by middle aged men … Count this 30-year customer out.”
Misogyny is them. And Levant really is a pig.
As for me, I don't have a problem with those who criticize men, and I must admit this image made me howl with laughter.
Until I realized that they were saying that "boys will be boys." And suddenly I wasn't laughing.
For it brought back the time when I had to fight every day to defend myself from the bullies in my life...
Which just happens to be the same reason I now fight bullies like Andrew Scheer and Doug Ford.
Let me be clear, the day this political thug who would encourage religious fanatics to bully LGBT kids in our schools becomes my Premier, will be the day Hell freezes over. Instead I will resist him until the day he is defeated or arrested. #onpoli pic.twitter.com/zfsLzI4lc9— Simon (@montrealsimon) June 8, 2018
And the same reason I support a leader like Justin Trudeau who stands up for the rights of women and gay people...
Like no other prime minister.
And why I don't have the slightest problem with a video that asks men to be better than they are.
In fact I think it's about time. We need more messages like that one. The bullied kids need to hear them, so do women, and all the other victims of toxic masculinity.
So good for Gillette.
For this is what I believe:
Women will not be truly free, as they must be if we are ever going to live in a kinder gentler world.
Until men can can overcome their brutish indoctrination.
And free themselves as well...
26 comments:
Ya but see this is what pisses people off. Where's the "be a better woman" commercial? No one likes being told what to do, especially from a faceless sterile corporation trying to score progressive points.
Trudeau is a prophet. Finally the American Psychological Association affirmed what he'd been saying all along...
https://www.thedailybeast.com/american-psychological-association-traditional-masculinity-is-harmful
...way back to when he was first elected and called out Gamergate.
https://leaderpost.com/technology/gaming/nerdwire-canadian-prime-minister-designate-justin-trudeau-calls-out-gamergate-says-hes-proud-to-be-a-feminist
Predictably, insecure troglodytes started banging their clubs and grunting that this is another "fake branch of academics" that's been "infiltrated" by feminists, SJWs, soyboy globalists, etc. etc. etc.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/12/psychology-masculinity-men-apa-guidlines
I eagerly await what Jordan Peterson has to say about this. Wait, no I don't. Just like I could have gone my whole life not caring what Ezra Levant has to say about, well, pretty much anything.
But at least now it's official. Donald Trump, for all intents and purposes, is a personality disorder in and of himself. The worst a "man" can get.
Where's the "be a better woman" commercial?
Oh, geez.... News flash, Fred Flintstone: Those are just called "commercials" and they've been telling women how to be "better" for a long time now. Buy our soap so you'll smell pretty. Buy our pantyhose, makeup, shampoo, hair color, so you'll look pretty. Buy our Slim-Fast, Spanx, Weight Watchers, gym membership... Where does this come from? Toxic masculinity inherent in advertising and capitalism. Didn't you watch Mad Men?
See also, "all lives matter" and "why don't we have White History Month". Bothsiderism is the resort of a coward. Get woke or get out.
I'm not sure there will be much of a boycott of Gillette...and even if there was, Gillette is owned by Proctor and Gamble, which literally owns hundreds of the best-known brands across all retail sectors. Mewing complaints.
I thought the commercial was great especially when the adult male goes and seperates the fighting boys. Fighting isn't cool and it isn't masculine. it doesn't prove how tough you are. It demonstrates how unable you are to deal with conflict.
In my late teens two boys got into a fight and one died as the result, just an ordinary fight, at a social gathering, but one kid was dead at 18. The other boy's parent's spent almost everything they had to keep their son out of jail. Not fighting not only saves lives, it saves a lot of money.
I say good on Gillette for running the ad! Some may argue its about buying into the Me To Movement, but I don't. Its a commercial which makes sense. It demonstrates violence isn't an answer and neither is bullying. It harms people. It demonstrates just standing by while letting things happen gets people hurt. when children learn they can bully and get away with it, some times as adults they wind up killing some one or getting killed themselves and then every one wonders why it happened. There is no such thing as boys will be boys. its a load of b.s. and thank you to Gillette.
Which is why many people are expanding the Boycotte to Proctor and Gamble.
I'm left-wing, voted NDP my whole life and I joined the boycotte against Gillette and Proctor & Gamble. Many people who have aren't rightwing and come from all walks of life.
Singling out men for demonization and guilt trips, while in other commercials telling women they are fine as they are is hypocritical.
And the commercial lent support to the human rights abusing mob #Metoo movement that has lead to suicides and massive gender divisions not seen since the 50's, ruined life, and hypocritical behavior.
Guess what Simon,research shows women are far more likely to bully other women then men are.
And there is no such thing as toxic masculinity, masculinity is a personal journey, and the value of any element of masculinity is based entirely on context.
No one in the boycotte is advocating for bullying. But the commercial gives its support to #Metoo which is nothing, but bullying from the beginning,leveling unproven accusations with no evidence and then doing everything they can ruin the accused person, even from ananoymous accusations that could be from random trolls.
People are getting sick of it, sick of the being bullied for being men.
That was an awesome ad in its message and how it's causing right wing heads to explode like long suffering zits. They're crawling out of their caves to denounce Gillette and by so doing, they're proving that the message went right over their heads, came around from behind and kicked them right in the balls. They are in fact the sissies, the cowards and the bullies who like yourself Simon, I would stand up to and engage if necessary.
There's no changing the Piers and Ezras of the world as they wallow in their all consuming hatred of what's good and decent. However, this ad is going to resonate worldwide and will help prevent many kids from being dragged down to their level and in turn, significantly reduce the next generation of the Piers and Ezras of the world.
JD
It’s no different than if a cosmetics company put out an ad criticizing women for “toxic feminism”.
"Singling out men for demonization and guilt trips."
A simple video that encourages men to be respectful of others and to pass that respect on to their children is hardly a demonization or guilt trip on men. I'm an older white male and I applaud Gillette's message. It will cause no change in myself as I try to follow and extol the virtues of that message every day of my life and wish more people would. I suggest that those who are offended by this have much deeper, personal issues they need to resolve.
JD
Hi anon@3:01 PM...I must say I can't believe how fragile some men appear to be, fainting all over the place over a harmless video that suggests that toxic masculinity is a bad thing. Women are told all the time how to be a better member of their gender, and they don't act like that. Are you really suggesting that bullying and domestic violence are not bad things? As we more manly men like to say, roll with the punches brother, they don't hurt that bad....
Hi Jackie...on behalf of liberated men everywhere, I want to apologize for all those sniffing snowflakes. I'd be weeping with them, but I'm laughing too hard...đŸ˜º
Hi anon @10:20 PM...The problem with that analogy is that there is no toxic feminism. When woman are accused of being bullies or whatever, it's only because they are trying to act like men. I saw nothing in that video that insulted good men, apart from that line of men and their BBQs. What kind of man would pose with a corn cob instead of a big hunk of beef of the grill? đŸ˜‰
Hi Jackie...That is the tragic part of this ridiculous overreaction. Toxic masculinity doesn't just hurt or kill women and children. It also hurts and kills men. They are trapped by unrealistic expectations, and feel Inadequate when they can't live up to them. The studies are there to prove that. And it's only too obvious when you see how most women age better than most men. And yet here they are protesting advice that could improve their own lives. As the man pig Trump would say or grunt, sad....
Hi anon @4:14 PM...it will have no effect whatsoever. Especially since men like me will make up for it by increasing our consumption of Gillette products. I intend to use two shavers in future, one for the left side of my face, and one for the other. So the screaming ninnies can Scihick themselves...đŸ˜‰
Hi e.a.f...well said. I agree with you completely. Boys need to be taught all those things in school to help them become healthier and happier men. But if a big company wants to make a video encouraging violent, abusive men to heal themselves, or just be better humans, good for Gillette. Every good message counts, and if it stirs up a fierce debate all the better...
Hi Gyor...I don't know what caused you to be such a fierce foe of feminism, and it's none of my business. But as you know I don't agree with you. I think the #Metoo movement, men self help groups, and the Gillette video all help men become healthier and happier human beings.have you noticed how many angry old men there are out there, sitting on their porches screaming at the world? Do you really want to become like them? So although I know you won't take my advice, I'm still going to say that you should let the bitterness go, and move on because like all of us you only have one life to live...
Hi JD...very well said. As I said in my post I have been stunned by the negative reaction, and it shows how many men are consumed by bitterness and motivated by misogyny. You could see it in the way they attacked Hillary Clinton and Kathleen Wynne. It really is both evil and pathetic. And the sight of the bigot Levant foaming at the mouth is absolutely disgusting, and should tell some of our fainting snowflakes what kind of company they are keeping. Still, as I mentioned above, the controversy has given us some good insights into the unhealthy impulses that govern many men, and we need to do what we can to help them before they harm others and themselves. More happier men, like more happier women, make for a happier world...
Gyor, this commercial to me, is anti violence, its not about the Me too movement. as I wrote in the comment above yours, two teenage boys got into a fight at a social event, just boys being boys and in the end one fell and was dead. If this commercial saves even one life, it is worth it.
I too am left wing, but I've always tried to break up fights because I remember the kid who was killed in one of those boys will be boys things.
What kind of man would pose with a corn cob instead of a big hunk of beef of the grill?
Beef after the corn. Sheesh.
I have had a beard for the last forty years but I am tempted to go out and buy some Gillette razors as a gesture of support.
The massive reaction would seem to indicate that a lot of men out there know that they have been and are guilty of all kinds of reprehensible behaviour. If they were not, we would likely be getting more "What, who me?" or "whatever [shrug]" reactions.
In CBC interview a marketing prof at Seneca (?) says that his surveying suggests that much of the backlash is coming from older males. Younger males seem fine or like the ad.
Me thinks, Ezra doth protest too much?
We know that he is xenophobic; does this reaction imply misogynistic as well? There is nothing like having a well--rounded bigot about the place.
Get off my lawn Gillete.
Hi jrkrideau...yes, younger males have no problem with the ad, at least all the ones I know. And my brother who is in the advertising business says that Proctor and Gamble were deliberately reaching out to millennials who have asked that companies should show more social consciousness in their ads. As for Ezra Levant, the man grows more grotesque with every passing year...
Hi Steve...I had no idea that you mowed your lawn with a razor, it must be a long and laborious process. I on the other hand used to love mowing our lawn with a big green fossil fuel machine, so I guess that makes me a Real man...đŸ˜‰
"Gay bashing", perpetrated almost exclusively by men, is another lethal example. Trump, Bolsonaro and many others...
Women and especially teenage girls can also be very toxic, but usually it is verbal.
well we out here in B.C. use old fashion lawn mowers, which are reel mowers. You push and it cuts the grass and no fuel is used and it takes less time than the razor. Some of us also use electrical lawn mowers. Works nicely for the older crowd, and larger lawns, acreage.
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