Gillette Joins the Fight against ‘Toxic Masculinity’

[Muda69]

https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/01/gillette-commercial-toxic-masculinity-debate/

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On Monday, Gillette — the razor and shaving-cream company — joined the chorus of cultural forces decrying so-called “toxic masculinity.” The company ran an online commercial suggesting that the history of American masculinity is rife with sexual harassment, bullying, and cruelty — and that the new masculinity must overcome all of these influences.

Now, it’s not new to see corporations pursuing accolades from various social groups — monetizing virtue signaling. It’s a profitable method, since it inoculates your corporation from the woke scolds of the Left. We’ve seen more and more corporations kowtowing to leftist social priorities, knowing that conservatives generally don’t threaten boycotts while leftist activists are happy to do so at the drop of a hat.

But there’s a broader question here: Is Gillette right?

The American Psychological Association seems to think so. Last week, it released a new set of guidelines slamming “traditional masculinity.” According to the APA, “traditional masculinity ideology” helps limit “males’ psychological development, constrain their behavior, result in gender role strain and gender role conflict, and negatively influence mental and physical health.” According to the APA, “traditionally masculine” men have built a system of masculinity around bullying rather than civilizing, around stolidity rather than emotional maturity. Thus, it is the fault of men that young boys are growing up to become toxic males.

But is that true? If we truly believe that young men are growing up inculcated into a toxic vision of masculinity, is that from too much traditional male influence or too little? Today, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 23 percent of American children live with a single mother. That percentage has tripled since 1960. As of 2012, 55 percent of black children and 31 percent of Hispanic children lived with one parent, predominantly the mother.

How about other male influences? Teachers are predominantly female in the United States, particularly in primary education. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 76 percent of public-school teachers were female. Over 80 percent of social workers are female.

In other words, more and more young boys lack male influence altogether. This isn’t to suggest that  toxic male influence doesn’t exist — of course it does. But that toxic male influence has always been generated by peers rather than parents. For decades, we’ve known that the vast majority of criminals grew up without a father in the home — as of 1987, 70 percent of inmates grew up in a one-parent home. The Center for Children and Families has reported that 70 percent of “gang members, high school dropouts, teen suicides, teen pregnancies, and teen substance abusers come from single mother homes.”

If you want to raise a generation of men who will treat women well, act as protectors rather than victimizers, and become the bedrock for a stable society, you need more masculinity, not less. In fact, a recent study from Stanford, Harvard, and the Census Bureau found that high levels of father presence in local communities may matter even more than having a father in the home directly; the study explained, “black boys who grow up in areas with high father presence are also significantly less likely to be incarcerated.”

We’ve maligned masculinity as a society because men are likely to do the greatest harm to others. The vast majority of violent criminality comes from males; the vast majority of sexual misconduct comes from males. But we’ve made a mistake in blaming the presence of males for that issue. It’s a massive mistake to blame “toxic masculinity” rather than recognizing that toxic masculinity is often the result of a dearth of genuine masculinity — the kind of masculinity that leads men to stick around and father their children in the first place. The alternative to masculine presence is no masculine presence — and lack of masculine presence leads to toxic masculinity, deprived men acting out of hurt and anger.

Agreed.

[Impartial_Observer]

I don't know about the whole masculinity thing, men need to step up and be men. 

Edited January 15, 2019 by Impartial_Observer

[swordfish]

4 hours ago, Muda69 said:

https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/01/gillette-commercial-toxic-masculinity-debate/

Agreed.

Teachers are predominantly female in the United States, particularly in primary education. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 76 percent of public-school teachers were female. Over 80 percent of social workers are female.

Soooo - It's a woman's fault after all?

[Muda69]

Gillette Tells Men They're Repulsive Creeps. Now Give Them Your Money, You Piece of Garbage: https://pjmedia.com/trending/gillette-tells-men-theyre-repulsive-creeps-now-give-them-your-money-you-piece-of-garbage/?fbclid=IwAR3vVS_AByKCM0AmOsjgan6mrc-GuaYQX_nRgkncEQyqYHUB1DkwSFyC1Cs

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Are you a man? That is to say, are you a genetic male who also happens to identify as a "man," for some increasingly antiquated reason? If so, are you under the mistaken impression that you're not a rapist?

Our society has come a long way in shaming men for behaving in any way that anybody anywhere doesn't like, and reminding men that we're all complicit even if we don't behave that way. But it's not nearly enough. The mere fact of maleness is shameful and problematic. Men and boys everywhere need to be reminded that we're evil. We must learn to hate ourselves as much as everyone else hates us. The patriarchy must be castrated.

And who better to do it than a company that makes razors?

Alexandra Bruell, WSJ:

 

Gillette is embracing the #MeToo movement in a new digital ad campaign aimed at men, the latest message from an advertiser attempting to change societal norms...

“This is an important conversation happening, and as a company that encourages men to be their best, we feel compelled to both address it and take action of our own,” said Pankaj Bhalla, Gillette brand director for North America in an emailed statement. “We are taking a realistic look at what’s happening today, and aiming to inspire change by acknowledging that the old saying ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ is not an excuse. We want to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and hope all the men we serve will come along on that journey to find our ‘best’ together.”

 

This is long overdue. #TimesUp, penis-havers!

Here's Gillette's first salvo in their war on men. WARNING: Contains depictions of male behavior.

See? See what you've done, you repulsive creeps? And don't you think you could use a shave?

If that didn't fill you with regret and self-loathing at being a man, then you weren't one to begin with. Masculinity is more toxic than the plastic in Gillette's inexpensive disposable razors. I didn't even realize how rotten and depraved I was until I saw this ad, and now I want to run out and buy as many Gillette products as I can carry.

Gillette has learned that in [current year], it's not enough for a company to make a product that people want. It's not enough to make them feel inadequate about themselves, and then sell them the supposed cure for that inadequacy. Consumers, men in particular, must be made to feel worthless. They have to be reminded that their needs and desires are wrong under any circumstances, that their instincts are loathsome, that their very existence is a malignancy, and that they're responsible for all the world's ills whether they want to admit it or not.

Now give them your money, you piece of garbage.

If past corporate scolding campaigns are any indication, Gillette will see some pushback from customers who don't know what's good for them. When Starbucks introduced their #RaceTogether campaign back in 2015, they were roundly excoriated by racists everywhere. And guess what? Racism continues to this day. Are you going to allow the same thing to happen with sexism, or are you going to go out and buy a Mach3?

I'm proud to be ashamed of being a man, and I applaud Gillette for refusing to let me get away with it. The best a man can get is the bottom of the barrel.

I'm going to stop shaving in protest.  Who's with me?

[Impartial_Observer]

34 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

Gillette Tells Men They're Repulsive Creeps. Now Give Them Your Money, You Piece of Garbage: https://pjmedia.com/trending/gillette-tells-men-theyre-repulsive-creeps-now-give-them-your-money-you-piece-of-garbage/?fbclid=IwAR3vVS_AByKCM0AmOsjgan6mrc-GuaYQX_nRgkncEQyqYHUB1DkwSFyC1Cs

I'm going to stop shaving in protest.  Who's with me?

Yea....I'm out on the no shave thing. Next thing you'll know you'll be wearing skinny jeans and getting your hair cut high and tight Muda. 

I've used Dollar Shave Club for close to 10 years. They're an awesome company to do business with. Their Dr. Carver's Shave Butter is the best shaving creme I've ever used, I like their after shave balm as well. Their product is competitively priced, and shows up in my mailbox once a month. 

Bottom line, I figured out a LONG time ago, Gillette was too damn expensive......plus I HATE the Patriots. 

[Muda69]

1 hour ago, Impartial_Observer said:

Yea....I'm out on the no shave thing. Next thing you'll know you'll be wearing skinny jeans and getting your hair cut high and tight Muda. 

No hipster style here, IO.  I would prefer the Paul Bunyan look.

[gonzoron]

[DanteEstonia]

I joined the fight against toxic stupidity by joining this board and countering all the stupid on this website.