The new advert released by Razor company Gillette tells a story of bullying, homophobia and toxic masculinity amongst the uprising against sexual harassment that has come out in recent years.
Naturally, making such a profound statement has seen the internet divided in disagreement – with many even saying they will now boycott the brand. A brand giant taking this moral stance is rare and incredible to see. Considering their majority audience are men, manipulating that power to put out a really vital and important message is fantastic.
The ad is a short film called, ‘Believe’ and has been viewed more than three million times on youtube in the past 48 hours. It wasn’t long before the nations treasure Piers Morgan piped up saying he will boycott the company saying,
I’ve used
@Gillette razors my entire adult life but this absurd virtue-signalling PC guff may drive me away to a company less eager to fuel the current pathetic global assault on masculinity. Let boys be damn boys. Let men be damn men.
Leading a band of people who ironically are most likely the ones the advert is aimed at, describing the sexual harassment, abuse that drives people to take their own lives, and reinforcing toxic behaviour ‘virtue signalling PC guff’. But with those customers lost, Gillette most likely will gain customers who are inspired by the film.
The message of the film is such an important and essential conversation that has been an elephant in the room for far too long. Women are taking a stand but that is not enough. Everybody needs to be involved for a real change to happen. Those who are so ignorant and obsessed with being right need to wake up. It can’t take something tragic happening personally affecting a person, to be a catalyst for change.
Other comments in the wave of backlash was a woman wouldn’t buy Gillette razors anymore because they felt personally victimised to the men in her house. The trick is looking at the bigger picture.
The ad also illustrates this, plenty of men are doing great and it is the minority that creates the problem on a whole. Really dangerous things happen when people stay passive to bullying, racism, inequalities across the world. So I congratulate Gillette on taking this stand.
Let us know what you think!
Film Media and Journalism student at the University of Stirling. Editor in Chief at Brig Newspaper. Edinburgh / Stirling
The ad has a good message for the most part, although the term Toxic Masculinity is very malephobic. Unfortunately for Gillette, this ad won’t save them from losing market share to Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club, especially since they don’t have the guts to air it during the Super Bowl.
I liked the Ad as it resonates with my recent article titled ‘Is Objectification the Problem”. A main point I make in my article and the Ads point is that a crucial aspect of anti-harassment and abuse is based on a choice to respect others, empathy, emotional intelligence and a society that actively supports the refusal of harassing and abusive behavior as well as speaking against the sexist and aggressive propaganda of media, etc… Constructive male role models need to be shown on the media often.