“The best men can be.”
Gillette has released a new advert which addresses bullying, the #MeToo movement and toxic masculinity and it has sparked a heated debate online.
The company’s short film, called Believe, replaces their famous tagline ‘The best a man can get’, with ‘The best men can be’.
The ad has been viewed over 2.5 million times on YouTube since it was uploaded on Monday and has been shared widely on social media.
“Is this the best a man can get?” a voice asks, as men of different ages are shown looking at their reflections in the mirror.
The ad then moves on to scenes depicting bullying, cyber bullying, sexual harassment and mansplaining, with the narrator stating: “It’s been going on far too long.”
The video then shows scenes of fathers stepping in to stop situations like the above, and taking steps to teach their sons that it’s not OK to behave in this way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koPmuEyP3a0
Clip via Gillette
Of course, the advert has drawn both praise and criticism online, with some praising the relevance of the ad in highlighting toxic masculinity.
Screw toxic masculinity. This is an awesome step to take. Great ad.
*urge to shave things increases* https://t.co/ebAQ0ZsB0m— Joaquín Baldwin (moved to 🦋 bluesky) (@joabaldwin) January 14, 2019
https://twitter.com/SonnyBunch/status/1084943461713936385
Others, meanwhile, including Piers Morgan, have criticised Gillette and some have called for a boycott of their products.
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. https://t.co/Hm66OD5lA4— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 14, 2019
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
@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
At the time of writing, the video has 26k likes and 225k dislikes on YouTube.
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