Gillette ad on toxic masculinity... have you seen it?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH here: I thought it was lame, insulting, and will backfire. Whatever market research says about who does the shopping, I find it very hard to believe men don’t have or express preferences about shaving items, which are reasonably personal, and I suspect this is going to hurt Gillette more than it helps. Woke Capital is tiresome and is due a comeuppance. We shall see, the reaction will be interesting.

I think you’re underestimating the importance of social issues for younger adult men. They’re also the same group switching to the dollar shave club, and similar outfits.

Right. And Dollar Shave Club isn't doing silly, pointless virture-signaling bullsh!t like this. They're just focusing on selling an adequate product at a reduced cost relative to the major competitors.

The fact that Gillette spent money on this ad, which doesn't tout the benefits or technology of their products, or explain why I as a consumer should choose theirs over a competitor's offerings, is proof that they are overcapitalized, and have plenty of money to throw around in stuff like this. Do you know what the budget for spots like that are? Being in the production and post business, I can probably accurately guesstimate it, and it's shockingly high. When Gillette has that kind of money to pour into something like that, it tells me their products are overpriced.

They aren't paying anything for discussions on websites like this, or the tweets and Facebook posts about the ad. If Gillette had produced an ad explaining the benefits of their product, would there be a post about it here? They wanted their ad to go viral. Mission accomplished.

That razor cuts both ways. It makes me less inclined to buy their products, not more so.

I'm getting tired of social justice constantly being pushed in my face by regular, ordinary people, to say nothing of giant companies. Companies that likely underpay their employees or make all their products in China, likely have all sorts of toxic pollution associated with their factory, and probably have a Board of Directors and CEO that think about nothing else all day than ways to eliminate jobs without degrading product qualtiy too much. Big corporations are the very LAST people on earth that need to be lecturing me on ethics or values or how to be a better person. F' that noise.

I currently use Gillette Sensor III's, but I think I'm gonna see what Schick or Bic has to offer from now on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mixed feelings.

I think ANY man or woman should step in if a child is being bullied, or break up a fight, or stop their friend from doing something embarrassing. NOBODY should be assaulting anyone. Women engage in sexual abuse too, you know. How often are teachers in the news for sleeping with students?

But I am a strong woman myself, and I don’t want a man who is weaker than me. I like masculinity. I like a strong, decent man. Why can’t a man be strong AND decent?

Is this your first time on DCUM? There are a ton of parents on this board who recommend MYOB or turning their backs rather than intervene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Game theory suggests that clever men will change their tactics to obtain more females.

mmmmmm ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH here: I thought it was lame, insulting, and will backfire. Whatever market research says about who does the shopping, I find it very hard to believe men don’t have or express preferences about shaving items, which are reasonably personal, and I suspect this is going to hurt Gillette more than it helps. Woke Capital is tiresome and is due a comeuppance. We shall see, the reaction will be interesting.

What about it did you find insulting? Genuinely? To me it seemed very pro man, just pro good man.

[Anonymous]

I thought the ad was heavy handed- but I have a son in MS and he comes home all the time telling me what he hears and sees--I'm shocked because I do wonder how some of these young men are being raised at home.
Gillette does have that part of it right- boys benefit from good role models, high expectations, and more supervision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Men with buns aren't buying razors. So, questionable marketing.

Women buy their husbands shaving stuff by and large.

Hahahahaha. No.

My husband buys his own shaving stuff.

Yeah I guess because it's not true for you two that market research that companies gave depended on to make $$$$ is wrong. You really think the old spice guy is just for men?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Game theory suggests that clever men will change their tactics to obtain more females.

Yes because all men are the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gillette corporate board - 2 women 7 men. Top four executives all men. Yes what a progressive company!

This. Right. Here.



This is exactly what I'm talking about. Giant corporation calling out me for the speck of sawdust in my eye, while oblivious to the tree trunk in theirs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Game theory suggests that clever men will change their tactics to obtain more females.

mmmmmm ok.

The man who ostentatiously intervenes in front of others to “save” the attractive potential victim of another man’s pursuit of her may be working an angle. These are still toxic males, after all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Game theory suggests that clever men will change their tactics to obtain more females.

Yes because all men are the same.

Most are in many respects to. That’s not to say that altruism doesn’t play a part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mixed feelings.

I think ANY man or woman should step in if a child is being bullied, or break up a fight, or stop their friend from doing something embarrassing. NOBODY should be assaulting anyone. Women engage in sexual abuse too, you know. How often are teachers in the news for sleeping with students?

But I am a strong woman myself, and I don’t want a man who is weaker than me. I like masculinity. I like a strong, decent man. Why can’t a man be strong AND decent?

Is this your first time on DCUM? There are a ton of parents on this board who recommend MYOB or turning their backs rather than intervene.

Well, that’s not me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH here: I thought it was lame, insulting, and will backfire. Whatever market research says about who does the shopping, I find it very hard to believe men don’t have or express preferences about shaving items, which are reasonably personal, and I suspect this is going to hurt Gillette more than it helps. Woke Capital is tiresome and is due a comeuppance. We shall see, the reaction will be interesting.

What about it did you find insulting? Genuinely? To me it seemed very pro man, just pro good man.

No one is disputing that part.

It's just that a big cosmetics company with only two women in corporate leadership positions is probably not the one that should be lecturing anyone about "goodness".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH here: I thought it was lame, insulting, and will backfire. Whatever market research says about who does the shopping, I find it very hard to believe men don’t have or express preferences about shaving items, which are reasonably personal, and I suspect this is going to hurt Gillette more than it helps. Woke Capital is tiresome and is due a comeuppance. We shall see, the reaction will be interesting.

What about it did you find insulting? Genuinely? To me it seemed very pro man, just pro good man.

How would you react to an ad for a product predominantly used by females with base line message that women have to break the toxic feminist culture and become good women? It just shows how poorly all men are thought of by our society. The baseline being men are bad because they are men.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH here: I thought it was lame, insulting, and will backfire. Whatever market research says about who does the shopping, I find it very hard to believe men don’t have or express preferences about shaving items, which are reasonably personal, and I suspect this is going to hurt Gillette more than it helps. Woke Capital is tiresome and is due a comeuppance. We shall see, the reaction will be interesting.

What about it did you find insulting? Genuinely? To me it seemed very pro man, just pro good man.

No one is disputing that part.

It's just that a big cosmetics company with only two women in corporate leadership positions is probably not the one that should be lecturing anyone about "goodness".

I personally have struggled to think about to address toxic masculinity without squashing my son's general masculinity.

You know now it became normal for women to work? Trailblazing women doing it and media normalizing it by showing women working. Sure maybe sometimes to make money, but it changed the cultural conversation. Feminism works because it is positive. It is pro women. And it's a movement that changed women and brought them forward. Men need a similar movement but we shouldn't call it toxic masculinity. It needs to be positive and about how to be a good man. And it will take off probably when media normalizes it. When movies the wolf of wall street aren't glorified.

I'm not saying Gillette is some model company we all need to purchase from now but I like their contribution to this conversation. And despite the general problem with it I like that it's a mostly Male company putting this out. Men need to do this with other men not with women patting them on the back or it won't feel like masculinity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH here: I thought it was lame, insulting, and will backfire. Whatever market research says about who does the shopping, I find it very hard to believe men don’t have or express preferences about shaving items, which are reasonably personal, and I suspect this is going to hurt Gillette more than it helps. Woke Capital is tiresome and is due a comeuppance. We shall see, the reaction will be interesting.

What about it did you find insulting? Genuinely? To me it seemed very pro man, just pro good man.

How would you react to an ad for a product predominantly used by females with base line message that women have to break the toxic feminist culture and become good women? It just shows how poorly all men are thought of by our society. The baseline being men are bad because they are men.

I actually like that it addressed the issue while still selling a very positive view of masculinity. Interesting that we viewed it so differently. I think fighting toxic masculinity needs a big branding makeover. It's important but we can't kill a generation of men's self esteem to get there or we'll have a bunch of creepy MRA losers.