In January of this year, Gillette, a razor company, did something that pissed a lot of people off.
They released an advert.
In the advert, men are depicted in two contrasting fashions. There are those who favour old school displays of masculinity, which has come to be known as toxic masculinity, and there are men who show a more caring and emphatic side to themselves.
The central message of the advert is to implore men to be a better version of themselves. Thus, being better husbands, fathers and sons, while being role models to younger generations.
This seems like a reasonable message, but the backlash to it has been visceral and unsurprising.
Thousands of men have come out in droves to protest against the advert, with many stating they will boycott Gillette products.
After watching the advert myself, I fail to see what all the fuss is about. Surely an advert challenging men about abusive behaviour to become better versions of themselves should be applauded not decried?
The advert has struck at the core of a debate that has been bubbling in recent times, one of what it means to be a man. The very definition of masculinity.
What is clear is that there is a pushback to recent developments such as the…
