Gillette Commercial

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 01-18-2019, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by blah3

Well I think I see why many didn't understand your point. There really wasn't anything in the commercial about men seeking help with emotional. That seems to be another point that is related but not addressed in the commercial. The commercial was basically men are bullies, men are horn dogs, and men think women are stupid.

I saw it as redefining masculinity.

Some of the aspects of that I agreed with. Some I did not.

It's all about interpreting in our own contexts. So, I get where you're coming from and how you got that messaging, so I wouldn't say I disagree with you.

**BPF2** · 01-18-2019, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteNorthRaven

I saw it as redefining masculinity.

Some of the aspects of that I agreed with. Some I did not.

It's all about interpreting in our own contexts. So, I get where you're coming from and how you got that messaging, so I wouldn't say I disagree with you.

See, I didn't see it as "redefining masculinity", at least not in a constructive way. I feel like they used the commercial to redefine masculinity as all those awful traits, then get on a soap box to say this is not what masculinity should be. Well, it's not and the majority of people don't define it their way.

I think the point you bring up about being more open to discussing issues of depression or other mental health concerns is valid. But the ad didn't even touch on that remotely. That's why I think when you see things like the Steve Smith Sr. article it's much more powerful. Here's a guy who has made a career in one of the most competitive and violent jobs (both very "masculine" traits), and who had a reputation as an all out bad-ass, but who made himself vulnerable and opened up publicly about his struggles. I think that can help to get men who are struggling with similar issues say, "if SSSr can open up and talk about it, then so can I"

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 01-18-2019, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by BPF2

See, I didn't see it as "redefining masculinity", at least not in a constructive way. I feel like they used the commercial to redefine masculinity as all those awful traits, then get on a soap box to say this is not what masculinity should be. Well, it's not and the majority of people don't define it their way.

I think the point you bring up about being more open to discussing issues of depression or other mental health concerns is valid. But the ad didn't even touch on that remotely. That's why I think when you see things like the Steve Smith Sr. article it's much more powerful. Here's a guy who has made a career in one of the most competitive and violent jobs (both very "masculine" traits), and who had a reputation as an all out bad-ass, but who made himself vulnerable and opened up publicly about his struggles. I think that can help to get men who are struggling with similar issues say, "if SSSr can open up and talk about it, then so can I"

I think they were looking to re-define masculinity and admitting that they contributed to the current definition.

I do agree with you that they didn't do it properly. I also wholeheartedly agree about sharing stories and how it's fantastic to break stigma.

I tell my stories because I'm not ashamed of it and I've been told it helped others open up themselves. Stories are much more powerful IMO.

**ERey** · 01-18-2019, 01:59 PM

I just watched the commercial for the first time. Seriously, I have no idea why this made news and is so controversial. Seems like an ad against bullying and sexual harassment to me. "redefining masculinity"??? I didn't get that from the commercial.

I do disagree with how they defined the term "boys will be boys". I just used that the other day explaining to my wife why my son insists on throwing a football in the house. Yea, he shouldn't do it because he already broke one lamp. But man his accuracy and distance is really improving!

Overall, I'm fine with the commercial.

**bandc** · 01-18-2019, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by ERey

I just watched the commercial for the first time. Seriously, I have no idea why this made news and is so controversial. Seems like an ad against bullying and sexual harassment to me. "redefining masculinity"??? I didn't get that from the commercial.

I do disagree with how they defined the term "boys will be boys". I just used that the other day explaining to my wife why my son insists on throwing a football in the house. Yea, he shouldn't do it because he already broke one lamp. But man his accuracy and distance is really improving!

Overall, I'm fine with the commercial.

Yea I agree with this, that it was a simple advertisement against bullying and sexual harrassment, but I think a lot of people are saying that it was redifining masculinity as if bullying and sexual harrassment were parts of masculinity, when it's more likely just a part of being a jerk.

For example, looking at this old Gillette commercial from 1989 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThDBf14qPsc), I personally feel like this is an example of what men have always strived towards, myself included. Being a man of one wife, doing well at my job, and eventually raising a successful mini-me.

I completely agree that making an ad targeting harassment and bullying is much needed and in good taste, but saying that masculinity and "boys will be boys" always included disgusting traits like that is disingenuous.

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 01-18-2019, 06:45 PM

I wanted to acknowledge that I personally get frustrated when people introduce their own emotions into a debate.

So my apologies to Blah if he felt that I tried to do that. I always get annoyed when I'm debating with soemone and they have a personal reason for thinking a certain way and then they introduce it and you feel like they tried to throw the personal side at you.

That wasn't my intention at all. So my bad there.

Good discussion today though.

**wickedsolo** · 01-20-2019, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by BPF2

My first reaction to this was negative. I've seen it a few times, heard differing opinions since. I think the overall message is not bad - encouraging men to step in when they witness bad behavior - kids fighting or bullying, men behaving crudely toward women. Hard to disagree with those themes. But the main issue I have with it is how it's presented. It is presented as though all men behave this way or condone it. It starts off with "toxic masculinity". Men standing around at a barbecue watching one kid pummeling another. So a lot of the negative reaction is from people saying (like Joe Rogan did) - "no shit, why are you talking to me about this?"

I've stepped in when I see bad behavior by anyone - man, woman or child. I don't need a commercial to tell me to do this, I was raised that way and I'm raising my boys to be that way.

Most do.

Do you not?

**wickedsolo** · 01-20-2019, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by blah3

The commercial was basically men are bullies, men are horn dogs, and men think women are stupid.

And let's be honest - that is EXACTLY the message Gillette was trying to run with. They were trying to get in on the "MeToo" crap, the Women's March, and several other areas of leftist virtue signaling.

It's shameful, really.

I mean, talk about perpetuating stereotypes (stereotypes are still wrong, according to leftist ideologues, right?

The war on Men continues...

**wickedsolo** · 01-20-2019, 08:19 AM

Response Ad from Egard Watch Company

**NCRAVEN** · 01-20-2019, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

Response Ad from Egard Watch Company

That was good. Had some stats I didn’t know about too

**boller4president** · 01-20-2019, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

Most do.

Do you not?

It's offensive in the same way if they showed an African American robbing a 7-11 and told another to strive to do better.

We as men are not some sort of monolithic group. I have always strived to be a simple good person and if that was the message without the other nonsense then the ad would have been received differently but I do not feel responsible for the actions of another man just because we were both born with a penis.