#MeToo commercial from Gillette infuriates "real" men

It portrays classic aggressive masculinity as negative and calls on men to behave more positively. While some welcome this, the ad has been met with massive criticism and even calls for a boycott from those who apparently see themselves as defenders of true masculinity.

"Feminist propaganda"

The clip plays with Gillette's well-known slogan by turning it into the question of what is the best a man can be. According to the commercial, the answer seems clear: not a reckless hooligan for whom bullying and sexual harassment are normal with the argument "boys will be boys", but rather someone who intervenes when he observes such behavior. Because this could have a role model effect for boys who see it - because the boys of today are the men of tomorrow. However, what some see as a really positive message also attracts a lot of harsh criticism.

For example, some see the clip as "feminist propaganda" or proof that Gillette does not want "masculine" customers. Accordingly, the call #BoycottGillette is already being circulated and some people are calling off their long-standing loyalty to the brand. A quick look at the YouTube comments reveals the source of much of the criticism. The abbreviation "SJW" ("Social Justice Warrior") comes up again and again. This once-neutral term is now a popular tool used by right-wing online outlaws to question the character of people who stand up for socially liberal values such as feminism.

Problematic brand

The fact that Gillette, of all companies, has been caught in the crossfire of criticism from self-declared real men with its reinterpretation of its own slogan "The Best Men Can Be" is certainly not without a certain irony. After all, the 30-year-old English slogan "The Best A Man Can Get" is more ambiguous than its German counterpart "Für das Beste im Mann" ("For the best in a man") when you consider what is stereotypically the best a man can get. So it's no wonder that critics believe the slogan could have come straight out of the 1960s.

Gillette is also facing accusations of sexist pricing. When this issue made waves in the UK at the beginning of 2016, the company investigated The Telegraphthat the Gillette Venus Swirl Flexiball razor costs four times as much as a comparable men's model. So it's not surprising that the abbreviation SJW is used in connection with Gillette's latest clip - after all, it implies that someone is pushing an agenda out of self-interest rather than conviction. That doesn't seem to be entirely out of the question here. (Thomas Pichler/Press release)