Conversation

Aella
@Aella_Girl
That recent Gilette ad is fascinating and reveals what feels like culture's collective confusion over what gender is supposed to be. The ad starts by showing a sequence of 'bad' masculine actions - boys fighting, guys catcalling women, or shaming each other for crying. (Cont-)
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Aella
@Aella_Girl
It also features lots of men treating women badly - mansplaining, slapping them on the ass, etc. The message seems to be clear: It's bad to expect men to be strong or present as aggressive or dominant over women. We then move onto Gillette's vision of "The best men can be" (cont)
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Aella
@Aella_Girl
The "best men can be" is summarized by the following shots: 1. "Men need to hold other men accountable" 2. A man tells a woman to smile. Another man gets between them and says "cmon" 3. A man catcalls a woman. Another man gets in front of him and says "not cool" (cont)
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Aella
@Aella_Girl
4. A father with his son breaks up a fight 5. A man resolving a fight peacefully 6. A father teaching his daughter to say "I am strong" 7. A father breaking up a fight between boys
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Aella
@Aella_Girl
This list is Gilette's example of how men 'should' behave. In this list, three (four?) feature men in the role of "protector of women" - that a man's job is to protect a woman from other men. Another two feature men using their physical strength to stop fights. (cont)
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Aella
@Aella_Girl
Replying to
@Aella_Girl
Gillette isn't truly challenging masculinity, it's just redirecting it - it still uses the appeal to strength, power, and physical intimidation as being inherent to maleness - "Men need to hold other men accountable." It's stroking the war game urge in a socially acceptable way.
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Aella
@Aella_Girl
Maybe this is all fine, but it does make me feel like Gillette - and the society it's so carefully catering to - is confused about what it means for a man to be 'good to a woman'. Both the bad and good worlds provided as contrast in this ad seem to remove agency from women.
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Phil
@RedLlwynog
Replying to
@Aella_Girl
They just want to sell more of these. Clever marketing aimed at women spreading their fake messages on social media. They succeeded and laughing all the way to the bank. They must be so grateful to the ad agency that persuaded them to aim at women indirectly.
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