Last week, shaving-supply company Gillette released a controversial ad reminding guys of their “toxic masculinity,” a phrase that has popped up to describe the supposed hazards of typically male behavior.
The ad begins by showing men engaging in Neanderthal-like activities including cat-calling, bullying, mansplaining, and using sexual innuendo when talking to women. Then, in a cloyingly obvious nod to #MeToo, the ad suggests that men can “get closer to [their] best” by being empathetic to women’s needs and intervening when their pals engage in harassing behavior.
The “short film,” as the razor giant calls it, quickly went viral. As of this writing more than 16 million people had viewed it on YouTube. While some have praised Gillette for challenging behavioral norms, others are threatening to boycott the company for stereotyping all men as misogynists and bullies.
