THE NEW ADVERT from shaving products brand Gillette centres on the #MeToo movement, and is drawing both praise and scorn for its content.
Playing on its long time slogan “the best a man can get” and asking “is this the best a man can get?” it showcases instances of bullying and sexual harassment, and says that men can and should do better.
After showing these negative behaviours, it shows positive ones such as stepping in to prevent fighting or public harassment.
While some critics have said the advert is anti-men, others have criticised Gillette for aiming to “cash in” on the #MeToo movement, which has highlighted cases of men sexually harassing women across various industries and countries.
Published on Sunday, the video has over 2.4 million views on YouTube, but 220,000 downvotes on the platform indicating a degree of displeasure with the advert.
Never one to shy away from expressing his opinion, TV presenter Piers Morgan was one of those to weigh in strongly on the topic.
He said: “I’ve used Gillette razors my entire adult life but this absurd virtue-signalling PC guff may drive me away to a company less eager to fuel the current pathetic global assault on masculinity. Let boys be damn boys. Let men be damn men.”
Others expressing fury are using the hashtag #BoycottGillette to voice their displeasure on social media.
The brand dismissed criticism of the advert, and said it was about creating “positive change” in future years by showing how men can hold each other accountable and eliminate excuses for bad behaviour.
Gillette is also donating $1 million for the next three years to US charities aimed at supporting men.
While it did draw criticism, the advert was also praised in many quarters.
And, lest we forget, there were far more valid reasons for criticism a decade ago.
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