The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

The Power Behind an Ad

A still from the Gillette commercial that tackled toxic masculinity.
Photo Attribution/YouTube/Gillette
A still from the Gillette commercial that tackled toxic masculinity.

Although this new concept of asking men to seriously consider the consequences of their actions is being interpreted as emasculating them, I think that the Gillette ad was a brave step to address the issue of hyper-masculinity. In today’s society, young men are under pressure to portray themselves as tough guys or as ladies’ men, and if they stray from this particular image of masculinity, they are ridiculed. I think that Gillette is trying to target that particular issue by asking men to teach young boys to be kind and respectful to others and to stop using “boys will be boys” as an excuse for harmful behavior. Furthermore I feel that it is smart for Gillette to show how hyper-masculine behavior causes discomfort for women. Approaching  women and telling them to smile or following them on the street is not okay, and Gillette conveys that message in their commercial. It is extremely groundbreaking and meaningful for a male-targeted brand to urge men to respect women and their boundaries.

 

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