Gillette's new advert is about toxic masculinity and men's rights activists can't handle it

Imagine, for just a moment, getting so offended by an advert about an inanimate everyday object that you have to go on to the internet to rant about it.

Well, that's exactly what men's rights activists are doing this morning after the razor blade company Gillette released an advert which addresses toxic masculinity, sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement.

Instead of using their famous 'The best a man can get' tagline, a slogan they have used for 30 years, the powerful advert instead asks: 'Is this the best a man can get?'

Bullying, the MeToo movement against sexual harassment, toxic masculinity, is this the best a man can get?

The advert has triggered a huge online debate with many people praising Gillette's efforts to raise awareness about the implications that illicit or violent actions could have on the younger generation.

However, at the other end of the spectrum, people of a right-wing persuasion, men's rights activists and internet trolls from sites like Reddit and 4Chan have assembled en masse to voice their discontent and accuse Gillette of 'virtue-signalling' in an attempt to sell more products.

The video currently has more than 200,000 dislikes on YouTube, having only been released on the website on Sunday, with the likes of Piers Morgan and James Woods also announcing how unhappy they are with the sentiments suggested by the ad.

To demonstrate just how offended and outraged they are by a company merely aligning themselves with a movement, much like Nike did with Black Lives Matter, they have started a #BoycottGillette campaign - and it's as bad as you can imagine.

Yet, by doing this, surely they are subscribing to the narrative that the advert is addressing, thus making their protest somewhat meaningless.

In a statement of their website, Gillette, which is owned by Procter & Gamble, wrote:

From today on, we pledge to actively challenge the stereotypes and expectations of what it means to be a man everywhere you see Gillette.

In the ads we run, the images we publish to social media, the words we choose, and so much more.

They have also promised to donate $1million a year for the next three years to non-profit organisations that are "designed to inspire, educate and help men of all ages achieve their personal 'best' and become role models for the next generation".

HT Guardian

More: 9 laws that have transformed the lives of women