“More feminist brainwashing.”
“Women just want to feel victimized because it makes them feel better.”
“Absolute garbage.”
“Enough is enough with this feminist nonsense.”
“I find this video repulsive.”
“You’ve lost my business.”
If you scroll through the comment sections of Gillette’s “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be” and Nike’s “Dream Crazier” advertisements, these are only a tiny fraction of the hate manifesting there, hate towards four minutes’ worth of ideas proposing equality and responsibility and humanity. And above all, hate towards feminism.
What is feminism exactly? If you ask any random person if they consider themselves a feminist, chances are they’d say no because in our society the word “feminist” comes with such a negative, hated connotation. However, you’d probably be more hard pressed to find someone who truly disagrees with what the feminist movement actually stands for. Oxford Dictionary defines feminism as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes”. There are many misconceptions that feminism means that women are better than men and they want to take over the world and oppress men (or something along those lines…). In reality the feminist movement is only asking for equality for all, regardless of your sexual orientation.
Gillette attempted to address the concept of feminism through the lense of toxic masculinity in their ad “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be”. An article in Independent Magazine describes toxic masculinity in this way: “harmful behaviour and attitudes commonly associated with some men, such as the need to repress emotions during stressful situations, and to act in an aggressively dominant way.” Gillette’s ad focused on the idea that has been ingrained into our society, giving boys a pardon for acting out in inappropriate ways, the idea that “boys will be boys.” It shared images of bullying, sexual harassment, catcalling, physical aggression, talking over women in a professional environment- things that women may do as well, but are typically attributed to men and are far too normalized in our culture. It addressed the #MeToo movement that has been taking the country by storm and asked men to hold other men accountable.
One of the main protests I have heard and seen in the comments is that “not all men” do the things in the video. And I, as a feminist, 100% acknowledge that as a fact. However, while the men in my life may not be sexual predators or misogynists, that doesn’t change the fact that there are men that are able to get away with these problematic actions because our society allows them to. If guys make sexist comments about girls, it’s brushed off as “locker room talk.” Too many white boys charged with rape have been let off more easily because a felony could “ruin their future,” with no regard to the fact that being raped has already changed that girl’s future.
No, not all men are the problem. But the issue is allowed to continue when boys are not held accountable. The whole point of the advertisement is when the narrator says “some is not enough.” Some men are good people and are not a direct part of toxic masculinity; however, if we want to change society and truly reach equality for all genders, men need to hold other men accountable. The ad shows the young children watching, and says that “the boys of today will be the men of tomorrow.” Men and women alike need to set good, healthy examples for the next generation if change is going to happen.
Nike tried to set these good examples with their ad campaign, “Dream Crazier.” The video series focuses on a variety of famous female athletes who have achieved their dreams through hard work and commitment. The video starts by addressing double standards in women’s athletics, saying that women who stand for something are called “unhinged” and women who get angry are called “hysterical and irrational”, words rarely used when discussing male athletes in similar positions. It goes on to focus on the word “crazy” and how it is used in a negative, derogatory way. However, as it progresses the message is to take control of your own narrative, describing amazing athletic accomplishments by female athletes who were all called “crazy”. The ad ends in a similar way that the Gillette ad did: with close ups of young female athletes, and the line, “So if they want to call you crazy, fine. Show them what crazy can do.”
When I first saw the video, I knew there would be backlash, but I was (and am) not quite sure why. What I see in that minute and a half is a video empowering women to dream their craziest dreams and do what it takes to get there. Nowhere in it does it specifically call out men or involve men at all, in fact. So my question is why has it made so many men defensive and angry? One comment called it “feminist brainwashing;” another said that all they got out of it was that “women are crazy.” If that was how the interpreted it, then they clearly didn’t get the message. There should not be any controversy over women supporting other women in their dreams; in fact, it should be celebrated rather than criticised and ridiculed. The young girls watching this ad should take away that they can do what they put their mind to and that their dreams are not crazy or irrational- really, all women should be told that. Because just as in the Gillette ad, the children of today are the adults of tomorrow, and if we lift them up, then we’re securing them and the generations to come a better future.
Check the ads out in the links below! Let us know your opinions on these ads in the comments. How can we relate these topics to Hebron’s community and campus, whether in athletics, classes, or everyday life?
Gillette advertisement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koPmuEyP3a0
Nike advertisement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whpJ19RJ4JY
Citations:
Gillette. “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be.” YouTube, Gillette, January 13, 2019, 1:48.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koPmuEyP3a0
Nike. “Dream Crazier.” YouTube, Nike, February 24, 2019, 1:30.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whpJ19RJ4JY
I completely agree with this, however I want to add some things to the “not all men” narrative. Even though not all men do the things that are addressed in the advertisements, they become a part of the problem by being quiet. Not all men are a direct part of toxic masculinity, but by just standing by and watching things or just turning a blind eye to things makes anyone a part of the problem. If you see someone doing something, try to help them out of that situation. Because toxic masculinity isn’t only harmful to the people around that person, but it is harmful to the person as well. So for the well being of others and yourself, take action; don’t be quiet.
I find Nikes comercial inspiring.
I love this article! I had seen the Nike commercial on instagram reposted many times and found it inspiring but I had no idea it was so controversial. I had not seen the Gillette commercial before, but as I watched it I found myself asking why it was so controversial. To me it looked like a positive message. After reading this article, I understand why it is controversial, but definitely don’t think it should be. It is a positive ad supporting equality.
I think this article is very inspiring just like the Nike commercials are.
I think the article is very well spoken about how women are not treated as equal to men and the videos are just as inspiration.
What Emma is saying is one hundred percent true. People got way to offended about the Gillette video. people need to understand that they are just trying to send a good message. the Nike commercial is very inspirational. when a person sees Serena Williams on TV it makes them want to get up and be awesome.
I cannot really understand where the stereotypes about men being “men” come from. Anyway, this is beyond the point. The feminist movement is so controversial because of the actions that some of the women themselves decide to take. However, just like you said, not all people are the same and act the same; therefore, just like you do not want supporters of feminism to be victims of stereotypes, don’t you agree that saying something like “boys will be boys” is far pushing the borders. I want to say that both of those ads have nothing to do with supporting any movement, mainly because it is a business move that would make people talk about the companies. The reason behind those videos is to create controversy and make a profit out of it, and the society, just like sheep, follows for the hundredth time. Last, I want to state that using dictionary meanings for different movements is not entirely appropriate as they do not reflect their true meaning and the connotations that have been created with them. This is of great importance because dictionaries express a point of view, which is something that many people do not realize. After all, people write the definition of a word, don’t they? Here is a link that explains how the definition of racism, doesn’t work:https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/03/dictionary-definition-racism/
Hi Alek! Thank you for leaving us a comment. I read the article you included and I thought it was very informative. I would like to point out however that the article was saying that dictionary definitions are generally written by straight, cisgender, white, wealthy men so it contains their biases and point of view. As a feminist, I understand that the definition of feminism was likely written by a white male but that does not change the fact that it does accurately reflect what the feminist movement is about- the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Additionally, I think Emma was just using the dictionary definition so that everyone who read the article was on the same page about what feminism means.
This Piece of writing was really well done and I agree with multiple points that she made in it.
This article is totally fantastic, and after reading it I definitely have a better understanding of feminism in this media. But maybe the intention of Nike’s commercial is trying to attract female customers. They want to expand their market by attracting more potential female customers. Nike tried to encourage female customers to purchase their goods by addressing the success of these female athletes with little exaggerating words.
Hi Dazhen! I totally agree with you that there may have been a financial motive behind both of the commercials. However, does that take away from the message? I don’t think so. Seeing female athletes in the media is incredibly inspiring and empowering for women, as the female commenters on this article have said. Regardless of Nike’s motives, they are still giving women the platform that they deserve which is important for women not only in the world of sports but everywhere in society.
I think that the comments on these videos just go to show the need for messages like these and how important feminism is in today’s society.
Before reading this article I had seen the Nike ad, not the Gillette one. When I watched the Nike ad a few months ago, I had read some of the comments people were making about the feminist movement and I gathered that a lot of men commenting were not educated enough on the topic, and watched the video close minded. This article also pointed out that they did not take away the correct message from the ads which is really disappointing. However, I do think these two videos are very empowering for the young generation of females, whether they want to be athletes or not. It lets them know they are not crazy for wanting to do something big or out of the ordinary. It lets them know they can be whatever they want to be in this world.
I think this article and the ads are very inspiring for the young generation of females in this world. It shows them they can be whatever and whoever they want to be. However, I think the men commenting need to educate themselves before they go sharing their comments. Yes, not all men do the horrible things that some do to women, but by not speaking up or holding other men accountable, they are contributing to the problem.
In my opinion the adds and perspective expressed in the article above are mostly accurate and well illustrated; furthermore, I believe the Gillette add was more of a personal attack against men in that we are mostly villainized in the name of equality. Despite the recent shortcomings of others, all men don’t deserve to be villainized in such regard. I agree with the undertone message of unity throughout the adds and found the article to be very well written. Nice work!!
Hi Drew! Thanks for commenting! I absolutely see where you are coming from but I disagree that Gillette was trying to villainize men. I am not a man, so I cannot try and understand your experience so you are absolutely entitled to your feelings. I think the point of Gillette was to call out those men who, as you mentioned, have had shortcomings. I think it also painted men as the heroes of the commercial. It is the responsibility of men to hold other men accountable which they do in the commercial. So while some men may have been called out for toxic behavior, it was also men who were holding each other accountable and stopping toxic cycles which is something to be praised.
I really don’t understand where all of the stereotypes about men come from. What does “boys will be boys” even mean? It is funny how Nike presents women as the victims, but Gillette presents men as the perpetrator. There have been multiple cases of people’s lives being ruined by false accusations of either assault or rape. The whole feminist movement is so controversial because many of the participants do not even know what change they want. However, there are some women who know what they want. Therefore, it is not possible to generalize feminists, just like how it is impossible to generalize “boys”. Also, saying that women are just victims is not possible, as there have been multiple cases of women harassing men. What makes the videos so far from the truth is the fact that they are both by multi-billion companies, who really only care about profit, and by expressing a point of view about a controversial topic, they get people to talk about them. As a result, people, just like sheep, follow exactly what they want to make, create even more controversy. Last, I would like to say that using dictionary definitions is not entirely appropriate. Unlike what many people think, they also represent a point of view, as they are written by people. Here is a link that would explain this whole idea better (from a feminist website): https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/03/dictionary-definition-racism/
I think these videos were great eye openers. I think men can do better by pointing out toxic behavior and other problems like harassment, which in turn will make the world a better place to live in. On the other hand, the Nike commercial inspired me more. Although the world is evolving and the idea of equality is coming into picture more often than not, I think Nike’s emphasis on the point that girls should not be thought as inferior in any field really inspires me and spurs other girls too.
Hi Moeen! I completely agree with you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I agree with Alek on this. Also I don’t see the need for this. Women have had and still have an equal role in society for at least 20 years now. People just need to live their lives and stop overthinking everything.
Hi Joe! I am just curious as to what happened 20 years ago that gave women an equal role in society. I would also challenge you to listen more to women when they talk about their experiences as a woman in society. As a man, you will never understand what the female experience is like so if a woman says she feels discriminated against, I would challenge you to just listen to what she has to say. Also, women are not overthinking everything. There truly is gender-based oppression in America. Obviously, it is not as bad as it used to be but it is still very real. Here’s the link to an article I just read in the New York Times about violence against Native American women in the US and their lack of protection under the law. I would ask you to read that before saying that we are “overthinking everything”. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/12/us/native-american-women-violence.html
Before reading this article I had assumed that the Gillette commercial would’ve been controversial in the way that they’d be speaking down on women. I think that the commercial brings light to many important issues and how men can play an impactful role in changing the ways women are viewed and treated. As a woman, for me the Nike commercial was gratifying to watch. I believe that men, especially teenage boys, believe that feminism is a fight against men when really it is the fight for quality. Men can be feminists as well and I think that some of the other commenters should look into the exact definition of feminism. Obviously everyone has their own interpretation of what feminism means to them, but to me feminism is an act that both men and women can fight for together. This isn’t a matter of men VS. women, this is the matter of men = women.
Some of the comments on this article mirror those on the original videos, and I think they are important to address. When people are upset about videos showing a future in which people are equal regardless of gender, or don’t see the need for them, it shows me and many others how much of a divide there is socially. When reading through these comments on the Hebron blog, I have noticed that everyone who thinks these videos are unnecessary or should be controversial are men. Do you think there is some sort of coincidence to that? As someone who is trans, and does not identify as a woman but is still often perceived as one, I can 100% percent say that my experiences are different depending on what gender people perceive me as. When I pass as a boy, people move out of my way, and are more respectful in general. But as soon as they hear me speak and their perception changes (they see me as a girl), their attitude changes as well. I can not begin to tell you how many times people have argued with me respectfully on the internet because I have a “boy” name until they click on my profile to see that I’m not a cis boy and suddenly they are calling me a bitch, disregarding my opinions, or otherwise discriminating based on their perception of my gender. Saying that women are completely equal in society is so irresponsible and shows a genuine disconnect from the real world. If you think women are treated equally, chances are that you are a cisgender man. You do not have the right to speak for women or people perceived as women. You do not have that right until you experience the discrimination for yourself. So please, if you are a cis man, educate yourself before you say these things. Make a fake profile with a “girl” name and interact with people like you would normally. Feel the difference. Take time to listen to women or gender non-conforming people, take time to listen and listen ONLY. It is not your job to tell us where we are in society. No matter how well intentioned you are, you simply can not know. So educate yourself before you speak. Please.
I completely agree with Emma’s points, especially that men should hold other men accountable. I think one of the reasons for people to leave these comments is that so many fields are dominated by men (especially those areas that can create a big influence on this world). Like Emma said, many men do not understand the true definition of “feminist” (which also reflects the lack of this education in many people’s life), and because human beings tend to act on their interests. They fear to lose their things.
I have seen the Nike commercial before and have found it very inspiring to myself and other women, I thought the Gillette commerical was very inspiring to men and I did not see it as very controversial or something to argue about because it was promoting men to better themselves and be the best they can be. I do not believe any one should argue about either commercial and should just support everyone and encourage each other.
Although I prefer not to take a stance on the topic, I feel that some of the controversy on the matter does not have to do with the content of the ads, but how they are presented. Gillette and Nike are major companies. Their main goal, although rash as it may seem, is to make money and grow their business. Companies like these should not take political stances. As a consumer, you should buy a product based on its quality, not necessarily what it represent. I, and many others, believe that this is not the correct platform for political opinions no matter what the company is trying to promote.
Hi Kenny! Similarly to what I said to Dazhen, I agree with you that there may have been a financial motive behind both of the commercials. However, does that take away from the message? I don’t think so. Seeing female athletes in the media is incredibly inspiring and empowering for women regardless of the financial motive behind it. Secondly, I agree that we should buy products for their quality not what they represent but the whole realm of marketing plays on the idea of selling a product based on what they represent. The only reason these commercials are different is that they are about feminism instead of something more commonly seen in the media. I would also like to ask you why you think commercials or advertisements are an inappropriate place to discuss women’s rights? Personally, I do not see the problem.
I wholeheartedly agree with Emma on this. Feminism is a topic that can be easily misunderstood by many people. Feminism has never been a way to make women “better” than men, and for them to dominate the world. Believe me, if we could, we would. But it’s not about that. This is merely about equality and basic rights. I have met someone who told me they disliked feminism because it had ‘fem’ in it, and you guessed it: it was a boy. The fact that he said this just means that he’s missing the point of feminism and its purpose. This is not about one being better than the other, this is about being equal regardless of gender. That’s all we want. It really isn’t that complicated.
The Gillette ad reflects many common occurrences of toxic masculinity. Boys have been taught to grow up not crying, that it would not be manly enough to like pink or be “sensitive”. If you don’t understand where these standards come from, you are lucky to grow up in an accepting environment. As an Asian woman, I can assure you that this is still happening. “Boys will be boys” means that boys will be whatever they are expected to be: masculine, strong, hard, no crying, having sexual desires constantly. When boys grow up having society deciding for them what they would be, what happens is: boys will be boys. No named person came up with the definition for “boy”, it has all been formed by society and it takes a long time to change a society’s mind. This is why big companies like Gillette or Nike make ads like this.
This might be for profit, it probably is. That’s kinda what companies do to be honest, but more importantly, it’s spreading awareness. Yes, making these ads will definitely bring back controversies and make a reputation for the company’s brand, yet they still do it. Sure it’s making profit, but it’s also reinforcing the feminist movement and putting itself on the spot by choosing a side. One stone two birds??
As what has been happening recently (or even years ago) with many rape and sexual assaults cases, women’s words are considered invalid having no proof of what had happen even if it happened 20 years ago. Please don’t come up with “if it happened 20 years ago, why didn’t they report it? Why weren’t there any court cases against the rapist?”. It’s because it all comes down to fear. I agree that there had been many false accusations against men, and also assaults cases done by women. But those cases cannot outnumbered the rapes and assaults caused by men on women. That hasn’t even count sexual harassments like catcalling or touching someone without consent, and many more. All of this needs to be stopped.
Women are often told they are unstable or irrational as soon as they show emotion or demonstrate their passion for anything not everyone deems as feminine. Acknowledging this issue and bringing to the surface the discriminatory action that many take towards women who are open and empowered by their emotions, their abilities, their aggression, or their body. Those women are deemed unfit or unstable due to the diagnosis of someone uneducated and unaccepting of the idea all are equal regardless of gender. This topic is not nearly spoken about often enough. Due to these issues lack of media attention it easy for someone to be uneducated or unaccepting, yet this is not an excuse nor should it ever be. Issues such as these need more media attention, therefore when Nike a million dollar company does a campaign such as this, the backlash it receives is astonishing and it is deemed controversial for simply drawing attention to a widespread issue. Every human regardless of gender need to be educated and come forward to support Nike and their campaign for women.
My opinion on these videos is that personally I do not fell this commercials should have gotten as much hate or likes as they did. They are just normal commercials. Also on the other hand I can see why the could be considered controversial and that is why I also believe the companies should have just never made them.
I agree with much of what your article says. I believe it was very well written/spoken. I think that some of the issues you addressed in the article about the backlash of men is actually happening in the comments, and I think that there is a lot of the “not all men” narrative.
Toxic masculinity is a problem. It has always been a problem and it will always be a problem. But why is it a problem? What causes some men or boys to commit acts of sexual harassment, bullying, or crime? The cause of all of these problems is a lack of masculinity in their lives; masculinity that teaches respect. I’m talking about a father figure.
“Today, nearly 25 million children have an absentee father.1) According to the professional literature, the absence of the father is the single most important cause of poverty.2) The same is true for crime. Of all adolescents, those in intact married families are the least likely to commit delinquent acts.3) Children of single-parent homes are more likely to be abused, have emotional problems, engage in questionable behavior, struggle academically, and become delinquent.4) Problems with children from fatherless families can continue into adulthood. These children are three times more likely to end up in jail by the time they reach age 30 than are children raised in intact families, and5) have the highest rates of incarceration in the United States.6)
http://marripedia.org/effects_of_fatherless_families_on_crime_rates
The root of toxic masculinity is a lack of masculinity. 25 million(1/4 of all children in the US) children do not have fathers, that’s 25 million children that are 3 times more likely to end up in jail. 25 million children that are 279% more likely to carry guns or drugs and 2 times more likely to drop out of high school. All of these statistics are from fatherless homes. Now, I’m not saying that the single mother is not capable of teaching respect. The fact is that due to the father being absent and the mother working(4x greater risk of poverty), that leaves no parent in the household; no parent to teach responsibility and respect. To create a well rounded and respectful child, household need to have two parents. The father, who teaches respect, honesty and responsibility; and the mother, who teaches kindness and empathy.(Both honestly teach the same things) It’s the need for a healthy relationship between parents which rids toxic masculinity. During the Gillette ad, it shows fathers standing around at their grills while a boy beats the crap out of another. The fact is that that would never happen. When have you ever seen a father watch a kid beat the crap out of another without stopping them? You might see it for like five seconds before he steps in and stops it, but otherwise it is rare. And the group of kids chasing/bullying the single kid? Statistically it is very likely that those children have problems with the relationship between their father, or they don’t have a father in their life at all.
Toxic masculinity is a problem that will continue for generations until men recognize that they cannot just up and leave when they have a child. When those 25 million children grow up, the men will probably commit the same acts as their father did. Toxic masculinity is an inter-generational problem that will never stop until it becomes EXTREMELY socially unacceptable to leave a woman with your child.
That’s my opinion on the topic. Sometimes my ideas are hard to convey through a comment, so you might come to a conclusion about me that isn’t true to who I am. Come talk to me if you agree/disagree with the comment.
Hi Carter!
You claim kids growing up in fatherless homes tends to commit crimes or drop out of high school because the single parent has to work so that no parent teaches kids respect responsibility. Well, is it actually like that? I don’t think so. It sounds more like bad parenting for me. Even if a family has two parents, nowadays it’s normal to see both parents going to work to support the family (unless one believes women should stay home to care for their kids rather than have their own careers). Going out to work doesn’t mean the parents or parent will never ever have time to educate their kids. Teaching kids respect and responsibility should be through every little thing in life, such as how the parents or parent treat others or how they respond to difficult situations, and women are just as able to teach respect and responsibility. People, like Barack Obama, Jay- Z, or Mariah Carey, all grew up in fatherless families, and they turned out very successful. Therefore, I don’t think a single mom will miss her responsibility as a parent simply because there is no father in the family or she has her own career.
In the end, rather than waiting for leaving a woman and your child to become extremely socially unacceptable as you said, isn’t it better that we actually start to take some actions to teach men to respect women and take responsibilities for whatever men did? Well, while you are thinking about this, Nike has made a move.
I don’t understand why some men think the feminist movement is a fight against men when in reality it is a fight for equality. It is simply a fight for equality regardless of gender. The Nike commercials have always left me with a sense of pride after watching them. I feel proud to be a woman when I see the commercials. I don’t think the Gillette commercial is controversial because it is encouraging men to be the best possible versions of themselves without tearing down women and same goes for the Nike commercials.
I really enjoy the way this article highlights the defensive behavior in men in response to positive feminism in media. I think everyone can be defensive about this and it’s a sad reality that the reaction isn’t always automatically supporting these people but feeling threatened and pulling away.
I completely agree with this article. I’ve already watched the nike advertise and thought almost the same, what she Emma wrote.
The Gillette ad of course stirred up many emotions in cis men because of its large platform, along with the stern message it aimed to get across. Toxic masculinity should not be conflated with maleness, as many men have rejected those behaviors; cis men tend to get defensive when called out for holding toxically masculine behaviors and wielding it against each other, women, femmes, and non-binary people. When discussions about feminism and cis men’s personal responsibility to do better is brought to the table, they tend to confuse equality with oppression. Critiquing toxic masculinity and patriarchal systems of oppression, insititutional and interpersonal, should not encourage cis men to act out against the needs of people experiencing gendered oppresssion. Also, the reason that (white) cis men have held power for all these centuries is because of transmisogyny — trans women and non-binary femmes, along with some non-binary people experience the intersection of transphobia and misogyny: both these systems denigrate femininity and transness, and uplift cisness and maleness. Trans women, femmes, and AMAB non-binary people are seen as patriarchy’s ultimate threat because of their rejection of cis manhood. This dynamic therefore requires cis men to dismantle gendered systems of oppression to to actually provide justice for women and non-binary people. Transmisogyny resounds to traditional sexism/misogyny against cis women, homophobia, and, of course, racism, which impacts gender in very serious ways. White cis patriarchy is an unjust system until this changes. Gillette is one step of the way to education, and to reach a larger audience who holds the cis male demographic.
Great article, I think it is the company using some exaggerated words that make some people feel uncomfortable. But regardless the controversies, I would say they are great ads for commercial purpose.
I love this article, it was so well written! I completely agree with the points made in the article and in the ads themselves. I think they took on a unique angle of the feminist movement focusing on what men could do to help make progress. Typically you see a perspective on what women are doing and it was refreshing to see another aspect of the movement. I strongly believe that in order to make progress both genders should work towards the same goal. I think this is why I liked this article so much!
After reading this article, I get to know feminism better, this was a fantastic article to show people how feminist did when they’re trying to maintain their rights. In the commercial video, Nike used some exaggerated word in order to attract more female to buy their products, while their strategy was didn’t work so well because there are so many contrast opinions from the customers.
I found this article inspiring! And I completely agree with what Emma is saying. After watching the Nike commercial I honesty felt proud to be a women and was shock with all of the hate comments it was getting. I think that we need more commercials like that!
I completely agree with this article and found it inspiring! After watching the Nike commercial I honestly felt proud to be a women. I was also shocked with all of the hate comments that were mainly made by men. I think that we need more commercials like that!
The Gillette commercial confused me at first but after processing what I had just watched it didn’t sit well with me. This commercial looks down upon lifestyles our parents, grandparents and so on lived. Today the world is much different and anything can be seen as a threat, insult, bullying etc. What ever happened to just messing around with your friends outside? Our past generations grew up rough housing, playing with BB guns, wrestling around and just being kids without worries such as electronics and the differences our world has today. In fact I wish kids enjoyed times like our past generations did. How they lived had nothing wrong with it whatsoever.
Hi Cynthia!
I completely disagree on this with you. Just because previous generations did something doesn’t necessarily mean it was the right thing. We as a society are moving forward all the time. There were times women couldn’t go to school or even vote, and people used to have slaves. This doesn’t mean that those were the right thing to do. We were wrong, and we changed. Society can’t move forward if we get stuck in the past for the sake of keeping things the same. We need to realize the things we do wrong and improve.
I think both videos are great to make society realice what’s the path that the next generations have to follow. Nike’s advertisement, was a really good way to support to the feminist movement, to support them and to tell them to never give up and fight for their dreams. I think this add didn’t cause much controversy compared with the advertisement that Gillette did because it was more about how women have amazed the world and it was a way to support Serena on her return to the professional tennis circuit. However, as Drew said, I feel like Gillette’s advertisement was more a personal attack to men. In addition, I think that Gillette shouldn’t do this kind of advertisement because most of its costumers are men and it is just a personal hygiene products company.
Hi Fernando! I’m glad you liked the Nike commercial! As I said to Drew, I do not believe the Gillette commercial was attacking men. You are absolutely entitled to your feelings and your opinion, but I would like to explain why I do not think it was attacking men. As Emma says in her article, the Gillette commercial was only calling out a certain type of men. If you do not harass women and if you call out other men when they do, then you are not part of the problem and should not feel attacked by this commercial. Men may be the antagonist in this commercial, but they are also the heroes and are praised for standing up against toxic behaviors. As for the marketing side of things, I understand that this may have been a risky move for Gillette as the majority of their clientele is male but seeing as they have such a large platform I would argue this is exactly where we should be seeing this kind of message.
Before reading the article, I had not seen nor heard about either of the commercials. I completely agree with what the commercials are trying to say, In that Men should be held accountable for what happens. Although men are not the only people that are responsible for actions taken that people need to be held accountable for, they are the biggest portrayer of the idea, that men need to be held accountable by men. Women are more likely to be held accountable by other women, then men are by other men. I think that although an advertisement both Gillette and Nike and a right to state their opinions on the #MeTo movement. It is a problem in today’s society and while it may have just been about making money, It could have also been about wanting more people to hear about the movement and making a point on what their opinions are.
After watching the commercials my fist initial thought was, how old are the people leaving the comments. The reason being is because in the Gillette commercial it talked about how it was normal for kids and adults to act la certain way, but now there saying it’s not appropriate to. I think that the people who are leaving the comments are much older and are in defense of how they acted growing up.
I found both commercials very inspiring
I totally agreed with the article I just read, since it reflects part of today’s society. I think men can do better with the toxic behavior towards women and make the world a better place to live.
In modern day society, many things you say and do will have some backlash no matter the instance. Feminism and the ads portraying and helping it both have backlash. Whether you are talking about how you support feminism or if feminists are “Out of line” there will be some negative backlash to that. Today’s modern society has portrayed women in many negative forms. Women were seen as a lower class for the longest time before they began to grow and were given rights and the ability to speak freely. Until women were given rights there was chaos. The Nike and Gillette ads I believe portray a positive viewpoint on women and their rights. But I believe that this will persist in some backlash. Out in the world, there are many individuals who feel that not only women but people of color should not receive rights. There will be people like this for a long time due to the everlasting effect of slavery and women’s rights back in the lower to middle 1900s. Making these Nike and Gillette commercials this allows for the widespread thought of feminism and women’s rights. It also causes some widespread support of women through these huge companies like Gillette and Nike. I enjoyed this article.
I think this article is really good and true because there is a lot of men that think that they are better than girls just because of being men. We have to work all together to change this toxic acts in our society.
Boys will be boys, I refuse to believe that. I think that as humans, we can decide how to behave and how to live our lives. I think that this article makes a point pretty impartial about the commercials and I liked how explained today’s society without being aggressive. I believe that generalize is wrong, and not all of us are the same, but we deserve the same opportunities.
I agree with this article it is very inspiring and it is a very important subject to talk about and I think some men need to change because everyone is equal