Bro, Not Cool. Not Cool.

at

Is this.

The best a man can get?

John Gallen writes:

Corporations doing “social justice” in their ads again. This time it’s P&G’s Gillette, who it appears, just asked Pepsi to “hold my beer”.

They’re taking a hammering on the Like:Dislike ratio for their new digital ad on YouTube. As for the comments… ouch!

And since when did The Young Turds Turks  become a worthwhile “news” source – they appear at 39 secs in…

FIGHT!

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94 thoughts on “Bro, Not Cool. Not Cool.

  1. Dr_Chimp

    Pathetic really. P&G taking it upon themselves to diagnose half the world’s population with the original sin of masculinity and then suggesting that the answer to the phoney illness lies in “bro, not cool”. They used to tell us that “88% of women prefer clean shaven men” but i suppose now they’re saying they prefer clean shaven feminie “men”

    1. pedeyw

      The message is that you don’t have to catcall or belittle women or excuse bullying as “boys will be boys” to be masculine, not that masculinity itself is the problem. There is a bit of bandwagon jumping here sure but I doubt that’s where most of the objections lie.

      1. Dr_Chimp

        While that might be part of the message, and fair enough if it is, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The assertion here is that there is something wrong with masculinity that the male “community” (and it’s not a community) needs to accept responsibility for and act against, which is simply ludicrous. An appropriate analogy might be to suggest that we should have a public service announcement by an arbitrary brand targeting it’s Muslim customers to get a grip with the terrorism issue in that community or targeting it’s female customers to stop falsely accusing men of sexual assault. These are both insane suggestions and would never see the light of day. No normal thinking man or woman is excusing Harvey Weinstein or Bill Cosby because “boys will be boys”. I don’t need Gillette reminding me that I should respect women in a way that’s consistent with their world view.

        In addition, a minor point, the last part where the two kids are having a fight…this is part of growing up for boys and does not mean that they will grow up to be sexual predators

        1. ReproBertie

          You really seem to have an issue with an ad claiming men can do better. Too close to the bone?

  2. Nick McGivney

    Corporations want to survive, in the main. And if the controls are loosened (viz the Paris Climate Accord and the U.S. backing out of same), you’ll see many of them rushing to take advantage of that. It seems defeatist to me to want to jump all over one that wants instead to identify with a largely positive zeitgeist. It may be clunky and twee and cringe-inducing, but I’d prefer to see brands do that and recognise that imbalance needs to find balance. While still wanting to survive and make money, of course. This is a massive risk for them, and it would be far easier not to do it. Agree or disagree, I respect that.

  3. Captainpants

    Surely the whole point of these ads is that they will make meninist types angry and feminist types wet themselves like theyd just seen Justin Trudeau posing for a shirtless selfie and hence gushing, outrage and lotsa sweet, sweet clicks.

  4. Jeffrey

    Absolute tripe from Gillette. On the band wagon insulting their customers, we all sexist, rapists and violent bullies, great, thanks Gillette.

  5. pedeyw

    Except that’s not it at all. Unless you identify with the sexists, rapists and violent bullies. The point is you don’t have to engage in that behaviour to be masculine. I’m annoyed that I’m defending P&G.

  6. Iwerzon

    As a dad of a young son and daughter of course the message is good and powerful. Corporations are still Satan though. Seize the means of production.

  7. Dub Spot

    The real kicker with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is determined not by how a corporation spends its money, but how it makes it.

    Hipster beards for once rock.

  8. Dr.Fart MD

    honestly, i watched this ad and thought it was fine, a little hammy at parts, but totally fine. It’s just sayin “hey, be nice to each other” and there’s angry men all over the kip gettin worked up over it “GRR ILL NEVER BUY THIS AGAIN GRRR DONT TELL ME HOW TO LIVE” .. seems like the people reacting like this are the ones who need the message the most.

  9. millie st murderlark

    Hmm Clamps is AWFULLY QUIET this morning, and we know how much he gender politics…

    Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

    1. Clampers Outside !

      Been busy digging a patio Milie :)

      Regarding the advert and it’s clear and obvious connections to the ridiculous American Psychological Association’s recently released “guidelines” to psychiatrists dealing with men and boys, you might want to listen to the following: Dr Damien Lowry of the Psychological Society of Ireland at 24mins59secs in on the APA Guidelines; and 43mins50secs for a discussion on the ad
      https://twitter.com/PsychSocIreland/status/1085566050459099136

      Yes, the advert raises some points but its focus on negatives / “toxic” masculinity is patronising nonsense originating from an ideological bent – see the ad director, Kim Gehrig’s, previous form on such.

      With regard to the use of “boys will be boys”, as a phrase that men use to excuse behaviour like sexual harassment as suggested in the advert … I call bullsh** on that. Never heard it used in that way, ever. No one I know has either. Have you? I really, really do doubt you have, and I’d bet on it.

      The execution of the advert is a deplorable social justice mess of ideologically informed claptrap as many psychologists have pointed out. Too many to post here.

      1. Spaghetti Hoop

        The digging of this ‘patio’ and the sudden disappearance of Brother Barnabas has not gone unnoticed you know…
        #Columbo #onemorething

  10. Alan

    Goals for a man.
    He takes care of his physical appearance & style.
    He’s considerate.
    He’s chivalrous.
    He understands that his life is about service to others, not serving himself.
    He has done, and is doing, his work.
    He is in demand.
    He has backbone.
    He has access to, and follows, his inner wisdom.
    He follows his own passions, wherever they may lead.
    He is a fierce warrior.
    He is loyal.
    He is honorable.
    He is moral.
    He is loving.

  11. Nilbert

    Jack and Jill went up the Hill,
    For something to eat to get,
    Jack fell down and landed on a razor blade,
    Gillette.

  12. Captainpants

    Walter Benn Michael’s the Trouble With Diversity is great on this stuff. This type of superficial ‘Woke’ take on things is great for corporations, because it costs almost nothing to implement and serves to obscure the really bad things they do.

    Diversity Classes only cost a couple of quid, giving your workers health care doesnt.

    The ad itself is just the usual recycled twitter froth we’ve all heard a thousand times before, but are supposed to pretend is groundbreaking speaking of uncomfortable truths. Its existence could have been predicted by an algorithm. Its about as useful as lecturing blameless Muslims on why Isis is bad.

  13. Nullzero

    Gillette; “Men, stop raping women and excusing the rape carried out my other men and buy Gillette razors. They’re absolutely terrible and last a fraction of the time other brands do whilst costing twice as much. Go minorities, we’re so progressive”.

    1. Nigel

      Cynical marketing department of massive evil corporation versus easily offended right-wing men types. The pity is they can’t both lose. Or maybe the hopeful possibility is they can?

      1. Nullzero

        Does being offended by being classified as a rapist or supporting rape based onnyour gender make you right wing or easily offended? It’s also notable that my original reply was deleted. Can’t have poor Nigel being upset can we?

        1. Nigel

          If you’re identifying with the rapists and would-be rapists and rape supporters in and around stuff like this that’s your problem. That kind of massive, hugely secure, easily wounded ego seems deplorably common. I do wonder if the outrage over this ad could somehow be transmuted into empathy for people who find ads misogynistic, racist, homophobic, etc? I expect it will just reinforce the idea that everyone else is easily offended but explicitly calling out certain types of negative behaviours is a slur on all our sex.

          1. Nullzero

            What a load of nonsense. I’ve obviously had my eyes closed for all the misogynistic television adverts, the racists adverts etc… You’re living in a dream world Nigel, thank god your future’s in British Steel.

      2. Captainpants

        Theres nothing right-wing about being appalled by the awful fake wokeness that has recently destroyed the minds of so many on the left. I still care about affordable housing, decent healthcare for all, equal rights for everybody and every left wing cause you can name, but this insufferable twitter-led stupidity will be the ruination of all the advances weve made since the 19th century if it keeps going on. Blaming it on ‘right wing men’ is only postponing long overdue introspection on this: Most women see right through this silly stuff, and in any case women are equally as likely to be social conservative as men are (more as they age).

        Of course once those women express themselves, some automaton will say they’re ‘not real women’ or have ‘internalised misogyny’. Ironic that the most persistent deniers of women’s agency these days tend to be the ‘woke’.

          1. Andrew

            Did you cry Nigel? Is this advertisement all you wanted to say and more?
            At least you can hold your head high Nigel and proudly proclaim, you are not a toxic man. You’ll get a medal someday.

          2. Nullzero

            Never mind the medal, think of all the “thanks for being such a progressive male feminist” pity sex he’ll be getting. Down their for dancing.

          3. Janet, I ate my avatar

            if you are getting pity sex you are doing it wrong ( and not a whole lot) nullzero

          4. Nullzero

            What does that mean? It doesn’t make sense as a sentence. I get that you’re having a pop at me by saying I’m not able to get my booty-pootle but jebus it’s a shoddy post.

          5. Janet, I ate my avatar

            ah I recognize you now, nice to see you are still your happy self and knocking around
            carry on

          6. Captainpants

            Nope, still as socialist as I was when I was 18, thanks. Had to read all this woke silliness 20 years ago when it was confined to Arts campuses, and assumed it had died out in the interim. How wrong I was.

          7. Nigel

            I’s nothing new that the left-right venn diagram overlaps at the point where men get disproportionately mad at stuff like this and you all start to sound exactly alike. All the advances made since the 19th century will be wiped out because men get mad at an ad trying to ape a current cultural political trend? Actually, the idea suggesting men shouldn’t just stand aside and let other men harass women on the street or whatever would cause men to get mad enough to burn civilisation down? Sure, that makes sense. Buncha babies.

          8. Nullzero

            None of what you’ve said there is happening or going to happen. Nobody should be tarred with any brush based on their gender. You really do enjoy talking out of yoyr posterior don’t you? Do minorities pay you to be offended on their behalf? Because they really should.

          9. Nigel

            No they won’t happen because captainpants is talking out of his pants and women aren’t a minority and you still think you’re being tarred and shaved gosh that must be so hard for you.

          10. Nullzero

            You mentioned homophobia and racism, there’s your minorities, the ones you mentioned by yourself before you thought you’d be a smart botty. Men not accepting being tarred with the brush of “all men are rapists or rape apologists” isn’t going to put women back in the kitchen, take away their voting rights and stop them living as equals. You’re talking complete and utter scutter as always Nigel, at least you’re consistent I suppose.

          11. Clampers Outside !

            And that’s exactly it Nigella. YOU thought that.

            And jumped on it, as if men were outraged to the degree you so clearly desire. Clearly from your comments above placing hyperbole on top of the annoyance to make it appear as outrage.

            Put a sock in it, you childish attention seeking buffoon.

            And Nigella, stop pretending to be a bloke. Nothing wrong with being a woman.

        1. Junkface

          Well said Captainpants. Pretty accurate about whats going on now in the social media world. Utter nonsense!

      1. millie st murderlark

        Good question.

        Shave immediately, just to be on the safe side. With a Gillette razor naturally.

  14. newsjustin

    Cheesy but no real harm.

    The American Psychological Association’s recent pronouncements on the scourge of masculinity is probably more of an issue.

  15. Captainpants

    Nope your just reading that into what I said because it suits your idea that you are left wing and I am right wing. I never argued and don’t think that men are some oppressed group.

    However, I don’t think making large scale negative generalisations about people based on their gender is progressive in any way. Same goes for race and sexuality.

  16. McVitty

    If I was a soulless corporation that exploited child-labour in its recent past, I’d jump on the bandwagon too…and make claims about how all western men are inclined to behave in society – suggest disrespect, bullying and dominance is a male trait.

    Who’s not taking responsibility again? Who is trying to do away with harmful stereotypes for a better world?

    You know what happens when you reject the advances of a feminist social justice warrior? She accuses you of being gay right away – cause she has coldly calculated the hurt and she’s very happy to lash out. I’ve had this a number of times as have many of my friends. Put that in your ad about female behaviour.

  17. Ian-O

    Its an ad. If you are triggered by it, find a safe space and pipe down.

    Some people have little to worry about.

    White men – most oppressed people, ever. Not.

  18. Dub Spot

    If Gillette cared about making the world a better place then stop making disposable plastic razors.

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