Toxic Masculinity

You would not expect a shaving add to conjure up a perfect storm that encapsulated two of the most topical issues – toxic masculinity and social media. Gillette released an advert without any shots of men shaving and changed its 30-year tagline “The best a man can get” to “The best a man can be”. This was accompanied by clips of reporting the #MeToo, movement, Images showing sexism in many walks of life and of violence between boys. The voiceover links these events with toxic masculinity and the question “is this the best a man can be?” 

The film, called We Believe: The Best Men Can Be, went viral with 4m views in 48 hours generating a mix of praise and criticism. Many labelled it as emasculating and anti- male, calling for a boycott of its products whilst others talked of a paradigm shift with a new narrative about positive masculinity. Some saw it as a cynical move to rebrand whilst others commented that “it was no longer enough for a brand to simply sell a product; customers are demanding that they have a purpose.” In response, Procter & Gamble declared that this part of a broader initiative to promote “positive, attainable, inclusive and healthy versions of what it means to be a man.”

All of this, of course, was played out on social media – much as has the #MeToo campaign, a movement against sexual harassment sexual assault. The phrase originated in first in 2006 but hit prominence in October 2017when many high-profile Hollywood celebrities accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse. The hashtag spread virally fuelled by widespread media coverage and people with similar experiences. What started as one person seeking to empower women through a shared journey on MySpace has turned into an “international movement for justice for marginalized people in marginalized communities”. 

At this point in time, Harvey Weinstein is facing charges in both New York and Los Angele’s on numerous counts though has settled out of court with the large percentage of his accusers. Many men around the globe have been accused and found guilty of similar charges. The effects of the #MeToo movement has reverberated around not just the film and media industry but religions, education institutions globally, as well as finance and governments. Sports, medicine and music have not been exempt with the hashtag trending in 85 countries. 

So what are the long term implications? Much of the language involved with #MeToo talks of a “backlash”, “witch-hunt”, misogyny and invariably a “toxic-culture”. Whilst undoubtedly this is long overdue and needed, what also  is emerging is a debate on what is the role of masculinity in the 21st Century and who is responsible for moving this discussion forward.