Gillette "The Best Men Can Be" Commercial: Bravo, Gillette! Men Can, Should & Need to Be Better! Opinion Headlines
For decades we’ve asked women to be more.
- Be more protective of their whereabouts.
- Be more educated about what situations cause “rape” (real tip: it’s rapists, not what you wear or where you are!).
- Be more agreeable.
- Be more pleasing.
- Smile more.
- Wear less makeup, but not too little.
- Understand the difference between sexy and slutty.
- Know who is and isn't "appropriate" to hang out with.
- Don’t drink too much.
- Don’t go to parties unaccompanied by another girlfriend.
- When you put your groceries in the car, don’t leave your purse in the cart and don’t turn your back as you load the bags.
Do I need to continue!? I hope not!
What Gillette is asking is a fraction of what women have been asked to do for centuries – be better! Do better! Act better! And for heaven’s sake, be responsible for your behavior and stop asking women to adjust their lives because you cannot and will not conduct yourselves appropriately.
Bravo, Gillette! Men can, should and need to be better.
For the haters of this ad who are entrenched in hyper masculinity and our current rape culture, you need to take a good look at the statistics. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 percent of women have been victims of violence – particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence. If a figure of one in three women at some point in their lives being victims doesn’t equate to a national health crisis, then what does? Doing nothing is a basic violation of women’s human rights.
Thank you, Gillette, for continuing to push our country forward and for the betterment of all.
If you or someone you know needs help here are some resources:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services (external link to state by state guide for services)
What do you think about the Gillette commercial?