Gillette’s ‘The Best Men Can Be’ ad sparks internet controversy over toxic masculinity
By Eben Griger / January 20, 2019The ad, which you can watch here, covers the subject of “toxic masculinity,” the belief that being masculine bleeds into men’s everyday lives and negatively affects themselves and those around them. The ad features scenes of fighting, bullying and sexual harassment while a voice over talked about the history of “boys being boys.” The ad ends on the narrator explaining that showing boys how to act now is the way to improve men’s actions as a whole, then switches up Gillette’s traditional slogan, “the best a man can get,” for the topical “the best a man can be.”
