Friday, January 18, 2019

A man

 So I watched that new ad from Gillette. You know the one that asks, is this the best a man can get? Yeah the ad is pandering to the #metoo movement. The intent, as far as I can tell, is to feminize boys. Yes, I have an issue with that mentality. Now I get it starts with the notion that boys will be boys and what that implies. But that implication comes from where? Other guys mostly, as an excuse for bad behavior. The guys all know it is bad behavior, no one has to show them an advertisement to realize that. But we are now in the age of the obvious! If we point out the obvious and act properly offended by that, that makes us " enlightened " and progressive. So just what is the purpose of this ad? It is really the same as all ads, to sell a product. The market is shifting to the millennials and so we must appeal to that demographic. And the millennial man is not being portrayed as the traditional alpha male, oh no, far from it. The millennial male is what? Gender fluid is the term they like to use for that. Instead of getting his moral and ethical lessons from his father, older brother, religious beliefs and peers, we will teach those behaviors with a razor! No more will boys be boys, they will be something else. Funny I've never heard that girls will be girls though. In my experience there are girls that are girls as well. Ah, but the boys are supposed to deal with that silently, never mentioning anything about those behaviors. In fact, if boys do, they will be accused of sexualizing women. They will be ridiculed and dismissed. But if a woman even whispers at a hint of wrongdoing she is to be believed without question. To even suggest otherwise gets you a label today, migyonist! A double standard? No, I've been told my whole life no such double standard exists. I was told that a man had to accept the consequences of his actions. In fact, that a man was accountable for his choices. And yes, the girls were too. Now the message is changing.
 Look this ad isn't really about boys being boys, it is about selling a product. By using the old deflect and misdirect tactic you can convince some folks to buy anything. If you don't believe that watch the evening news. The evening news is 99% opinion and 1% fact. There are many people in this country right now buying a real package of bull#hit. We have a portion of federal employees that are having to honor their employment agreement and this is being reported as unfair, bullying and hateful! Yes, that's the truth, or as a onetime honest newsman Walter Cronkite would have said, " that's the way it is. " He wouldn't offer his opinion on that situation, just reported the facts. Fact is, they signed the agreement and they must honor it. Gillette is using this #metoo movement as a marketing tool. Gillette is teaching moral and ethical values? I hardly think so.
 The ads begins with that question, " is this the best a man can get? " It's a nod to their advertising slogan of old. Gillette makes the best razors. During the commercial they show boys/men engaging in activities that we all know to be offensive toward the ladies. The cat calling, gawking, touching type behaviors that the " boys will be boys " engage in. Yes, there are those guys that feel a need to act like that. I'm no shrink and can't tell you why they feel that way. Yeah, insecurity is often cited, as well as wanting to attract attention, any attention, because they didn't get the love they wanted from their mommies. Whatever. The bottom line is some guys are just jerks. Remember however we are not supposed to mention the fact that there are girls/women that actively try to attract that attention. Maybe for the same reason as the guys? I don't know. But to suggest that they may have some culpability is taboo! I'd suggest you will catch just what you bait the trap for!
 So just how did we get to this point? You don't think it has anything to do with a lack of moral, ethical and religious instruction do you? It couldn't be that we, as a society, have degenerated to the point of dismissing those instructions as old fashioned? To think that the Mothers of our children should Mother them, and Fathers should care and provide for the family, is such an outdated notion. What of her desire to have a career or pursue other passions? What if Dad doesn't really want to work and raise his children? He might have other plans. Why the whole thing is just sexist! Maybe that's the real reason we are now trying to do away the whole concept of genders. No genders, no inherent responsibilty to do a thing. Without genders there is no gender role. And isn't that the whole issue here? We have decided that gender shouldn't play a role in the way we react to our environment. We are not hunter/gatherers anymore. We have decided that boys shouldn't be boys!
 Silly isn't it? We have always known that " boys shouldn't be boys " as far as the implied concept. We have always known what was acceptable behavior in a society and what was not. There have been many momentous struggles over the years to effect changes as far as what is allowed. Mostly those struggles involved your race, class, social status, income level, education or some other factors. But now, we want to change human nature. And yes, it is natural for a male to be attracted to a female. We were designed that way for a reason. The method the male, or female, choices to attract the other may certainly vary and vary greatly, but it is human nature and natural attraction. My point being what should be taught needs to be taught at home.
 I really don't have a big problem with that ad. It's 2019 and sensibilities are changing as they always do. I'm thinking what does bother me is I'm not hearing anything being directed at the girls. We have gigantic industries that do nothing but sell products to make the female more attractive, more appealing, more desirable. Everything from clothing, make-up, surgeries and campaigns stressing the fact that all girls are desirable creatures, but really the scantily clad ones with excessive makeup are the most desirable of all. How many beauty magazines are there? How many products are marketed with the promise, it will attract a man? I find it troubling that no longer are young girls being told to maintain their reputation. No longer is that the primary message. Now it's use birth control and if you don't want to use that, just abort the child, hey, no judgement right? Marriage, raising a child, maintaining a home? Those values just aren't being taught much these days are they? No, and if you suggest they should, you are, you guessed it, a migyonist!
 Well that's my rant for the day. It isn't supposed to mean anything in particular. It is just my thoughts. The thoughts of an old man that was taught to be a man. I was taught that being a man didn't mean conquering women! I was taught that a man really has only one thing, his word. I was taught a man had to live by a code. You don't go changing the code when you find it inconvenient. That's not how it works. Yup, boys will be boys! The object is, become a man.    

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