Use your brains people, there is no global assault on masculinity

I would never leave my dog in a hot car but I haven’t started a #notalldogowners hashtag to protest being warned against it, writes Jill Poulsen. Gillette’s critics, on the other hand...

It’s not nice when an ad makes you feel inadequate.

I can’t tell you how many times a L’Oreal ad has sent me hysterically running to the bathroom, Maglite in hand, looking for “fine lines” and “signs of ageing”.

Or when I bought some Rimmel eyeliner so I could “Live the London Look” just like Kate Moss, even though I was living in Chinchilla at the time.

And when it’s Victoria Secret show time, I know the closest I’ll get to rocking one of those matching sets is to glue diamantés on to an existing bra, that isn’t strictly a maternity bra, but could probably be mistaken for one.

Yep, ads are the absolute worst for making us feel like we’re not enough just how we are.

That’s why my heart goes out to anyone feeling a bit triggered by the Gillette ad.

Gillette released its two-minute video on Tuesday tackling the topic of “toxic masculinity”, calling for men to be the best they can be.

But lots of angry men and women, didn’t like being told by a razor company that society has a problem with male violence and objectifying women.

Even though the numbers are there in black and white.

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The Gillette doesn’t depict all men as being aggressive, if you watch closely, you’ll witness many men acting kind and caring. Picture: Gillette

Here’s a refresher in case you forgot: In Australia, on average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner.

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One in five women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 and 85 per cent of us have been sexually harassed.

British journalist, and professional angry man, Piers Morgan says the ad makes a generalisation that all men are bad.

“I’ve used Gillette razors my entire adult life but this absurd virtue-signalling PC guff may drive me away to a company less eager to fuel the current pathetic global assault on masculinity,” Morgan huffed.

“Let boys be damn boys. Let men be damn men.”

I know, it is hard to keep so many competing ideas in your head at once and to make the distinction that a two-minute commentary is not trying to explain the complexity of a much nuanced world, but that’s what our brains are for, don’t be afraid to make them work.

Urging men to be their best self does not mean they can’t be masculine. Picture: Gillette

Seeing that ad and deciding it means that all men are violent all the time, is like being in the pub and seeing someone drinking and deciding they are always drunk.

MORE FROM JILL POULSEN: If you park like this you should be jailed

I would never leave my dog in a hot car but I don’t get worked up on Twitter with a #notalldogowners rant when I see an ad saying “Don’t leave your dog in a hot car”.

Not #allmen but #toomanymen are perpetrators of violence against each other and against women.

Not #allmen but #toomanymen are perpetrators of sexual violence.

Not #allmen but #toomanymen believe talking about feelings is a sign of weakness.

Not #allmen but #toomanymen think it’s OK to sexually harass women, at work and in public.

To deny it is not defending men it’s just being plain ignorant.

There is no global assault on masculinity, but there is a global conversation about the way a lot of women are treated by quite a few blokes.

If none of that makes sense to the likes of Piers Morgan at least he can take solace in the fact that society only expects him to shave his face.

Jill Poulsen is a Courier-Mail senior reporter.

@jill_poulsen