A Close Shave

As you kittens well know, I’m all about the ladies here at Surrenders. But that doesn’t mean I hate men. Sure, maybe I hate some men – but, you know, not all men. *tips hat in feminism* Still for women to be their best, we need men to step up and be their best as well. I mean, men are just slightly less than half the world’s population after all. How men act inevitably and too often negatively affects women’s lives. Which is a long way of saying, “Dudes, do better.” And if you won’t listen to us ladies on this, maybe listen to your fellow dudes? Or, uh, the things you use to shave your dude faces?

The all too predictable freak out about Gillette’s new campaign against toxic masculinity is just that, all too predictable. Yes, yes – the Right Wingnuts are being right wingnutty. Yes, yes – the Men’s Rights crowd is asserting its right to be fragile man babies.

And, conversely, there are progressives who are chiding Gillette for trying to monetize #MeToo and being hypocritical because of its own products and past practices. Look, I have no delusions that Gillette parent company Procter & Gamble is doing this because they’re all totally woke feminists now. I know corporations only care about making money. And I know advertising campaigns help corporations make more money. Corporations are not our friends; they’re only friends with money.

But – and hear me out on this – I think it’s a good thing when advocating for civil rights and social justice is considered a solid investment in capitalist America. So, no, I’m not going to hand Gillette a Nobel Peace Prize or anything. But I do appreciate all the hard work and tireless struggle that went into creating a world where men asking other men to do better and be kinder could be considered a money-making proposition.