You may have seen this ad which Gillette produced.

It has polarising in its reception. On youtube down thumbs are about 2-3 times the number of up thumbs.

Gillette, along with many feminists, justifies the ad as being important to raise discussion about “toxic masculinity.”

What has happened is far different, with many men expressing a feeling that the ad is in fact blaming them or demeaning them, even shaming them. Not a good response for a company whose main business is selling products for men.

As the debate has unfolded in social media, it has become, as usual, a war of name-calling. People on one side saying “I’m offended” or “I find that ad problematic”, and people on the other side calling the men “snowflakes” and “he-sterical” (Ha ha good one that. Try calling a feminist “hysterical” when they get worked up). I saw one person who described any attempt to express disagreement as “violent abuse.”

We are at a very dangerous state at the moment. “Toxic masculinity” is a bit of a catch phrase that tries to capture some of the bad behaviour of some men. For example, the antics of some footballers, drunkenness, sexual harassment etc. However there are some people who believe that all masculinity is toxic, and the world would be much better off if men could just be women, or better still not be here at all.

We are told that the traditional masculine traits of physically intense activity, “rough housing”, courage, and stoicism are dangerous.

On the one hand men are told to get in touch with their feelings and learn to express themselves instead of bottling it all up. But the minute they do that, the oh- so compassionate women launch into full blown shrieking harridan mode telling them to “toughen up, snowflake.”

As long as that goes on, men are going to continue to try to soldier on alone, not talking to anyone, trying to work out what worth they bring to the planet.

It’s no wonder that many men who have not been able to find a purpose to live for end up concluding that their lives mean nothing and top themselves.

As for me, I took the rational step of buying a Schick razor today.