Toxic masculinity

It’s not surprising that the new commercial by Gillette regarding men and “toxic masculinity” has come with great uproar from those who don’t understand the phrase, don’t agree with it, or are afraid of what it means.

Toxic masculinity is essentially stereotyping men into a culture of negatives such as violent behavior, aggression, and inability to connect with emotion. The question that seems the be raised by most who don’t understand the point of the commercial or simply disagree with it is the never-ending question, “What about toxic feminism?”

As someone with one of my degrees in Gender Studies, this question is a bit frustrating. The term “toxic masculinity” arose from the study of feminism and toxic feminism and how different aspects of a patriarchal society can cause ill effects on men, not women. Of course we have toxic femininity and feminism — which is precisely why we have toxic masculinity.

In a toxic male culture, and also seemingly portrayed by the commercial, men are looked at as barbaric, physical and predatory sexual beings who aren’t capable of much more. This is not good for men in society any more than it is for women in society. Men are more capable of being what they can be stereotyped or pressured to be, and I believe that is the true purpose of drawing attention to such an issue in a men’s product commercial. Thus, it’s important to remember the meaning: toxic masculinity hurts men too, and we all can strive to be better.

Audrey Dellas Orlando