If that person witnessed people getting bullied
or sexually assaulted and they didn't do anything
about it and they saw more and more ads
of helping people and going in the right directions,
then they're going to think to themselves,
like, "Oh, I need to do this too."
Gillette's new ad is closing in
at 17 million views on Youtube.
It references the #MeToo movement,
bullying and sexual harassment.
It says men can no longer laugh it all off
because they need to set an example
for the next generation.
Boys will be boys.
All: Boys will be boys.
Men are fed up with this.
They are fed up with being told
how awful we are all day.
We're fed up with it, sorry!
Eli Glasner: After James Wood tweeted about
the razor company jumping on
the "men are horrible" campaign.
I see it as a celebration of maybe a more
modern kind of masculinity.
I hated it, I really did.
I found it insulting.
Announcer: Because the boys watching today
will be the men of tomorrow.
Commerical Audio: Is this the best a man can get?
[commercial plays]
Is it?
We can't hide from it.
Because we, we believe in the best in men.
[music]
You wouldn't think that a shaving commercial
would have such meaning to it.
I think it was good for the assaults
and everything that's happening around the world
and like the news, and I think it was good
for Gillette to do that.
It was inspiring that a company that makes foaming
and products for your hair is inspiring other men
to help other people in a way.
They're not saying men are horrible,
they're saying men need to improve.
My name is Jonathon Reed
and I'm the program coordinator for NextGenMen.
Over the span of the program,
we talk about things like gender stereotypes,
body image, emotions, friendships,
relationships, misogyny, feminism - basically
a big range of topics that are relevant
to their experience as boys and how they're going
to identify themselves as they grow into young men.
What I've experienced every single time is that
boys are hungry for these opportunities
to explore things that they've been told,
things that they think themselves,
experiences they've had and who they want to be.
I've had boys ask, "Can we talk about this longer?
Can we do this more?"
[music]
If you act a certain way, if you don't act strong or
muscular, then you're not a guy,
according to people.
Barbie dolls aren't girl toys,
and soldiers aren't boy toys.
All kids can feel free what they play with.
It's your choice of what colour you want to wear.
Pink, purple - any colour could be for any person.
Our conversations are not to say that like
traditional ways of being a boy or being a man are bad.
There are times where you've got to be tough
and there's times that it's good to be fearless or
protective or strong, those are not
inherently bad things.
So for me, in our work, it's a question of
expanding that notion, so you can be strong
and you can be emotional and you can be protective
and nurturing at the same time,
these are not mutually exclusive things.
[music]
The one that's there for other people,
I want to be for sure telling them it's not cool
if they're saying bad things,
even about other men or girls.
Not the popular guy, but the helpful guy,
and the understandable guy.
I really don't think I want to be like the strong
guy, because it depends on your skills,
and not how strong you are.
You can be really strong
but have the worst learning skills.
I would like to be there and always making sure
I'm making people choose the right option,
be the better person.