Procter & Gamble's Toxic Sanctimony

Townhall.com ^ | January 16, 2019 | Michelle Malkin

[Kaslin]

One of the world's most successful brands committed ideological hara-kiri this week. Recognized around the world as a symbol of manly civility for more than a century, Gillette will now be remembered as the company that did itself in by sacrificing a massive consumer base at the altar of progressivism.

To which I say: R.I.P.-C. (Rest In Political Correctness).

In case you hadn't seen or heard, parent company Procter & Gamble launched a Gillette ad campaign blanket-demonizing men as ogres and bullies. Guilt-ridden actors gaze ruefully at their reflections in the mirror -- not because they've neglected their hygiene, but simply because they're men. Various scenarios of boys being boors and males being monsters flash across the screen before woke interlocutors show how "real" men behave in nonaggressive, conciliatory and apologetic ways.

At home and at work, in the boardroom, on the playground, and even while barbecuing in the backyard, Gillette sees nothing but testosterone-driven trouble. Message: Y chromosomes are toxic. The "best a man can get" can no longer be attained without first renouncing oppressive manliness.

Self-improvement must begin with self-flagellation.

A Gillette company statement explained that after "taking a hard look at our past" and "reflecting on the types of men and behaviors we want to celebrate," officials decided to "actively challenge the stereotypes and expectations of what it means to be a man everywhere you see Gillette."

But Proctor & Gamble, which bought Gillette in 2005 for $57 billion, doesn't spell out which part exactly of the 118-year-old company's past it now rejects. Was it founder King Gillette, the relentless entrepreneur who appealed to "red-blooded" young American soldiers? Was it the decades of multimillion-dollar promotional campaigns catering to physically superior athletes?

Or perhaps the mau-mauing marketers have adopted the radical feminist position that shaving itself is sexist. Is the ultimate goal to undermine the very raison d'etre of the $15 billion shave care industry?

I ask only half in jest. How else to explain this latest suicidal episode of collective consumer-shaming? Gillette's two-minute, man-bashing missive may have racked up 7 million views on YouTube, but the "dislikes" outnumber "likes" by 4 to 1.

And the reviews are brutal:

"How to destroy your company in 1 minute 48 seconds."

"Companies attempting to make profit should stick to that."

"The single male is the most attacked maligned ridiculed and forgotten person in today's society."

"You can buy High Quality Razors that are NOT Gillette at the 99 Cents Store with NO lecturing on how to be a Man."

"I'll buy P&G products again when I see them release an equivalent ad targeting negative female traits: toxic femininity/paternity fraud/fake accusations... doubt that's going to happen any time soon!"

"So now Gillette thinks that it is the arbiter of what all men should think, say, and watch. Screw Gillette, bought their products for almost 50 years, I will never buy another Gillette product. NEVER!!!"

"Thank you Gillette, I purchased your razors and chopped off my testicles with it. No more toxic masculinity!"

Ouch.

You may remember that P&G, which I un-fondly refer to Protest & Grumble, has dipped its sanctimonious toe into social justice waters before. In 2017, the company tackled identity politics with a video called "The Talk." The preachy ad stoked fear and hatred of police and perpetuated racial stereotypes of officers lurking around every corner waiting to pounce on innocent black children and teenagers -- alienating law enforcement families across the country and insulting every minority cop to boot.

The backlash against that ad apparently didn't faze Protest & Grumble's activist zealots. Once again, industry marketers are proving they're not satisfied with selling useful products people want and need. No, they're hell-bent on exploiting successful businesses to cram odious politics down consumers' throats.

Like many Silicon Valley giants (hello, Facebook and Twitter) and SJW-hijacked sports enterprises (hello, NFL and ESPN), Gillette is now openly discriminating against its consumers-turned-critics to curry political favor with the #MeToo movement. Savvy social media observers caught the company throttling negative comments and dislikes on its YouTube video. They can manipulate likes and de-platform dissenters. But they won't be able to disguise the bloodletting effect of toxic sanctimony on their bottom line.

Falling on your virtue-signaling blade may win you awards and headlines, but ultimately, it's a fatal proposition.

[Gamecock]

So what is the P&G president’s address?

I have a Gillette razor I would like to mail him/her.

[ClearCase_guy]

I really don't understand why corporations who are out in the marketplace living in a world of supply and demand don't just focus on business and make good products at a low price. Why try to do anything else?

But so many corporations are focusing on pleasing leftwing loons, and they ignore sound business practices ("Don't insult your customers"). This doesn't make sense.

[Grampa Dave]

Besides nothing exciting or real value to any non Apple addict, what does the new I phone offer real users not addicts?

Also, Apple’s CEO is more interested in pushing the gay agenda and the anti Trump agenda than his business.

In the near future, the surviving Business schools will document how many CEO’s including the owners of the NFL/Apple/Gillette~P&G have destroyed their companies.

Or they came close to destroying their companies with their liberal attacks against America and those who love America.

Many CEO’s have started the destruction of their businesses with their vile attacks on those who work and live a positive lifestyle instead of a self destructive liberal non productive one!

Politics at its very core embodies the selective. i.e., once a political position is stated you have to account that you are now on the opposite side of 50% of all current, as well as potential customers. Sometimes the numbers can be higher.

But that’s the rule-of-thumb. That’s why it used to be the absolute last thing any CEO worth-their-salt would argue publicly, let alone place its business and customers directly into any political fray.

It seems that many of these CEO’s like NFL/Apple/Gillette~P&G and ? forgot they were in the business of business – not the business of liberal politics.

Many of us have a suspicion, the price they are going to pay in loss of sales, reputation, as well as share holder condemnation will be legendary.

[Leaning Right]

My sources tell me that Gillette will take swift action here. The current CEO will be forced out. His replacement will be this this...person.

[Cronos]

I used to work on analytics for them. I haven't bought any of their products for the past 4 years, not as a protest but just because I took at hard look at the real value for money and realized that I can get the same value, same quality at a much lower price. For blades I use wilkonson sword or Dollar Shave. for toothpastes I use a mix of colgate and Lidl makes and for house cleaning stuff Lidl made stuff knocks any branded stuff out of the water

The problem is that the company is dominated by marketing to squeeze more from the customer.

I always suggest go for non-branded stuff from Discount marketers (lidl, Aldi, Costco etC)

[Cobra64]

Why all the melodrama over an ad that some middle manager approved? This is just a case of poor judgement that offends a large market segment. Move on.

[ecomcon]

It is because large consumer products corporations have to advertise. Advertising and marketing is totally dominated by politically corrected liberals. Put that together with the pressure to continually have a new “pitch”, and here we are.

[rhombus10]

Does Gillette now expect us to shave our chests, pits, and pubes?

[central_va]

I was thinking her.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I really don't understand why corporations who are out in the marketplace living in a world of supply and demand don't just focus on business and make good products at a low price. Why try to do anything else?

Because their marketing departments are staffed with Millenial female SJW's who are addicted to social media and earned degrees from America's finest Liberal brainwashing universities. In their world this IS the best way to conduct business.

This same type of thought is overrunning MBA programs too.

[Mouton]

they have been spinning off businesses for some time: Duracell, IAMS and a ton of “beauty” companies for some time. I guess the next plan is to spin the rest of the business into the ground.

[Gamecock]

I use old school double edge safety razor. Blades cost pennies each. 50 blades will last me 6 or 7 months and cost less than $20.00.

[rhombus10]

When will corporations realize they are paying too much for people with college degrees in BS? Caveat emptor.

[NonValueAdded]

The stock hasn’t taken a big hit yet, but folks are just starting to burn through Gillette to its parent company.

Imagine if the Patriots had home field advantage and lost at “the Razor.” Hey, this is a double whammy on the NFL. As if the kneeling wasn’t enough, now there is Gillette Field.

[Leaning Right]

> Put that together with the pressure to continually have a new “pitch”, and here we are. <

That’s true pretty much across the board. “Steady as she goes” is no longer an acceptable strategy for many company executives. No glory there.

Now it’s “We make washing machines. So let’s get into the insurance business too!”

[Wallace T.]

The odd thing is that most of the biologically male hipsters who would support this commercial’s message have Duck Dynasty type beards, obviously not customers of Gillette products.

[woodbutcher1963]

As much as all of us toxic males are trashing them we have to admit one thing. They are getting huge amounts of publicity out of this. It is all over cable news, the internet and social media. So, if that is what they were aiming for, I would say that for every customer they lose to Dollar Shave Club, Harry’s, Schick, etc maybe they gain somebody else. However, it sure seems like they offended their core customer base. Talk about killing a cash cow product.

[trebb]

I moved to Schick yesterday - a new razor with 3 blades costs about the same as 2 Gillette blades...and the price of 2 Gillette blades gets you 5 blades...

[Perseverando]

Gillette is owned by (P&G) Proctor & Gamble. Here are P&G’s brands: https://us.pg.com/brands/