I have many thoughts, but one of the problems here stems from a lack of gender awareness and education in our culture.

(White heterosexual) men, because they are the default, often don’t even see themselves as having a gender or sexual orientation because these parts of their identity are simply “normal.” James Woods, for example, falsely equates men and masculinity, gender identity and expression. Masculinity, in large part, is something men are taught/forced to do, not something men inherently are. Woods, therefore, interprets a critique of the toxic norms of masculinity as saying “all men are horrible,” when in fact what is being said is some of the ways we have defined what masculinity is, and what men can do or be without facing stigma, is harmful — both to men themselves and to society as a whole. These opinions arise from a fundamental misunderstanding of what gender is and how it operates as a way to organize human existence.

Regarding the Gillette ad specifically, I’ll be interested to see how their campaign evolves. It’s a good start, but I’m always skeptical that these types of ads are merely employing what Andi Zeisler — the co-founder of Bitch magazine — refers to as “marketplace feminism”: the use of a seemingly feminist message to sell a product and bolster consumer capitalism. I hope the ad gets people thinking — beyond the simplistic message of “I’ll feel like a ‘good guy’ if I buy a Gillette product” — and that Gillette actually makes a meaningful, long-term contribution to gender education, equality, and awareness.