By Cynthia Wang
A scrawny man with twig-like arms and hands grasping grey dumbbells stares longingly at a mirror. A polished businessman stares back, a crude smirk hanging on his lips as he patronizingly gazes down at his real-life counterpart. An image of “a man of action”: one with broad shoulders, slicked-back hair, and a polished suit.
This is the cover of a questionable article from the iPhone App Store section on App Culture. The article details four apps that will supposedly help the reader to become the groomed, suave man that surely everyone either wants or hopes to become. Although the article acknowledges that the apps are simply meant to “start making some big changes in the way [readers] look, think and feel,” its core ideas still stem from the stereotype that there is a certain way men should look, think, and feel.
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of toxic masculinity. UN Women organization HeForShe calls for action against all negative stereotypes and behaviors, whether the target is a man or a woman, tackling gender equality from a new perspective. When Emma Watson said, “Gender equality is your issue, too,” people immediately voiced their approval for her cause. But, some have criticized the campaign for its inherent sexism in many scenarios. Some say that they ignore those who are gender queer; some criticize the very name, “He For She,” seemingly calling on men to protect their more vulnerable female counterparts – building on another gender stereotype.
Gillette’s ad called “The Best Men Can Be” received praise, but also major backlash. Some praised the ad for calling on men to put an end to violence; some condemned the ad for once again drawing on the stereotype that men must be the heroic ones and never the vulnerable ones; some criticized the ad for making a hasty generalization in assuming all men were flawed, ignorant, or violent in some shape or form; some simply found fault in how Gillette, a razor brand, was trying to promote gender equality (in an albeit twisted way) for the ultimate purpose of higher media coverage and potential profit.
Many believe that the ad’s intention wasn’t flawed. Gillette believes that “as a company that encourages men to be their best, [Gillette] ha[s] a responsibility to make sure we are promoting positive, attainable, inclusive and healthy versions of what it means to be a man.” Conversely, many believe that the ad’s very title overly simplifies the underlying problems of the violence that the ad parades. Others attack the line “men need to hold other men accountable,” asking why can’t everyone hold men accountable?
From the ads of multi-million dollar corporations to your own App Store, toxic masculinity permeates through the Internet to our school culture. Perhaps simply remaining aware of the existence of toxic masculinity and its detrimental stereotypes would allow us, as a community, to strive towards our own sort of subconscious gender equality.