Not today, feminism.
Fox & Friends held a round-table discussion on the viral “toxic masculinity” Gillette razor ad that has stoked a range of reactions with its attempt to address the #MeToo movement by twisting its famous catchphrase to ask: “Is this the best a man can get?”
Matt Walsh, whose biography on The Daily Wire’s website calls him “one of the religious right’s most influential young voices,” on Wednesday morning described the ad as “clearly insulting” to men.
ADVERTISEMENT
“You’re not going to find an advertisement like that directed at women,” Walsh said. “You’re not going to find an advertisement that shows women, you know, gossiping, and nagging their husbands, and shopping too much, and then says, ‘Well, but some women know the right way to act,’ and then it shows women having this epiphany and realizing they’re not supposed to do those things.”
“Look, if there was an ad like that, I think women across the country would be insulted, feminists would be outraged, burning the product in the street and throwing it into windows probably, reacting,” said Walsh, who apparently has not seen many overtly sexist TV commercials for consumer products. “So, it’s the same kind of thing. It’s patronizing, it’s insulting, and it just takes a very cynical and downbeat view of men that I think, No. 1, is not justified. And, No. 2, we get it. I mean, men are lectured nonstop about these, we understand by now.”
“I had no idea that harassment, and bullying, and assault were wrong,” Walsh sarcastically added. “So I’m glad that my shaving cream could chime in and let me know.”
“Finally,” echoed co-host Brian Kilmeade.
Walsh continued: “Obviously it portrays men as a bunch of, like, oafs and morons who just don’t know how to act right. But, I think the part you showed is really what rubs me the wrong way, where it says that we were acting wrong, we didn’t know what we were doing, and then the #MeToo movement came along, and it was this sort of epiphany where we all realized, like, oh actually we’re not supposed to assault and abuse women.
“No, you know, here’s the thing: Most—I didn’t learn anything from the #MeToo movement. I learned nothing at all because I already knew that, OK?” Walsh added. “I wasn’t—I didn’t see a news report about Harvey Weinstein and say, “Oh, we’re not supposed to do that?” That’s not how most men reacted because we already knew. Most men are just normal, decent people and already know.”
Meanwhile, co-host Ainsley Earhardt uncharacteristically differed from the rest of the morning gang’s take.
“Now, the whole country’s talking about it. There is a #MeToo movement, and this ad, in my opinion, holds men accountable, and it tells them, ‘Hey, we got to be better.’ What’s wrong with that message?” she said.
Walsh appeared all-too-happy to explain: “Well—because—No. 1, most men, again, don’t need this message.”
He added: “So just back off, and shut up, and sell us your razors.”
