Everything That Upset the Internet This Week

by Meghan McKenna

What is the web-o-sphere angry about this week? A razor ad that attempts to shave off toxic masculinity, a 14-year-old Netflix star romanticizing a stalker and a Vogue spread that misidentified a model. Here’s everything you need to know:

Gillette Releases Ad Calling Men to Be Better

THE STORY: Gillette, a brand of men’s and women’s safety razors owned by Proctor and Gamble, dropped a new ad urging men to be “the best a man can be.” What exactly does a better man look like? According to the brand, it involves respecting women, teaching compassion, standing up to bullies and discouraging physical violence.

THE REACTION:

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: If you’ve pissed off Piers Morgan, then you’ve probably done something right. What I am struggling to understand is how “men holding men accountable” has become such a politically charged, partisan topic. Men should hold men accountable for their actions, and they should be eager to teach their sons the same. Yes, it’s the future liberals want — it should be the future that all of us want. The backlash only serves to justify the ad.

Millie Bobby Brown Defends You‘s Joe Goldberg

THE STORY: Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown is one of the 40 million Netflix users bingeing on the Lifetime series You. Earlier this week, she took to her Instagram stories to share her take on Penn Badgley’s character, a stalker/serial killer/bookstore worker named Joe Goldberg. She insists that the antihero is “not creepy, he’s in love with her, and it’s okay.”

THE REACTION:

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: It’s easy to forget that Bobby Brown is only 14-years-old. When I was 14, my idea of romance was a blood-sucking immortal that snuck into girls bedrooms and watched them sleep. People grow up! And when they do, they learn the dangers of romanticizing toxic, controlling male characters played by attractive actors.

Besides, Bobby Brown seems to have already learned her lesson. She has since uploaded two more Instagram Stories, admitting that she was far too quick to pass judgement on Badgley’s character: “So I just finished You, and I guess the other day I made a video… I was on episode two – I guess I gathered an analysis too quickly. [I] watched episode 10, and he most definitely is a stalker. But it was a really great show, so I’m really excited for season two. My bad if I upset anyone.”

Vogue Mixes Up Activist Noor Tagouri with Pakistani Actress Noor Bukhari

THE STORY: Journalist, activist, and public speaker Noor Tagouri is featured in a shirting-inspired fashion spread in American Vogue‘s February issue. The text accompanying her photo, however, incorrectly identified her as Noor Bukhari, a Pakistani actor, director, and model. Tagouri shared a video of herself seeing the print issue for the first time on social media, which shows her reaction shift from excitement to disappointment.

THE REACTION:

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: Mistakes happen—but some mistakes hurt more than others. Vogue has since apologized for the error, writing to Instagram that they are “sincerely sorry,” and that the misidentification is a “painful misstep.” “We also understand that there is a larger issue of misidentification in media,” the caption reads, “especially among nonwhite subjects.” Here’s the lesson learned: start hiring more people of colour, and stop firing fact checkers.

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