Gillette called out for #PinkTax hypocrisy days after advert backlash
Earlier this week, Gillette fell under fire for its polarising ‘The best men can be’ advert, which called out toxic masculinity.
The advert featured examples of men fighting, bullying each another and harassing women – and some called the shaving company out for its ‘anti-male’ campaign.
Now people are taking to Twitter to call out Gillette for its pink tax – the practice of marking up prices for products marketed at women, compared to identical ones for men.
Look, I like the @Gillette ad. It sends a great message that a lot of men obviously need to hear. But the message rings a little hollow when coming from a company that profits from the #PinkTax. It’s time for Gillette to put their money where their mouth is and end the pink tax.
— Ryanne Allison (@TheGirlRyanne) January 16, 2019
Twitter users are sharing pictures of a Gillette razor designed for men, together with a women’s razor from the same brand, and pointing out the latter costs significantly more.
Cut the B.S. @Gillette! I wish @Gillette would put their money where their mouth is. Don’t pretend to care. Charge women the same as men. Two razors. Five blades. $7.50 more pic.twitter.com/kKsHTq6JkA
— Janni Z (@JanniZ16) January 17, 2019
Hey @Gillette , want to really make a difference in terms of gender? Bring down prices for female razors. Get rid of the #pinktax Then we can talk about the best a man can be.
— Alfredo de Quesada (@AlfredoDeQue) January 17, 2019
People are suggesting the brand – and its parent company, Proctor & Gamble – cannot be ‘taken seriously’ for its message on gender until it removes the ‘tax’.
If @Gillette would just go ahead and remove the pink tax from their products, then they might be taken seriously about the treatment of women. #TheBestMenCanBe #pinktax
— Stephanie Pelley (@StephaniePelley) January 15, 2019
Funny that @ProcterGamble and @Gillette are being praised by the media and feminist yet their women’s razors are always more expensive than mens even though they are the same product #pinktax #metoo #GilletteAd #gilletteboycott #PoliticalCorrectness #IDIOTS
— Aubrey Rogers (@PC_Crusader) January 16, 2019
I could have sworn Gillette just told us to stop treating women poorly. Look how they treat their female customers, though.#GilletteAd #Gillette #PinkTax #Hypocrisy #BoycottGillette pic.twitter.com/OguE5ZueXc
— Jeffery Branham (@JefferyBranham1) January 16, 2019
Pink tax doesn’t just apply to razors. Researchers have found the ‘gender price gap’ applies to everything from dry cleaning to children’s clothes.
A survey conducted in New York recognised there is effectively a ‘pink tax‘ on transportation for women, who spend more on services such as Uber and taxis in order to ensure their safety in getting around.
—Watch the latest videos from Yahoo—
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK.
Read more from Yahoo Style UK:
Tesco becomes first retailer to scrap Tampon Tax by covering cost for customers
Gillette faces backlash over ‘anti-male’ advert calling out toxic masculinity