So Many Dicks

Let me cut to the chase. I don't like this campaign.

Based on the effusive 'online applause' I saw when it was launched, I recognise this is an unpopular opinion.

E.L.F Beauty is a cosmetics brand. "The campaign takes its name from a finding that there are 566 men named Richard, Rick or Dick on the boards of directors of U.S. based companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, compared to only 806 Black women, 774 Asian women and 283 Hispanic women amid nearly 37,000 board members."

"So Many Dicks" is the call to action designed to demand for more diversity in US corporate boardrooms.

You should know by now that I'm a passionate advocate for gender equality.

Men have dominated human societies for centuries, and a vast array of inequalities — from the gender pay gap to the dearth of female politicians and CEO's— continue to persist.

I agree with the premise that we have a long way to go (in the corporate boardroom, and more urgently, across all corners of society).

For anyone who thinks 'feminism has gone too far', here are some sobering stats (source: the UN Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023):

It will take an estimated 300 years to end child marriage, 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and remove discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and 47 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments. 178 countries maintain legal barriers that prevent women’s full economic participation. And Nearly 2.4 Billion Women Globally Don’t Have Same Economic Rights as Men. ?

So why don't I like this 'So Many Dicks' campaign? Here are my reasons:

1) It uses a discourse of anger, blame and division to make a point

I think campaigns like this stoke the fires of an already fraught 'Men vs Women' culture war.

I recognise the intended message is "we need more diversity in the corporate boardroom" - but the message I receive is "There are too many DICKS in positions of power. If you're a man in a position of power, you're probably a DICK."

I'm already in camp 'gender equity' - so imagine if you're a white man feeling increasingly sidelined, defensive, arms crossed, retreating to your reassuringly misogynistic youtube channels telling you 'it's ok, you have friends here. F*ck the rest of them'.

You might be thinking 'oh Boo Hoo.'

I get the urge to lash out. It's satisfying - like bonding with your colleague over your shared hatred of your boss.

But in the already fraught (but necessary) quest for diversity, equity and inclusion - we need less anger. Less blame. Less division.

We need more conversation. More bridge building. More nuance.

2) The Boys are Not Alright

Campaigns like this point an (attention grabbing) incendiary, accusatory finger at men - and we're already seeing how many are responding (especially the younger generation). The political right are stoking young male grievances, many are retreating into their echo chambers on social media.

In this article 'Why Young Men & Women are drifting Apart ' in the Economist, they highlight that "When groups of frustrated young men link up online, the conversation often descends into misogyny. In male-dominated Chinese chatrooms the phrase “feminist whore” is common, along with a pun that inserts the character for “fist” into “feminist” to make it sound more aggressive."

"Once a man joins an angry online group, the pressure to remain in it is strong. Benjamin, a student in Washington DC, says he used to be a “red-pill guy …working as a janitor, eating McDonalds and wallowing in self-pity”. He’d watch classes online about how to boost his self-confidence and pick up women. When he quit the manosphere, his friends taunted him as a “blue-pill” (someone fooled by the establishment) or a “cuck” (a weak man)."

"Feminism has gone too far" - Many see feminism as a zero sum game ie 'progress for women = less opportunity for men.' Highlighted from the same article: "In a recent study, they found that young European men are especially likely to resent women (and feel that feminism has gone too far) if unemployment has recently risen in their area, and if they perceive their society’s institutions to be unfair. Anti-feminist views, they add, are a fair predictor of right-wing authoritarian ones."

We've already seen what the politics of anger, fear and division is doing to the world.

Catchy headlines like this may be effective in the short run (this is how Trump won the elections after all)) - and in marketing, it certainly cuts through the clutter effectively.

But in the long run - I believe it's more harmful, than beneficial.

3) Is the goal of Feminism to be the Social Equals of Men?

This is a more nuanced reason, but one worth mentioning. I used to believe it was enough to fight for women earning their rightful seat alongside the men in positions of power. We too could 'climb the ladder.'

I now no longer think this is enough.

Taking a leaf out of bell hooks' wisdom, I no longer think feminism is about 'making women the social equals of men'.

Not all men are equal in a white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal class structure - so which men do we really want to be equal to?

Just the 'Dicks' of the world with the fancy corporate jobs?

How about the guys who are teachers in schools? The male nurses in hospitals? The security guard who's a single dad?

Who's pointing the spotlight to reframe what a caring, less divisive society might look like?

Further, IF we should achieve this corporate nirvana where women ruled the roost in the boardroom - what kind of women do we mean? I remember my podcast chat with Angela Saini (author of the 'Patriarchs') where she reminded us that we have seen many female leaders in history who have not always been exemplary characters (remember Sarah Palin?).

She prompted the question: "What about the women washing your office bathrooms? Who's thinking about them?"

Just as she describes the Patriarchy as 'gendered oppression' - I think a better definition of feminism (as proposed by bell hooks) is 'The struggle to end sexist oppression'.

This directs our attention to systems of domination, and the interrelatedness of sex, race and class oppression.

I realise I've extended my argument beyond the limited scope of a cosmetic brand's campaign - and I also recognise as a marketer it's hard in the fight for attention in our cluttered advertising landscape to be nuanced.

But I think it's the only way through and out of the current combative blood soaked battleground of the sexes.

We have to find ways to widen the conversation.

It's been a rewarding week.

I presented at Advertising Week about how to be a Marketer that does more good than harm. I gave a 5 step guide on HOW.

I highlighted cautionary examples like Youthforia's 'Tar in a Bottle' foundation (when a brand doesn't prioritise researching and sincerely creating products that address consumer needs) and great examples of co-creating with your community like Advil's Pain Equity project and Stormzy's collab with Adidas in giving back to the youth of his local borough.

I also led a leadership offsite with a strategy consultancy after having coached a group of their directors on key leadership priorities like psychological safety and the importance of questions like : Are we connected? Are we safe? Do we share a future together? We discussed how to embrace leadership styles from collectivist cultures vs those from more individualistic linear cultures. We discussed how it might feel for women to navigate a male dominated culture.

I was grateful for the openness - the engagement, the wrestling together for ways forward. A spirit of 'what am I accountable for' and 'how do we lead with more empathy'?

I also did a podcast with Sathnam Sanghera - author of Empireland and most recently Empireworld: How imperialism has shaped the globe. We talked about the far reaching impact of the colonial empire. Of the importance of 'widening the conversation' (vs misconception that 'decolonisation' is about 'erasing history'). The importance of engaging with the truth of our history. Do give it a listen!

I finished the week with a call from school saying "Your daughter fell and I think you need to take her to the A&E" - which led to a verdict of "she's broken her ankle"!

I then rushed back with a kid in tow in a cast & bulging ankle - to make a birthday cake for the teenager who was having a party. (I also learned that I don't know how to spell 15 !)

My friend subsequently sent me a text with my favourite quote of the week: "Hooray for normal parents! AI will never replace us!"

What better way to end the week than with that reassurance eh?

(apart from the fact that I never thought I'd write a newsletter with the word 'DICKS' being mentioned repeatedly)!

Have a fab week ahead folks. Thank you for continuing to follow me on this journey xx. If any of this resonated, I'd love to hear from you.

______________________

Hi, I'm the founder CEO of Crew & Riot.?

My mission is to help leaders build inclusive brands and cultures.

Here's how I can help you:

• Building Brand strategies for business AND social impact
• Innovations with inclusive design principles at its heart.
• Team cultures and leaders who embrace diversity & belonging
• Leadership Coaching (for leaders who want to lead for positive impact.)

If any of this interests you, please drop me a message on Linkedin and we can arrange a no obligation discovery call.

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