Killing Us Softly
“Killing US Softly 4”
“Killing Us Softly” is a movie we watched in class on women and men and how they are portrayed in the advertising world. Jean Kilbourne is the speaker; she started collecting advertisements in the 60’s because of her involvement with the women’s movement, her interest in the media and through her experiences as a model. I actually found this movie to be way more informational than I first thought it would be; I thought it would be all about statics and less about the image of advertising. What type of advertising environment surrounds us? Here are some facts that might answer that question. In the past 40 years Kilbourne believes that the advertising image of women has become worse. Advertising in the United States had turned into a billion dollar industry. The average American will be exposed to over 3,000 daily and will spend about two years of their life watching commercials on television. Advertisements are everywhere, they are at sporting stadiums, billboards, bus stops, and elevators etc., we cannot escape them. Advertising creates an environment one that makes us believe that we need to be healthy and beautiful. We know that ads sell much more than products. They are trying to sell us values, images, love and success. They are telling us who we are now, and who we should be in the future, this is powerful especially if we are still finding our way in life. There rarely is a photograph of a beautiful woman that has not been photo shopped in one way or another. Women of color are considered beautiful only if they meet the white ideal which is lighter skin tone, straight hair and Caucasian looking features. A good example of this is the singer Beyoncé. In all types of advertising women’s bodies are turned into an “object”. One area on the body that advertising companies focus on is the breasts. There has been an increase in cosmetic surgeries in recent years. Ninety-one percent of all cosmetic
“Killing Us Softly” is a movie we watched in class on women and men and how they are portrayed in the advertising world. Jean Kilbourne is the speaker; she started collecting advertisements in the 60’s because of her involvement with the women’s movement, her interest in the media and through her experiences as a model. I actually found this movie to be way more informational than I first thought it would be; I thought it would be all about statics and less about the image of advertising. What type of advertising environment surrounds us? Here are some facts that might answer that question. In the past 40 years Kilbourne believes that the advertising image of women has become worse. Advertising in the United States had turned into a billion dollar industry. The average American will be exposed to over 3,000 daily and will spend about two years of their life watching commercials on television. Advertisements are everywhere, they are at sporting stadiums, billboards, bus stops, and elevators etc., we cannot escape them. Advertising creates an environment one that makes us believe that we need to be healthy and beautiful. We know that ads sell much more than products. They are trying to sell us values, images, love and success. They are telling us who we are now, and who we should be in the future, this is powerful especially if we are still finding our way in life. There rarely is a photograph of a beautiful woman that has not been photo shopped in one way or another. Women of color are considered beautiful only if they meet the white ideal which is lighter skin tone, straight hair and Caucasian looking features. A good example of this is the singer Beyoncé. In all types of advertising women’s bodies are turned into an “object”. One area on the body that advertising companies focus on is the breasts. There has been an increase in cosmetic surgeries in recent years. Ninety-one percent of all cosmetic