Killing Us Softly

1. Killing Us Softly Jean Kilbourne

2. Killing Us Softly • Do you agree or disagree with Jean Kilbourne? Why or why not? How does media affect women and girls? How might it affect men/boys? Do you think media influences how you view yourself? Why or why not? • What image stands out the most? Why do you think this image stays with you? How are women portrayed in the media? Do you think that this type of advertisement affects the way men view women? Why or why not? Do you think this type of advertisement is dangerous to society? Why or why not? What stereotyped is being portrayed for women? What stereotypes exist for men?

3. Advertising • ● 180 Billion $$ a year is spent on advertising • ● We see over 3,000 ads each day • ● seen 3 years of commercials at the end of our life. • ●Advertisment is the foundation of mass media – they sell values, images, concepts of love, sexuality, normalcy. • What does it mean to be a women through the media and in society? • ● Advertisement for Ovulen 21 – works the way women think – by days of the week (visual image of washing clothes – Washing day, Tuesday Ironing day…) • A woman must be flawless – no wrinkles, no imperfections, perfect complextion…the belief that through transformation of women in adverstisments/computers is impossible to reach and effects self esteem. – 5% of population of women have perfect bodies – which we are made to believe we can achieve and that it is normal. • “the more you subtract the more you add – portray women not only perfect beauty, but to be mindless, powerless, submissive, not full of oneself – 1/5 women have eating disorders . Thinness – cutting girls down to size – silence them – body language made to be passive, vulnerable. • Boys and girl ads – boys always active, girls passive – boy taller looking down on girl and is active as the girl smiles and has to look up to see the boy. Inferior. Unless add in black or people of color – reversal – white girl is made to tower above – • Ads - women have the right to be sexy, to be objects, to be passive, sext to be like a little girl – innocent – stay like a little girl – don’t grow up.