Jean Kilbourne Killing USftly 4 Analysis

In the video, Killing us Softly 4, Jean Kilbourne talks about the gender inequality in advertisements and how women are portrayed as objects and things rather than people. The theoretical paradigm Kilbourne is using would be the social-conflict approach. In this theory, a society generates conflict and change when they see inequality; this is exactly when Kilbourne does in the video. Kilbourne fights for feminism and race equality by voicing out against media and the images media portrays. Kilbourne talks, in the video, about how advertisement sells more then products. By this she means: advertisements sell sex, self-esteem issues, eating disorders, dysfunctional relationships, and more. Advertisements do a lot more harm than what is …show more content…
Women will always try to measure up to be – or look like an image that is unattainable for even the model herself. With these unrealistic images guiding them, it could cause major self-esteem issues. Males viewing these advertisements will grow up believing that women are objects, or that they are placed here to please men. Men will then believe they are more than women are; example being “you throw like a girl” or “be a man about it”. Men in advertisements are made to look manly or tough, whereas are women are made to sexualize childlike features or make women look mild. Young boys might expect women to be submissive to them and do anything they say, because society’s taught them that’s what women should do. These advertisements could lead children towards an unhappy life chasing the American dream of being perfect. The title of Killing us Softly 4 is significant because she’s talking about how media is subtly killing and distorting body image. Society’s making us believe that if you don’t look like the people in the magazines or on T.V. you’re doing something wrong. Media is telling us contently that we aren’t perfect the way we are. This is killing our