Analysis Of Jean Kilbourne Killing USftly

In “Killing Us Softly,” Jean Kilbourne shows us her perspective of women in advertising. She starts out with the first advertising that caught her attention. This advertisements suggested that women belonged in the kitchen, and that women were air-headed. During this time period, around the seventies, women were thought to be good for only one thing. Women had no skills except for taking care of a family and a husband. Kilbourne goes on to demonstrating how women are portrayed in advertising. There is a double standard for men and women in our culture; while women are over sexualized and weak according to society, men are idolized for doing nothing. Woman in advertising are usually over sexualized, skinny, blonde, and tall. While not all …show more content…
Men are suppose to have a sharp jawline or cheek bones, a beard, well-kept hair, and a six pack. Men, like women, are wanted for their bodies in advertisement. Men’s ads usually involve them without a shirt or without a shirt in pants. Calvin Klein is known for using celebrities to advertise his underwear. These celebrities are in their underwear posing like a woman would for lingerie. I believe that men who are not models are affected by these ads like women. They also believe that they need to have nice bodies and hair like the models. In general, the model world affects men and women in similar ways. 
 While men and women are treated similarly in the advertisement world, but there is a double standard. Women are not only used for their bodies, but they often portrayed as dim-witted and airy headed. While men are portrayed as strong and dominant in advertisement. Referring back to the Gucci advertisement, the woman is vulnerable, at the same time, the man is dominating the picture. In my opinion, it is like he is saying “ she does all the work and I reap the benefits.” At the same time, the woman is showing her private parts while the man is not. Dolce & Gabbana are also guilty of over sexualizing women. One ad features a woman laying down while four other men are surrounding her. In my opinion, this advertisement is like vultures closing in on their prey, the prey being the women. This advertisement is sending the wrong impression to potential buyers, I would never buy a product after seeing this because it looks like rape. This woman is laying down while it looks like the men are getting ready to rape her. Advertisements over sexualize woman, while putting all the power in the man’s