Jean Kilbourne’s “Killing Us Softy”
documentaries highlight the problems with the messages media and advertising
provide. We are taught that what is most important about women is how they look,
rather than what is in their minds. Advertisers surround us with the image of
ideal feminine beauty. This ideal image is unrealistic. Kilbourne effectively
criticizes popular culture and aims to not only shine light on the problem, but
also provide a solution.
The advertisements Kilbourne shows
portray women as sexualized objects, where their beauty is meant to benefit men.
This reinforces the idea that women are supposed to look pretty and say little.
This “ideal image” of women leads to eating disorders, violence against women,
and unequal treatment of women.
Women are still being paid less in
the workplace, even when they have the same roles and positions as men. Women
are also treated unfairly when it comes to childcare and healthcare. When
society puts a stop to this unrealistic idea of beauty and to the objectification
of women, inequality between men and women will no longer be an issue.
I like how you note that inequality between men and women will become less of an issue once society stops this unrealistic idea of beauty. I think the whole idea of objectifying women in advertisements that Kilbourne discusses plays a huge role in this issue. Maybe if popular culture stopped portraying women as sexual objects it can be shown that women are human beings and that their minds should be valued more than their bodies.
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