Advertising’s Impact on How We View

Ourselves and OthersAlison McLaughlin

Killing Us Softly 4

O Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D

O First version produced in 1979

O Why advertising?

Discussion QuestionsO What are some stereotypical stories

media tell about women? O What are some stereotypical stories

media tell about men?

Discussion QuestionsO What are some differences between

ads that feature white people and ads that feature people of color?

Discussion QuestionsO What are some of the potential

effects (physical, emotional, mental) on girls and women of trying to live up to our culture’s ideal image of beauty?

Discussion QuestionsO Where else,

besides advertising, do we learn what it means to be a woman in our culture? Which stories about what it means to be a woman are the most powerful in our culture? Why?

Discussion QuestionsO Do you feel that

our culture is opening up, that it has started to embrace more willingly women and girls that go against the traditional feminine type?

Discussion QuestionsO Do you feel that the media reflect or

create the ideal image of beauty in our society? Or do you think it’s a bit of both?

Discussion QuestionsO In what ways do

images of thinness and advertisements for food contradict each other in the media? How might their combined effects lead to disordered eating?

Discussion QuestionsO Advertisements that

objectify men have increased dramatically in recent years. Although objectification doesn’t have the same violent consequences for men that it has for women, there have been recent studies that show that the objectification of men is beginning to take a toll on men’s self-esteem. In what ways might this affect the way that men feel about their own bodies?

What Can We Do?O Take ads seriously.

Consciously choose to accept or reject the message.

O Realize this is a public health problem that affects everyone

O Change the environmentO Advocate against

advertisements with these messages

O Increased media literacy in education

O Work together to change norms and attitudes

O What do you think we can do to diversity the image of ideal beauty and prevent violence against women?

ReferencesO Kilbourne, J, & Jhally, S. 2010. Killing

Us Softly 4. United States: Media Education Foundation.