Jean Kilbourne’s Killing Us Softly 3 shows the audience how media perpetuates a narrow view of femininity. Kilbourne mentions that woman are expected to be innocent but sexy, virginal but experienced. She shows the audience several ads that portray women with flawless bodies, looking sexy and helpless. These images lead to unrealistic views of women’s bodies and personalities.
The part of this movie I found to be the most amusing was when Kilbourne shared her opinion of the special K commercial, and how she appreciated they took a different spin. This commercial showed men being self conscious and at the end asked their audience why should we care so much about our bodies, men don’t. Simply eat healthy. The reason I find this so amusing is because of the current commercials for special K cereal. These commercials promote their new diet scheme “lose up to 6lbs in 2 weeks.” This diet includes eating their brand snack food and cereals while only eating one real meal a day.
Commercials such as these only promote insecure women to spend money for quick temporary fix. I have tried the special K diet for one week and I found myself hungry all the time and knew there was no way I would be able to stick to such an outrageous diet. Commercials make real women feel that they are not sexy until they have big breasts, are a size 2 and have perfect skin and hair.
Actually its a size 0 to quote a judge from America's Next Top Model. But you are absolutely right, and companies change with the times. What may have started out as a way to fix womens body issues turned into another way to make women feel insecure.
ReplyDeleteI feel the media has this grasp on society's image that were always looking for the quick fix solution for our bodies. They try to hit not only the insecurities of women but men too with their advertising. i feel bad for women sometimes with all the image things in our society and media concerning women's images. as a man i just never feel that kind of image pressure that i feel a lot of women have to deal with because of our culture.
ReplyDeleteI know that the Special K commercial was supposed to be funny, but I found it to be a bit sexist -- like only women care about how their bodies look? I don't think so....everyone does!
ReplyDelete@mmskier23: I think men have a lot of pressure as well....I mean so many guys are anorexic as well as women. Also, men are under pressure to be "manly"....I'm sure those images really leave a huge impression on them.
Article about anorexic men: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2001-07-27-eating-healthscout.htm
I thought the same thing when she showed the special K ad, in order to not be self conscious about my body I should eat special k for breakfast and lunch!
ReplyDeleteI do think Kilbourne was a little over critical of advertising like showing the older boy slightly annoyed with what I would have gathered to be his little sister. Or taking aim at women who've had plastic surgery. If we're going to be feminists we have to accept women for the decisions they make for themselves because making out own choices is what being a feminist is all about.
I think that it's so sad how the media portrays women, though it is correct that people who make videos like Kilbourne's make an effort to be very critical. I would like to see a non-biased video, but then again, most of what Kilbourne said was right.
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