Killing Us Softly

After discussing "The Beauty Myth" in class we saw a video called "Killing Us Softly 4" by Jean Kilbourne. This video was mind boggling for me because I've always been the type of person to read the magazines and look at the models and be like "Oh wow, I wish I looked like her!" After watching the video you come to find out these women that you're looking at could end up being 4 different girls put together. The "beauty" in the magazines isn't real life. Watch the video and learn for yourself that you don't have to look like the girls in the magazines because they don't really exist.

Jean Kilbourne's main argument in this film is the cumliative effect of media representation of setreo types of feminity can diminish the self concenpt of adolescent girls. This video re-enforces the unrealistic gender roles that are portrayed through the media. Boys are definitely scrutenized in the media but not nearly as much as girls. She also touches upon the fact that violence is increasing against women due to their objectification in the media. This objectification is occuring because even in simple adds they turn women into objects. For example, a Heineken commercial turns a woman into a keg. The commercial is below.

Also, one significant part of the video was when Jean Kilbourne made the point of pant sizes. Men would never walk into a store asking for size zero pants, yet women sadly aspire to that which is ultimately nothing (0=nothing).