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A Woman Can Get Hurt : Advertising And Violence, By Jean Kilbourne

Decent Essays

“Sex in advertising is more about disconnection and distance than connection and closeness. It is also more often about power than passion, about violence than violins” (491). Media has developed an abusive view on women, particularly on their bodies and their sexuality. Not only does it judge women on their bodies and sexuality, media also undermines women’s intelligence and glorifies rape and violence. Media has made girls and boys think that it is okay to rape and be violent in a relationships. Media has also formed the idea that sex is the most important thing in a relationship, which is ruining relationships. The article, “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence,” by Jean Kilbourne examines how women are portrayed in …show more content…

This is achieved by objectifying people. As Kilbourne argues “Sex in advertising is pornographic because it dehumanizes and objectifies people” (Kilbourne, 491-2). The mass media is blatantly objectifying people, which is wrong. We all know it to be wrong. So why then, do we allow it to continue? Perhaps this is because the objectification of people has become so commonplace in our society that we just accept it? However, that doesn’t make it right. Kilbourne 's image of the media is chilling. But, perhaps it is necessary. People need to act against the mass media. Or they will just keep at it until we are nothing but sex objects.
Sexual assault and violence is increasing due to advertisements misinforming people into believing that such behavior is acceptable. “In the 1960’s Kilbourne found that she received more recognition for her looks rather than her intelligence” (Grean and Lidinisky, 490). Perhaps this is why Kilbourne wrote her book, Deadly Persuasion, analyzing this problem. Kilbourne found herself in the environment bubble the media is creating where the objective analysis of people is acceptable. Kilbourne’s book is an attempt to bring awareness towards how much harm the media’s portrayal of people is generating. Kilbourne’s book is mainly targeted towards women, and is trying to spur them towards action in an attempt to change the world and, more

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