Killing Us Softly, Essay Example

In Killing Us Softly 3, Jean Kilbourne delves into the world of women. We hear several valid points regarding media, modern society, and how women fit into the whole picture. Kilbourne does an amazing job of explaining her points, backing them up with evidence and showing us that there may be things going on in the media, that we aren’t always completely aware of.

According to Kilbourne, women in media are given power. They are held above society, on a pedestal that makes them something more than human, an icon. This however, is only the case when a woman is viewed as perfect in every way. The power is also short lived, which makes sense, because how long can a person go without aging? Kilbourne tells us that what ads are saying to us is that the most important part of women is how they look.

We have been trained in America to think that if something is “wrong” with our bodies, then we should just change it. The core belief of American culture is now that such transformation is possible and that we can look perfect if we try hard enough.

One of my favorite things Kilbourne stated was that sex is both more and less important than we make it in society. More because we don’t give it the strength and emotional power it deserves, and less because it isn’t the most important aspect of life and love. Kilbourne used extremely valid points with a well structured argument that was clear and articulate. I learned things I didn’t know about media and how we view women, when we may not even realize we’re doing it. These videos are a start, yet there are many steps that need to be taken in order for us to start viewing women with the respect that they deserve.