Jean Kilbourne

Award-winning lecturer, Jean Kilbourne, in her article, “’Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt:’ Advertising and Violence,” pulls back the curtain on how advertising may impact society’s view of women. Kilbourne claims the media portrays women as objects, which generates most of the violence or mistreatment they experience in reality. As a woman in today’s society, I completely support Kilbourne in every aspect present in this article that takes a stance on women’s rights and prosperity.

Kilbourne begins her piece by purposing that women are sexualized and degraded in modern society by sexually aimed advertising. She argues that men and women in the media are misrepresented as sex symbols and tools. But more so that women are characterized as inferior

in English from Wellesley College and a doctorate in education from Boston University, Jean Kilbourne is a more than credible author. Kilbourne proposes the idea that women are sexualized and degraded in modern society by sexually aimed advertising. “When a beer ad uses the image of a man licking the high-heeled boot of a woman in clad leather, when bondage is used to sell neckties in the New York Times, perfume in The New Yorker, and watches on city buses…” (460). Kilbourne uses a large array of ads from beer to perfume to show that this is not just present in a few advertisements, but many advertisements seen almost everywhere. While mostly throughout the article Kilbourne bashes men, she also admits to some limitations and expresses good will. Kilbourne shows good character by also trying to appeal to the opposition. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, realizing the importance of relationships in all of our lives, we could seek to learn relational skills from women and to help men develop these strengths in themselves?” (461). Kilbourne established good credibility when she does this. She is taking a stance for women, but at the same time she is encouraging men to do the same and try to put themselves into a woman’s