Killing Us Softly

Figure 1. Offensive Target Ad, (2008). Note: Copyright ATIS547 (made available under a Creative Commons licence)

I liked this documantary. Especially, the narrator was humourous and that made me watch it more attracted. The points she stated were quite good.

I am of the opinion that sex discrimination has always been in the society. Women were segregated by men from society anyway (mostly because of religion or because of the family structure in different areas) However, in the 20th century, with visual technology, this segregation was encouraged. It became more popular and known by society. And it made people change their minds. A man, for example, saw a husband hitting his wife on TV, then he got encouraged and started to hit his own wife. Or from sexist advertisement, more rape incidents occured. Advertisements were the bellows so to speak.

Jean Kilbourne(the narrator) stated indeed that women became "for other people's pleasure" in society through various advertisements. I liked especially her statement about plastic surgery. Since most women see in advertisements that they should look perfect, they throw a conclusion that they could have a plastic surgery. Let's say they have their breasts operated. Nevertheless, they do that but they cannot enjoy themselves. They satisfy other men but not themselves. In other words, the aim of the spotless breasts is at men. Women do not have plastic surgery for their enjoyment but for other people.

Another shocking point was for me "the passive girl and the active boy" part. Kilbourne emphasizes that all of the ads from that year which consist of a boy and a girl would include a passive girl and a active boy. She showed us many pictures as well. On them, we saw a boy lookind down to a girl or a girl who smiles(innocent and valnurable). This is a perfect observation.

There was a part in which it says that women became objects. In ads, women play roles which make them similar to an object. And therefore, men get to think that they could use women for their sexual/brutal etc. purpose. That is right. However, this part is also true for men. Mostly, women also control men, as a result men also become objects for them.
Example: (in an advertisement)
If a man wears an X shirt, he is more likely to attract other women.
OR
If a women wears an X underwear, she is more likely to attract other men.
It's the same. Look at the pictures I've posted in this post.
However, as Kilbourne also explained, women are more likely to have disadvantages from that object-being; because they live in a world where their bodies are criticized more often unlike men.

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