Feminism and Sex Appeal; Jean Kilbourne

Jaquelin Muro

English 1A

William Anderson

23 February 2016

Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt

        In “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt,” author Jean Kilbourne writes, “the way that ads portray bodies especially women’s bodies as objects states you to see each other in dehumanizing ways, therefore normalizing attitudes that can lead to sexual aggression.” Kilbourne introduces the impact of sexual advertising and the impact it has on men and women. Women are continuously looked at as sexual objects in advertisements, from the Carl’s Jr. commercials to the fashion magazines. Sexual advertising is and can be completely insulting towards women, and causes tension between women and men. These advertisements create a distorted image on how men should view the opposite sex, which generate fake gender roles. It can also cause men and women to seriously misjudge one another in everyday interactions.

        One can argue that the purpose of sex in advertisement is to simply promote marketing, which on the surface seems harmless. However, the real underlying aim is to deceive consumers with arousing, and shocking imagery in order to control them. Many companies find erotic sexual images to be very effective in drawing in customers because they are appealing to many men and women. According to Kilbourne, such usage of erotic images attempts to stimulate people’s mind to fulfill their sexual fantasy, or satisfy their love life with the use of their products. However, many of them use images that demonstrate violence, degradation, and dehumanization against women and girls.

        Advertising is everywhere, from the comfort of our own homes, as we watch television or as we scroll through our social media, to the moment we step outside, as we drive past billboards or as we buy a drink at a liquor store or a fast food restaurant. According to Kilbourne, advertisement that shows explicit and sexual content has been accepted and deemed as common by society. Kilbourne writes, “Sex in advertising is more about disconnection and distance than connection and closeness” referring to the interaction between men and women (491). She also writes that many of the sexual advertisements have the same main goal as pornography, to show power over someone else, generally male dominance over women. This one aspect of sex in advertising opens the viewer’s eyes to the horrid outcome that may appear due to the vulgar ads.

        Advertisements used in companies like Victoria Secret, Hollister Co., and Balmain have a great effect and impact on women, which can mentally affect them on how they view their own physical body. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (Smart Beauty Guide), Photoshop are inspiring women. Also many teenagers and adolescents opted to alter their body with surgery. These types of surgeries that teenagers undergo are geared towards making their body more satisfactory. Such a mentality that is becoming popular can partly be attributed to the media. The media continues to produce more and more images and videos that target young women and pressure them to look “better,” and to look “perfect.” These images of “perfection” are often based on unrealistic expectations. For example, through the use of Photoshop, a person’s entire appearance can be altered. This becomes a concern for society when young women strive to become these false appearances, when in reality this is not possible. In addition, as these young women attempt to achieve such unrealistic expectations, they also end up putting their own health in danger.