images we found in current popular magazines that were consistent with the themes identified in "Killing us softly 4"
In examining the images in the current popular magazines we chose, we were able to find examples supporting the themes in Kilbourne's film.
flawlessness that cannot be achieved
Laura Mercier states in her ad that “flawlessness has many faces,” when in reality flawlessness has no faces because it is impossible to achieve the pore-less, airbrushed, unattainable beauty that is advertised. The slogan is attempting to reach a broad audience, in saying that flawlessness is seen in many women, however this instills a false hope that there are people who look this and you could be one of them.
sexualization and objectification of women
All of the advertisements below reveal blatant forms of sexualization and/or objectification in different ways. The women are being used as a product.
In this example, the model’s face has been hidden to emphasis the focus on her naked body
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Above, both women appear very sexual, they are selling themselves, not just the product. In some cases a reader could not even be aware of what is being advertised because of the spotlight of sexualization.
Celebrities are commonly used to make statements in advertisements. On the left, Marilyn Monroe's sexual portrayal and attitude is used as an icon for M.A.C makeup and above, Natalie Portman is no longer a strong actress, but instead dumbed down to “Miss Dior.” The perfume is given the title "Miss" which is the same title many women attribute. Using celebrities and icons that people look up to for advertisements can create a false assumption of who these women are or what they stand for.
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portrayal of men in advertisingSexualization does not only occur in women advertisements, we see it happening for men as well. However, they are usually portrayed in a more masculine, buff, strong, powerful sense, than the degrading factor women are more often perceived in.
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sexuality and beauty are limited to the youngSex is one of the biggest selling markets in the United States. Billboards of hot, sweaty, half naked, beautiful people illuminate across cities. Sex is everywhere we look. However, it apparently belongs to the young and beautiful and is prohibited to any other class of people. Advertisements never rely on the beautifully aged mother. Models careers are short-lived because the day they are no longer young, they immediately become de-sexified in the minds of media.
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skinny skinnyThrough advertisements the media contributes to the unhealthy weight image, which can lead to further disorders and body image problems. Women in magazines reveal the ideal look and when they are clearly too skinny it negatively leads to viewers attempting to replicate their weight.
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the fear of agingMath equations will not prevent people from aging. However, Olay seems to think they can create a math problem that solves signs of aging. Their product not only falsely uses mathematics, it is made to cover up wrinkles with makeup, which does not solve anything, and it only temporarily creates a false image of who we are.
We were surprised to find that even men are given products to “help” pretend like they will never grow old. Advertisements are geared at the idea that young is beautiful. The media focuses on a false idea that people can stay young forever, instead of putting the lime light on the reality and natural process of aging. |
women's body languageIn many advertisements women are made to look submissive and lesser than men through their body language, instead of powerful and independent. This was apparent in many of the ads we looked at, women tend to be hunched over or have their arms crossed or a hand in front of their chest.
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IT TAKES WORK TO BE BEAUTIFULAdvertisements geared to change your look, send a false message that a new hair color, plumper lips or makeup will make you beautiful. Some women refer to putting on their make-up as “their face,” when really their illuminating skin is underneath the pounds of cover-up. For women everyday is Halloween, advertisements have made women use make-up, clothes, and shoes to turn themselves into something they are not. Some people chose to go from brunette to blonde for a simple change, while other women may think they will actually have more fun. Kilbourne makes a strong argument that many advertisements attempt to empower women through through the use of makeup or clothes such as, "A leading lady always dresses to thrill" for a nail polish ad. Women can be empowered by so much more than new bottle of nail polish, so sometimes these slogans are belittling in a sense. In our opinion, a leading lady is strong regardless of how she dresses. However, it is also true that sometimes buying a fashionable new nail color could just make a girl happy.
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