kilbourne taxonomy

Jen

Beauty and the Beast of AdvertisingJean Kilbourne, Ed.D. (jkilbourne@aol.com) is internationally recognized for her pioneering work on alcohol and tobacco advertising and the image of women in advertising. Her films, slide lectures and television appearances have been seen by millions of people throughout the world. She was named by The New York Times Magazine as one of the three most popular speakers on college campuses today. Her book, Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel, won the Distinguished Publication Award from the Association for Women in Psychology in 2000. She is also known for her award-winning documentaries Killing Us Softly, Slim Hopes, and Calling the Shots.

“Everyone has seen blatantly offensive advertisements that portray women as sexual toys or victims of violence. Such

irresponsible advertising has rightly touched off cries of protest and

organized action. The following are some of the more subtle ways advertising

reinforces cultural values of subservience, domination and inequality

between the sexes.” --Jean Kilbourne“

DismembermentWomen’s bodies are oftenportrayed and treated as separate parts, perpetuating the concept that a woman’s body is not connected to her mind and emotions. The hidden message: If a woman has great lets, who cares who she is?t

SuperiorityThree common tactics used to establish superiority are size, attention and position. Notice how the girl is behind the boy with her hand on his shoulder, apparently vying for his attention. He doesn’tseem to notice her.

CantingPeople in control of their lives stand upright, alert and ready to meet the world. In contrast, the bending of body parts conveys unpreparedness, submissiveness and appeasement.

ClowningShown alone in ads, men are often portrayed as powerful and serious. By contrast women are pictured as playful clowns, Perpetuating the attitude that women are childish and cannot be taken seriously.

Dominance/ViolenceThe tragic abuse-affection cyclethat many women are trappedin is too often glorified inadvertising. In this Andrew Marc ad, notice the expression of anger on the face of the man and the fear and anguish on that of the woman, though they arein an embrace. He grabs her jacket as she holds his arm,almost affectionately.

Can you identify the stereotype, positive or negative, reinforcing or contradicting, that are being perpetuated by the following images of men and women in ads?

What are some ways that gender

representationsin advertising

can be positive?