Why? (#1, as there are doubtless going to be many more such questions)
Tonight I saw: "The Naked Truth: Advertising's Image of Women", a talk by Jean Kilbourne, sponsored by SAPAC and half a dozen other UofM groups focusing on women's issues, and it led to some questions.
She covered the concepts of how women (and now men too) are objectified in advertisements to a more and more extreme extent, how sex is used to sell everything, how these advertisements also encourage violence against women, sexualization of children, and other not so desirable things (the point is not to remove sexuality, it's to remove abuses of or bad applications of sexuality).
These things are all true, and I feel that talks like hers (it was well done), where she makes this idea clear and encourages people to think about, recognize, and reject such suggestions, are the only real force against them (assuming you like ideas like free speech and don't trust the government to dictate morality). But the question arose in my mind:
Why is the United States of America, one of the most conservative and Puritan societies on the planet, so far out on the cutting edge of the use of sexuality and the objectification of women and people in general in our advertising? I feel that the use of sex and exaggerated images of beauty is a natural trend in capitalist advertisements- but why is Europe not way ahead of us in this, being as they are more sexually progressive?
Is it that our repression makes us more susceptible to such ads and thus it's simply their efficacy pushing their development?
Is it because we have a stronger concept of free speech, so advertisers have had here more free reign to push this to it's limit?
Is it because we are more strongly capitalist than any other country, and thus selling by any means necessary has become accepted?
Is it not actually true that we are the leaders in this and we're just given the impression that we are by people who are trying to support their anti-objectification agenda?
I lean towards the capitalism running rampant explanation, and I think we're actually objectifying all aspects of our lives in a very bad way, but I think they're all factors.
How do you fight this? How do you balance between supporting free speech and controlling the use of imagery that is damaging our children? Education is good, but exposure starts so young, when we are the most susceptible. Tough questions. I'd be curious to hear anyone's opinion.
More info on the talk from the original announcement
Ads sell a great deal more than products. They sell values, images,
and concepts of success and worth, love and sexuality, popularity
and normalcy. They tell us who we are and who we should be.
Sometimes they sell addictions. With expert knowledge, insight, and
humor, Jean Kilbourne brings her audiences to see that, although ads
may seem harmless and silly, they add up to a powerful form of
cultural conditioning.
Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D., is internationally recognized for her pioneering
work on alcohol and tobacco advertising and the images 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 and has twice been named Lecturer of the Year
by the National Association of Campus Activities. 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.
"Jean Kilbourne's work is pioneering and crucial to the dialogue of one
of the most underexplored, yet most powerful, realms of American
culture - advertising. We owe her a great debt."
Susan Faludi | author, Backlash and Stiffed
"As timely and important as ever. . .A must for everyone who cares
about media literacy and gender equity."
Susan Douglas | author, Where the Girls Are: Growing Up With the Mass Media
"I just saw Killing Us Softly 3 in my sociology class and was
absolutely amazed, inspired and outraged!"
Leigh Ann
"Jean Kilbourne is a prophet calling out in the wilderness for
fundamental change in the way we communicate publicly with one another."
Adweek
This event is co-sponsored by the Sexual Assault Prevention and
Awareness Center (SAPAC), Department of Communication Studies'
Howard R. Marsh Center for the Study of Journalistic Performance,
Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG), Residence Halls
Association, University Health Services, Coalition of Action
Regarding Image and Body Image Issues (CARE), Peers Utilizing
Leadership Skills for Education (PULSE), U-M Hillel, Jewish Women's
Forum, and Women's Studies.
***Questions regarding the presentation may be directed to the Sexual
Assault Prevention and Awareness Center: (Ann Arbor, MI)
Business Line: 734-998-9368
Crisis Line: 734-936-3333
SAPAC Fax Number: 734-998-9380
She covered the concepts of how women (and now men too) are objectified in advertisements to a more and more extreme extent, how sex is used to sell everything, how these advertisements also encourage violence against women, sexualization of children, and other not so desirable things (the point is not to remove sexuality, it's to remove abuses of or bad applications of sexuality).
These things are all true, and I feel that talks like hers (it was well done), where she makes this idea clear and encourages people to think about, recognize, and reject such suggestions, are the only real force against them (assuming you like ideas like free speech and don't trust the government to dictate morality). But the question arose in my mind:
Why is the United States of America, one of the most conservative and Puritan societies on the planet, so far out on the cutting edge of the use of sexuality and the objectification of women and people in general in our advertising? I feel that the use of sex and exaggerated images of beauty is a natural trend in capitalist advertisements- but why is Europe not way ahead of us in this, being as they are more sexually progressive?
Is it that our repression makes us more susceptible to such ads and thus it's simply their efficacy pushing their development?
Is it because we have a stronger concept of free speech, so advertisers have had here more free reign to push this to it's limit?
Is it because we are more strongly capitalist than any other country, and thus selling by any means necessary has become accepted?
Is it not actually true that we are the leaders in this and we're just given the impression that we are by people who are trying to support their anti-objectification agenda?
I lean towards the capitalism running rampant explanation, and I think we're actually objectifying all aspects of our lives in a very bad way, but I think they're all factors.
How do you fight this? How do you balance between supporting free speech and controlling the use of imagery that is damaging our children? Education is good, but exposure starts so young, when we are the most susceptible. Tough questions. I'd be curious to hear anyone's opinion.
More info on the talk from the original announcement
Ads sell a great deal more than products. They sell values, images,
and concepts of success and worth, love and sexuality, popularity
and normalcy. They tell us who we are and who we should be.
Sometimes they sell addictions. With expert knowledge, insight, and
humor, Jean Kilbourne brings her audiences to see that, although ads
may seem harmless and silly, they add up to a powerful form of
cultural conditioning.
Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D., is internationally recognized for her pioneering
work on alcohol and tobacco advertising and the images 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 and has twice been named Lecturer of the Year
by the National Association of Campus Activities. 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.
"Jean Kilbourne's work is pioneering and crucial to the dialogue of one
of the most underexplored, yet most powerful, realms of American
culture - advertising. We owe her a great debt."
Susan Faludi | author, Backlash and Stiffed
"As timely and important as ever. . .A must for everyone who cares
about media literacy and gender equity."
Susan Douglas | author, Where the Girls Are: Growing Up With the Mass Media
"I just saw Killing Us Softly 3 in my sociology class and was
absolutely amazed, inspired and outraged!"
Leigh Ann
"Jean Kilbourne is a prophet calling out in the wilderness for
fundamental change in the way we communicate publicly with one another."
Adweek
This event is co-sponsored by the Sexual Assault Prevention and
Awareness Center (SAPAC), Department of Communication Studies'
Howard R. Marsh Center for the Study of Journalistic Performance,
Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG), Residence Halls
Association, University Health Services, Coalition of Action
Regarding Image and Body Image Issues (CARE), Peers Utilizing
Leadership Skills for Education (PULSE), U-M Hillel, Jewish Women's
Forum, and Women's Studies.
***Questions regarding the presentation may be directed to the Sexual
Assault Prevention and Awareness Center: (Ann Arbor, MI)
Business Line: 734-998-9368
Crisis Line: 734-936-3333
SAPAC Fax Number: 734-998-9380