1. Advertising’s Impact on How We View Ourselves and Others
Alison McLaughlin

2. Killing Us Softly 4 Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D
First version produced in 1979
Why advertising?

3. Discussion Questions
What are some stereotypical stories media tell about women?
What are some stereotypical stories media tell about men?

4. Discussion Questions
What are some differences between ads that feature white people and ads that feature people of color?

5. Discussion Questions
What are some of the potential effects (physical, emotional, mental) on girls and women of trying to live up to our culture’s ideal image of beauty?

6. Discussion Questions
Where else, besides advertising, do we learn what it means to be a woman in our culture? Which stories about what it means to be a woman are the most powerful in our culture? Why?

7. Discussion Questions
Do you feel that our culture is opening up, that it has started to embrace more willingly women and girls that go against the traditional feminine type?

8. Discussion Questions
Do you feel that the media reflect or create the ideal image of beauty in our society? Or do you think it’s a bit of both?

9. Discussion Questions
In what ways do images of thinness and advertisements for food contradict each other in the media? How might their combined effects lead to disordered eating?

10. Discussion Questions
Advertisements that objectify men have increased dramatically in recent years. Although objectification doesn’t have the same violent consequences for men that it has for women, there have been recent studies that show that the objectification of men is beginning to take a toll on men’s self-esteem. In what ways might this affect the way that men feel about their own bodies?

11. What Can We Do?
What do you think we can do to diversity the image of ideal beauty and prevent violence against women?
Take ads seriously. Consciously choose to accept or reject the message.
Realize this is a public health problem that affects everyone
Change the environment
Advocate against advertisements with these messages
Increased media literacy in education
Work together to change norms and attitudes

12. References
Kilbourne, J, & Jhally, S Killing Us Softly 4. United States: Media Education Foundation.