Killing Us Softly

When I was an undergraduate student studying anthropology at the University of Arizona, I was shown Jean Kilbourne's "Killing Us Softly" in three different anthropology classes. This video left an impression on me that is hard to understate, affecting the way I see the world, even today. In "Killing Us Softly," Kilbourne offers insight into how gender roles are socially constructed by the media and the effects of this for both male and female identity formation. She does this by examining the links between advertising and rampant public health issues such as violence against women, eating disorders, and addiction.

I recommend this video to men and women, as Kilbourne points out, the effects of media images shapes us all. This is because media representations influence not just our own individualized identity formations, but the way in which we relate to each other.

Jean Kilbourne has been featured in numerous media outlets, such as Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Today Show, and Oprah Winfrey Show. In 1993, she was appointed U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Watch the trailer for her newest rendition:

Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women [Trailer]

Or preview the video in its entirety: Killing Us Softly 4

If you would prefer to watch the video on a larger screen, you can pick up a copy of "Killing Us Softly 3" from our very own UGA library:

Title: Killing us softly 3 [videorecording] : advertising’s image of women / with Jean Kilbourne ; producer/director/editor, Sut Jhally ; created by Jean Kilbourne.

Location:	.Main Library Basement Media
Call Number:	Media DVD
	944.1