Women in advertising. We see it everyday but do we actually see it for what it is? Jean Kilbourne challenges us in her video, Killing us Softly III, to take a deeper look into the world of women centered advertisements. I can admit that I am definitely not what one would consider a feminist. I am a woman and I am an advocate for women’s rights. However, before watching this video, I was completely ignorant to the fact that companies were using advertisements that dehumanized, sexualized, and even stereotyped women in order to promote their products. Sure, I saw women being put in peculiar scenarios however, I typically chose to laugh at them rather than realize how that effects women as a population. The examples that were shown in this video were appalling. I was completely offended and couldn’t believe that I didn’t recognize that this was happening sooner. I would like to think that times have changed, however, this video makes me wonder. While I know that the dehumanization of women has been an issue in the past, I didn’t realize it was still a huge issue today.

Unfortunately, finding advertisements that use questionable marketing tactics wasn’t a difficult task. The first photo (top left), is an advertisement for milk. Obviously, the milk isn’t the problem. It’s the phrase used to promote it. The ad states “I’m sorry for the thing, or things, I did or didn’t do”. At the bottom the ad suggests that “milk can help reduce the symptoms of PMS”. Is that true? I honestly don’t know if milk can help reduce the symptoms of PMS, nor do I care. What I care about is that they are using something like PMS to promote milk. The second photo is an ad for pop chips. The model can be immediately recognized as Katy Perry. Honestly, I feel as though the advertisement would gain attention simply because she is included in it. However, our attention is drawn to the bags of chips placed strategically at her chest with the statement “nothing fake about ’em”. This ad sexualizes a woman for the sole purpose of attracting attention to promote their product. It just so happens that the next two photos do the exact same thing. One is using the woman’s body to promote a Samsung computer while the other is used to promote cologne for men. Finally, the last photo is an advertisement for Mr. Clean with the statement “This Mother’s Day, get back to the job that really matters”. I’m not completely sure what year this ad was created but I can guarantee that it is extremely outdated. This ad is a prime example of how companies stereotype women by making it seem that it is in fact their “job” to clean the house.

I can say that I am better off after viewing Jean Kilbourne’s “Killing us Softly III”. I can only hope that companies recognize the issues with using women in this way to manipulate people to buy their products. The only way I see that happening is if people take this knowledge and speak out against it. Only then will change happen.

In photo A, this Dove beauty ad represents a credible source because of a couple of different qualities. First of all, Dove is a personal care brand that has been around since the 1950s which, in my opinion, proves that the company has a high level of expertise and trustworthiness. This particular campaign pictured above is the “real beauty campaign”. Dove is not using women that are photoshopped or “perfect”. They are instead using models who are representative of the actual population of real-life women. Therefore, it can be said that they are going against the grain here by showing women that they are beautiful in their own skin and to say that it’s ok not to be “perfect”.

In photo B, this Papa John’s ad represents a non-credible source. The company is using Peyton Manning, a famous NFL player as their spokesperson. Anyone that is even slightly familiar with football, knows who Peyton Manning is. Papa John’s is attempting to gain attention by using him with hopes it will increase revenue. While Peyton Manning was a professional NFL player, I find it very hard to believe that he has expertise in the pizza making business. In addition, Peyton Manning has a financial stake in the company since he owns over 30 franchises personally and Papa John’s is considered the official pizza of the NFL.

In photo C, this Hydroxycut ad represents an attractive source. The ad suggests that by using the weight loss pill, Hydroxycut, you can lose weight fast. The ad uses an obvious photoshopped model who is thin, toned, and beautiful as their source. I personally do not feel as though using an attractive source, like the one in this advertisement, is effective because it is has been enhanced and the results are not real. A person cannot gain muscle and tone without exercise. In fact, the small print even states that “regular exercise and nutrition are essential for achieving your weight loss goals”.  In general, ads with attractive sources are used for attention. The eye is drawn to beauty and by using an attractive source, the ad is guaranteed to be seen. Furthermore, it is human nature to seek perfection. If we think that a product will help us on that journey to perfection, we will be more apt to use it.

All in all, I feel as though I did really well on this exam. After reviewing the questions that I missed, it seems as though I may have misunderstood the question. On future tests, I will make sure that I fully understand the question before answering it. I know that time seemed to fly by while I was answering questions, so I will make sure that I manage my time better.

Learning the material in this class can be quite a daunting task. As my photo representation suggests, the textbook is the most important tool of success in this class! I have taken courses that require a text book, but you can pass without it. In this class, that is not the case. Luckily, I find the content of the book incredibly interesting, so it isn’t difficult to remain engaged throughout the chapters.

As I read through each chapter, I took notes of the bold, highlighted words throughout the text. I wrote them down along with the meaning of the term. After reading the chapter, I went back to the terms to ensure that I fully understood the concepts before moving on to the next chapter. This really helped me to keep the terms with their associated chapters. When I am able to stay organized, I find it easier to retain the information.

Once the exam review sheet was released, I spaced it out, so I could do a little each day prior to the test. Doing the review this way, worked best for me. I wasn’t overwhelmed with trying to complete the review in just a couple of days and I was able to really focus on each concept.