Genders in Media Communications & Media Essay Paper (Essay Sample)

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Genders in Media
Despite the gains made in women’s movement, the dismemberment of women’s bodies in ads continues to worsen. According to Mrs. Kilbourne, these unreal representations of women only serve to lower their self-esteem.
In the video Killing Us Softly, Kilbourne uses a wide range of contemporary ads that she started collecting in the 60s. From these ads, she noticed a pattern that dictates what it means to be beautiful in western culture. She notes that these gender stereotypes negatively affect a woman’s self-image which in turn takes a toll on their self-esteem. She further posits that these images are not only degrading but rather reinforce the concept of sexism with women (“YouTube”). Kilbourne notes that women who do not conform to these social pressures are caught in a mental battle where they cannot differentiate reality from fantasy. As a result, of this pervasive issue, several problems are expected to arise.