Reader Responce # 2

Reader Response
 

In the story of “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt”, written by Jean Kilbourne, the author talks about sex in advertising.  Kilborne states, “We believe we are not affected by these images, but most of us experience visceral shock when we pay conscious attention to them. Could they be any less shocking to us on an unconscious level.” I agree with the author that provocative images are shocking on a conscious and on an unconscious level. The reason that business has provocative advertising is because they are trying to pitch a sale. They use seductive images and words in the media because sex sells.

I think that it is important that women become educated and take care of themselves so that they don’t find themselves in the position of being victimized. Today certain ads, television shows, and movies make women out to be objects. Also, pornography and music videos exploit women and turn them into objects. Kilbourne states, “Although these ads are often funny, it is never a good thing for human beings to be objectified.” It is shocking to see men abusing women in violent ads. There is an ad showing a man holding a gun to a woman’s head. Above this ad, it says " Bitch." This ad is questionable.  It seems like companies will do anything to boost sales.

There is a difference on how men and women are treated. Often, women are portrayed as seductive. Women are made vulnerable because they are looked on as sexual objects. There is more violence today because their bodies are being sexualized. Sad to say there is a lot of violence against women these days. 

Next Kilbourne talks about sexualization of girls and boys under the age of 17.  Men in Japan are exploiting school girl fantasies, because they are threatened by how smart and powerful women can be. This is why education is important for the young. That way they will not be as easily exploited. There is a picture of a model posing naked on a couch. She was portrayed to look 12 even though she was 20. Kate Moss said about this Calvin Klein ad, “I look twelve.”  Kate Moss is admitting that this ad was not normal. What this ad did was boost sales for Calvin Klein even though it was inappropriate.

Children are harassing each other in and out of school. Words are not harmless. They can cause permanent damage and leave lifelong scars. The teasing and harassment that our parents went through when they were in school is different then what we went through, and different that what teens are going through today. “A 1993 report by the American Association of University Women found that 76 percent of female students in grades eight to eleven and 56 percent of male students said they had been sexually harassed in school." In my opinion, the person that you were when you were young has a lot to do with who you are now.