On Jean Kilbourne and the Objectification and Sexualization of Gender in Advertising In recent history, feminism has become a more prominent subject in social justice than most anything else, what with various gender equality groups and the like becoming increasingly fervent in their pursuit for equal pay in the vocational part of society. Nevertheless, one such aspect of society that feminist organizations have been particularly critical towards is the advertising industry; a subject thoroughly covered in an essay written by Jean Kilbourne titled, ”’Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt’: Advertising and Violence,” where she argues that corporations frequently objectify and sexualize women and children, as well as aestheticize violence against them. Indeed, she…show more content… Again, Kilbourne discusses this in her essay by writing, “The poses and postures of advertising are often borrowed from pornography, as are many of the themes, such as bondage, sadomasochism, and the sexual exploitation of children” (491). In this instance, the camera angles can indeed be described as “pornographic,” given the emphasis on the large breasts of the waitresses in the commercial. Moreover, the lighting in the commercial can also be analyzed to further Kilbourne’s argument that commercials are becoming increasingly overtly sexual, and are harmful to society. Specifically, the lighting inside the “Hooters” restaurant in the commercial is particularly bright, which contrasts with the dark night sky outside the restaurant. With the bright lighting putting emphasis on the waitresses, and the dark night sky outside, one can conclude that the commercial is subliminally telling male viewers that they can persuade the waitresses into partaking in brief sexual encounters later in the
