Killing Us Softly
Killing Us Softly: Advertising's Image of Women is an American documentary by Margaret Lazarus, Renner Wunderlich, Patricia Stallone, and Joseph Vitagliano, based on a lecture by Jean Kilbourne and distributed by Cambridge Documentary Films, Inc. The documentary, first released in 1979 and since revised and updated four times, focuses on images of women in advertising, in particular on gender stereotypes, the effects of advertising on women's self-image, and the objectification of women's bodies. The two most recent updates, "Killing Us Softly 3" and "Killing Us Softly 4", were produced by the Media Education  Foundation and directed by Sut Jhally. Using modern print and television advertisements, the films make connections between unrealistic media portrayals of women and problems such as "eating disorders, men's violence against women, and the political backlash against feminism." Overview. Kilbourne is critical of the advertising industry, accusing it of misconduct. She argues that the superficial, objectifying and unreal portrayal of women in advertising lowers women's self-esteem. Sexualized images of women are being used to sell virtually all kinds of goods, and Kilbourne argues that they degrade women, encourage abuse, and reinforce the patriarchal, sexist society. Kilbourne also  draws a connection between advertising and pornography, stating that "the advertisers are America's real pornographers". Versions. "Killing Us Softly" and its revisions have been developed from lectures that Kilbourne has been delivering at American universities since early 1970s. The documentary has had four editions, each updating the previous release: Reception. "Killing Us Softly" has often been used in university lectures. Its various editions have been described as "extremely popular" and have attracted praise; Bakari Chavanu, for example, notes that the documentary is "an engaging and even humorous analysis of how images and ads shape our values". Ford, et al . noted that the documentary raises feminist consciousness, up to the point that it has been positively correlated with boycotts of products whose advertisements were seen as offensive. The documentary has also evoked some negative reactions. Paul Rutherford criticized Kilbourne for a "crusade against advertising", arguing that in the documentary she is conflating pornography and erotica, not noticing the satirical and artistic values of advertising, and ignoring the influence of the world of fashion. Related documentaries. Cambridge Documentary Films created two other films on this subject; the first is "Beyond Killing Us Softly: The Strength to Resist" (2000). That title was  updated and released as "The Strength to Resist: Advertising's Impact on Women and Girls", featuring Gloria Steinem, Amy Richards, Gail Dines, Valerie Batts, Jamila Batts, Catherine Steiner Adair, and others.