The Media, bell hooks and "Killing Us Softly"

This week we discussed many different ways the media influences us as a society. In the lecture "Killing Us Softly", Jean Kilbourne spoke about how the media is objectifying women in advertising. She made some very good points and examples that still seemed relevant to today's culture and did not seem dated. Also she was good to listen to and easy to understand.



In contrast to her was bell hooks. I listened to Ms. hooks last semester and did not agree with her at all. Ms. hooks contradicts herself many times. For example in her piece about O.J Simpson, she speaks about how she has no opinion about Simpson's guilt but throughout the piece she makes it quite clear that she believes he is guilty. She also seems hypocritical when she speaks about her students Harlem versus her students at Yale. Ms. hooks speaks about her Yale students having a "sense of entitlement" whereas her Harlem students do not and she also speaks about the stereotypes between the two. However she then goes on to stereotype the two groups. My other problem with bell hooks is that when she is trying to prove a point, she seems shrill and is trying to force her opinion on others. The point that is called to mind is when she is trying to prove that mass media is trying to move society back to a patriarchal society. I do not think that is the case. I believe that advertisers are showing the public images that sell and she does not like that.Now this is just my interpretation of her and it could be inferred differently by someone else. However I do not like bell hooks or agree with her.



In my opinion, I believe that advertisers are using these sexually provocative images because they are using the adage "sex sells" and it is working. People do not like to admit it but it must because advertisers are still using this technique. If people stopped buying products from places that use these sexual images,then the advertisers will need to come up with a new strategy.