"Two Ways a Women Can Get Hurt"

Jean Kilbourne seems to have a lot of bias in her essay and comes off a little on the feminist side. At first I thought she was going to be one of those far fetched feminist who equate shaving legs with the slavery of the feminine race. Though she seems quick to point out any hint of objectification, she does point out a lot frightening and disgusting ads and she brings up a lot of really good points, even taking the side of men at some points. The more I read into the essay the more I realized Kilbourne might very well be on to something in her essay. As a women, I am so used to taking every precaution I know of for my safety. I am so used to it, I thought men probably did it too. I asked my husband if he did any of the things I do (checking under the car as I approach it at night, having my keys ready, looking over my shoulder, not walking at night unless with a group, ect...) and he laughed at me and said, "why would I need to?". Kilbourne points out similar senario in her essay. Jackson Katz begins his lecture by asking men what they do to protect themselves from sexual assault and the men are often left puzzled or surprised. While this is the reality of the world we live in, isn't it also a red flag indicating that something is wrong?
Kilboure also depicts 25 disturbing ads in her piece, all depicting women in a way that is very degrading. A lot of these ads aren't just by some off the wall company, they are big name, often designer brands. A lot are advertisements for alcohol. Kilborne points out just how disturbing that is by citing the fact that "between one third and three quarters of all sexual assault involve alcohol consumption." One ad I found particularly upsetting had a caption that said "If your date won't listen to reason try a velvet hammer", what is the message in that? Hello! How many times do you drive through Las Vegas and see similar messages on billboards? How often do you see nearly nude women, advertising completely unrelated things? I have even seen a billboard with a naked women on it advertising a dental office. This type of advertising really does dehumanize and degrade women. It's no wonder that America, according to a 1998 study by the federal government Kilborne cites, has the highest amount of sexual assault out of any industrialized nation. The surprising thing as that women aren't seeing the harm its causing to themselves. The William Kennedy Smith cited in this essay is a prime example as that. The jury, made up of mostly women, acquitted Smith because the victim wore Victoria secret underwear.
Kilbourne also covers the objectification of men, though she seems to feel that the issue is not as big of deal because men are not as vulnerable. Though I resented at first the point she makes here, after thinking about it, she is right. Women, in a lot of ways, are more vulnerable then men. This idea however, has a very negative affect on men who are victims of assault. It is much harder for men to come forward when they are the ones being abused. The objectification of men seems to be trivialized though Kilbourne obviously does not feel that it is acceptible.
All in all Kilbourne, tho obviously opinionated raises many valid points. She brought things to my attention I hadn't given much thought to and because of that I found the essay informative and intriguing.