The Ideal Consumer is someone who is constantly dissatisfies, constanly needs more and more products in order to feel better.
Jean KilbourneRead
Woman’s bodies continue to be dismembered in advertising. Over and over again just one part of the body is used to sell products, which is one of the most dehumanizing thing you can do to someone. Not only is she a thing, but just one part of that thing is focused on.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights how advertising objectifies women by focusing on their body parts rather than their whole selves, leading to dehumanization.
Jean Kilbourne's quote critiques the advertising industry's tendency to reduce women's identities to mere body parts, which perpetuates a culture of dehumanization. By emphasizing only specific parts instead of the whole individual, ads diminish women to objects used for commercial gain, stripping them of their humanity and complexity. This reflection invites a deeper discussion about the impact of media representations on societal views of women and their self-worth.
Themes
AdvertisingObjectificationDehumanizationWomenMediaIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about body image and self-esteem, one might quote Kilbourne to emphasize the harmful effects of advertising on women.
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All quotes →Turning a human being into a thing is almost always the first step towards justifying violence against that person.
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