Turning a human being into a thing is almost always the first step toward justifying violence against that person.”

”Turning a human being into a thing is almost always the first step toward justifying violence against that person.”

Kilbourne states “turning a human being into a thing is almost always the first step toward justifying violence against that person.” What do you think she means by this? How does the advertisement you choose to write on participate in this incipient violence?
Some people would argue that depicting a woman’s body as an object is a form of art. How might “aesthetics” (assertions about art’s values) disguise misogyny? Should “art” be “beyond” gender critique? Is advertising ever art?
Kilbourne explains that the consequences of being objectified are different—and more serious—for women than for men. Do you agree? Analyze the power dynamics of your example and extrapolate from it. What our assumptions about power when we look at images? Do we view objectified females differently than we do objectified males? Why is it important to look at images in the context of the culture?

 

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