Jean Kilbourne is a renowned activist, speaker, and author. She is internationally recognized for her pioneering work on the image of women in advertising, in addition to her critical studies of alcohol and tobacco advertising. Beginning in the 1960’s, she began to explore the connection between advertising and various public health issues, such as eating disorders, violence against women, and addiction. She wondered how messaging in advertising contributes to these issues.
To counteract the harmful messages in advertising, Kilbourne launched a movement to promote media literacy to help prevent these public health issues. Jean is also the creator of the renowned film series, Killing Us Softly: Advertising’s Image of Women and has authored two books: Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel and So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids. Millions of people around the world have viewed Kilbourne’s films, lectures, and television appearances.
Jean Kilbourne helps us recognize how powerful advertising is. It’s everywhere and it’s always teaching us something; sending us some kind of message about what our culture defines as beautiful or desirable. Kilbourne reminds us of our freedom; the freedom to examine the messaging in advertising and media and then decide if we want to adopt and live into those values and messages.
