Killing Us Softly: Then and Now

For generations, Jean Kilbourne’s documentary film Killing Us Softly: Advertising’s Image of Women has been transforming consciousness by revealing how the advertising industry promotes impossible beauty norms to make women insecure so they will buy products. To mark the 40th anniversary of the film, feminists across the generations gathered at Smith College to celebrate Kilbourne’s legacy.

Killing Us (Not) So Softly

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Jean Kilbourne’s pioneering film, “Killing Us Softly,” which examined how images of women in ads influenced how society views women. At a recent event at Smith College, she explored the impact of her work, and the fights that remain in ending media sexism.