I thought of you today, Henry, because I'm getting my journalism degree and one of my required classes is called race/gender in the media. The teacher just required us to read Jean Kilbourne who wrote "Can't Buy Me Love:How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel."
 
Kilbourne is still complaining that women are portrayed as less powerful than men. She complains that women have lost their sexuality. She complains that femininity is a false facade and so is being kind and sweet. She thinks girls shouldn't be shamed for being overly sexual. She complains that girls are not portrayed as angry and rebellious enough in the media.
 
I was offended that the teacher would use Jean Kilbourne's writing as a voice of authority. So I posted this in the class discussion board today. And I just had to share it with you.
 
"I don't see any women less powerful than men in the media. I see only muscular, brainy, powerful women bossing men around and doing kung fu on them. The first female role model I had was Wonder Woman and after that it was Ripley from Aliens and so forth. Kilbourne seems out of touch with current media programming.

Kilbourne is way off base when she says women have lost their sexuality. It's the opposite. I see young girls HYPER sexualized at younger and younger ages. What is Kilbourne talking about? And she says femininity is a false facade? NO! My true self is feminine. There's nothing false about it. God created me as a woman and I will be a woman for all eternity. Kindness is a quality I value in myself. On page 144 Kilbourne actually says that parents shouldn't shame little girls for being overly sexual? Well, this Kilbourne woman is mentally ill. Kilbourne is encouraging girls to be sexually active on page 147. On page 148 Kilbourne says that nice girls are burying their sexual selves. I happen to be a nice girl and I'm not burying anything. Kilbourne is also encouraging girls to be rebellious and angry? Why? How did this woman make it into a college text book? "