Jean Kilbourne

In the late 1960s, Jean began her exploration of the connection between advertising and several public health issues, including violence against women, eating disorders, and addiction, and launched a movement to promote media literacy as a way to prevent these problems. A radical and original idea at the time, this approach is now mainstream and an integral part of most prevention programs. According to Susan Faludi, “Jean Kilbourne’s work is pioneering and crucial to the dialogue of one of the most underexplored, yet most powerful, realms of American culture -advertising. We owe her a great debt.” Mary Pipher has called Kilbourne “our best, most compassionate teacher.”

Her films, lectures and television appearances have been seen by millions of people throughout the world. Kilbourne was named by The New York Times Magazine as one of the three most popular speakers on college campuses. She is the creator of the renowned Killing Us Softly: Advertising’s Image of Women film series and the author of the award-winning book 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 (with Diane E. Levin).

Presentations at Calvin University

Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Corrupts Relationships
Part of the: January Series
Wednesday, January 22, 2003 12:30:00 PM
Covenant Fine Arts Center Auditorium

Publication(s) for this event

Slim Hopes: Advertising and the Obsession of Thinness
Part of the: January Series
Wednesday, January 16, 2002 12:30:00 PM
Covenant Fine Arts Center Auditorium

Killing Us Softly: The Marketing of Alcohol, Tobacco and Diet Products
Part of the: January Series
Wednesday, January 14, 1998 12:30:00 PM
Covenant Fine Arts Center Auditorium

The Naked Truth: Advertising's Image of Women
Part of the: January Series
Thursday, January 19, 1995 12:30:00 PM
Covenant Fine Arts Center Auditorium

Deadly Persuasion: Advertising and Addiction
Part of the: January Series
Thursday, January 7, 1993 12:30:00 PM
Covenant Fine Arts Center Auditorium