Jean Kilbourne

Jean Kilbourne believes that it is dangerous to illustrate men and women as sex objects because it provides men with the image that they are dominant is extremely degrading to women. She believes that once they have been objectified to that level, it is then much easier to treat them with disrespect and disregard their opinions. This was historically illustrated in the holocaust in Nazi Germany. When the persecution of the Jews began, Hitler ensured that the view of a Jew was significantly lesser. Once they had been dehumanized and disrespected by the general public, he then had the power to do all that he wanted to do to them without inciting a strong enough rebellion to knock him out of power. In reality, the Jews were not subhuman; however, to admit this would be to sacrifice all dictatorial power and concede his religious conquest, for without such opinions the public would never have allowed the slaughter to occur. While Kilbourne does not suspect a gender holocaust, she wishes to admonish the public of the desensitivity that may arise if such media manipulation continues.