Book of the Week

Kilbourne, Jean. Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel. (Non-Fiction).

Kilbourne's main argument about ads is that they are so subtle we don't often notice the impact they have on our thought and behavior. The average viewer watches 3 hours of TV daily, which ads up, during the course of a lifetime, to 3 years just of advertising. Ads make up 70% of daily newspapers and 40 % of our mail. They appear on billboards, clothing, internet sites, and in some places, bathroom walls and stalls. We cannot escape their presence in our lives, but we can do something about how they affect us--beginning with how we think about them. Analyze what you see and hear, Kilbourne advises. The next time you buy a magazine, look closely at the cover. If it's a woman's magazine, what do the titles suggest about how women "should" look, think and act? Do they advertise a diet and show a think woman on the same cover where they prominently display a delicious chocolate cake? Who's paying for the magazine? In most cases, the overwhelming support comes from tobacco and alcohol advertisers--and how they portray men and women and their relationship with one another sends a strong message to viewers about how they "ought" to act.

This is easily the best book I’ve read on the topic of how advertising permeates our culture and sends dangerous messages—especially to young people—about the supposed joy to be found in cigarettes, alcohol, and material goods. Kilbourne has researched her subject matter thoroughly and includes hundreds of examples—including numerous visuals—to support her claims and demonstrate the dangers of commercial media. I thought I’d already heard all the arguments about the topic, but I was wrong, and this book made me realize that although I can avoid ads in my own life, I can do very little to alter the effects they’ve had on those around me.