Jean Kilbourne

Pioneering Activist, Speaker & Writer

Jean in the National Women’s Hall of Fame

Jean was inducted in 2015 into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

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The Veteran Feminists
of America Histories Project

Jean interviewed by her daughter, Claudia Kilbourne Lux, April 2022 for the Veteran Feminists of America.

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A Panel Discussion on the Impact of Jean’s Work

Jean Kilbourne appeared at Smith College on September 19, 2019 for a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Killing Us Softly, her pioneering documentary film series about media representations of women.

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Jean at TedX

Jean delivered “The Naked Truth: Advertising’s Image of Women” at TEDx Lafayette College

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Jean’s Story on Makers

Jean talks about her path on Makers, the largest video collection of women’s stories

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Exciting News About Killing Us Softly

Pictured: Jean in the first version of the film 45 years ago.

Killing Us Softly, one of the most popular educational films of all time, has been released in four versions, each challenging viewers to take advertising seriously, and to think critically about popular culture, advertising and its impact.

The world has undoubtedly changed, so the demand is stronger than ever for...

"Killing Us Softly 5"

an updated, urgent look at the impact of new media on us all.

As the media landscape evolves — faster, more fragmented, and more personal than ever — we're asking:

  • What's changed since film #4 was released in 2010?
  • What hasn't?
  • And what are we still not talking about?

This is where you come in.

We've created a short, open-ended reflection survey to gather insight from the people this new film is meant to serve and speak to. Your voice will help guide the themes and questions at the heart of Killing Us Softly 5.

Thank you for being part of this conversation — and this legacy.

Help shape Killing Us Softly 5 →

Media images affect all of us.

Jean Kilbourne is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work on the image of women in advertising and for her critical studies of alcohol and tobacco advertising. In the late 1960s she 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.

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Action is the antidote to despair.

Praise For Jean's Work

Brené Brown

Author, Researcher, Speaker

“I have found incredible insight and wisdom in the work of Jean Kilbourne. She has changed the way I see the world and myself.”

Susan Faludi

Author, Backlash

“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.”

Harvard Business School

Boston, MA

“The importance of your research has not been lost on the Harvard Business School students as was evidenced by the remarkable turnout…The entire presentation will stand out as a highlight of our education here.”

Maya Angelou

Author, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

“I have enjoyed seeing and hearing Jean Kilbourne wrestle with the issues that beset us all. Her intelligent probing and the deductions she has made are of use to all her listeners and readers.”

Jaclyn Friedman

Writer, Speaker, Activist

“Jean Kilbourne inspired my ‘click’ moment when she came to my campus to give a talk. I always say that if feminism were vampirism, Jean would be my Lestat.”

AdWeek

Charles Jackson, ADWEEK editorial

“After listening to Jean Kilbourne, I would never doubt her intellectual honesty. While she bills herself as a critic of advertising, she is more akin to a prophet calling out in the wilderness for fundamental change in the way we communicate publicly with one another.”

AFTRA

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, New York, NY

“No one in the world has done more to improve the image of women in advertising than Jean Kilbourne.”

Arlie Hochschild

Author, Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right

“Jean Kilbourne’s work is profoundly important. She’s one of those people who makes a difference in how we see the world.”

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