Hegemonic Power

By providing examples of how commonplace female objectification is in the media, “Killing Us Softly 3” perfectly demonstrates the concept of hegemony. Advertisements featuring women in various states of undress or weakness hardly seem shocking in today’s society simply because they are so routine.

(photo credit: shapingyouth.org)

Hegemony exists when a certain ideology becomes the unquestioned norm in society. When a group of people willingly accepts a set of dominant beliefs and customs, a hegemonic culture is created. Often, people do not realize this process is occurring, simply because the dominant views are so deeply interwoven into the core of society. Alternate views are then seen as “unnatural” or “wrong” simply because they differ from the overwhelming majority.  Through hegemony, an idea or belief can sweep across a nation with hardly any resistance. This process has been a main source of racism, sexism, and oppression of the weak throughout history.

Although hegemony can be achieved through violent or otherwise forceful means, it tends to be a passive process that most people might not even notice.  This is certainly the case with the assortment of ads shown in “Killing Us Softly 3.” Because we see advertisements that are often particularly sexist toward women on a daily basis, they hardly seem out of the ordinary. When viewed individually and when dissected via commentary, such as that of Jean Kilbourne in “Killing Us Softly 3,” the negative nature of the ads is exposed, but on a day-to-day basis, no one takes a second look and peers into the deeper message. Simply thumbing through a modern day magazine teaches our society that women are solely weak objects of a man’s desire. Not only does this promote the subjugation of women, it shows young, impressionable girls how they “need” to dress and act in order to fit into the norms of society. Once again, this is a hegemonic process that may be unnoticeable at first glance, but that is in fact quite a powerful force in American society.