It lead us in great and debating conversation. Kilbourne's article related to everyone in the class in some way or another. For example "Beauty and the Beast of Advertising," went straight to my heart because I look at beauty magazines on a daily basis and I am always wanting to look like the models I see, dress like they do, and I would even goes as far as getting my hair cut in the exact same way their is. This way of thinking from ads is exactly one of Kilbourne's main points. She tells us, "Women are constantly exhorted to emulate this ideal, to feel ashamed and guilty if they fail, and to feel that their desirability and lovability are contingent upon physical perfection." (195). Clearly Kilbourne's article relates to all women, including the women in the freshman seminar class. But Kilbourne is not only directing this article to women but also to men in saying, "We don't expect boys to be that handsome. We take them as they are, but boys expect girls to be perfect and beautiful and skinny" (195). The men in the freshman seminar class may not agree with this statement but it clearly brings them into the picture. The men in my comp class had much to say about this and I am sure the same would happen in the seminar class because it so clearly relates to men. Quite obviously Kilbourne's article would be great for a freshman seminar class because of how much it would relate to the kids in the class so they would stay interested and have much to learn from the essay. .
Another great reason I would recommend this essay for a freshman seminar class is because it gives great examples and facts to back up what the Kilbourne is trying to tell us. One great stat she gives us comes from Glamour magazine in 1984, "75 percent of the readers felt too heavy and only 15 percent felt just right. Nearly half of those who were actually underweight reported feeling too fat and wanting to diet" (195).