In an effort to show the links between advertising and female objectification and addiction, documentarian and lecturer Jean Kilbourne showed examples of hypocritical ads in Thursday night’s lecture.

Best known for her documentaries “Killing Us Softly,” “Slim Hopes” and “Calling the Shots,” Kilbourne is renowned as an expert on addictions, gender issues and the media.

Kilbourne’s main assertion is that alcohol, drugs and smoking are “unhealthy aspects we are exposed to in the environment [through advertising].”

Kilbourne said everyone is affected by advertising, although many believe they are exempt.

“[People] sincerely believe they’re not influenced by advertising,” Kilbourne said.

Kilbourne presented her research on the negative aspects of the advertising done by the alcohol and tobacco industries. She said cigarettes kill more Americans each year than alcohol, cocaine, heroin, fires, car crashes, homicides, suicides and AIDS combined.

“The primary product being sold in advertising is the audience,” Kilbourne said.

Kilbourne showed examples of ads from tobacco and alcohol companies that promoted masculinity, activeness and sexuality. She pointed out, however, these products could potentially cause the opposite, including depression, impotence and death.

Kilbourne also said these industries target teenage audiences and objectify women to become addicted to their products.

Among the many ads Kilbourne showed was one for Virginia Slims, a cigarette brand, which she said communicates to girls “You can’t eat, but you can smoke.”

Another example Kilbourne gave was an issue of Time magazine, in which the cover article was about heart disease, but the back featured an ad for a cigarette brand.

“Addiction for most of us is bad news, but for the alcohol and tobacco industries, it’s the name of the game,” Kilbourne said.

Kilbourne’s research into advertising is not without challengers.

“I think the work she does is based on facts, but sometimes her statements go beyond what the facts show,” said Joel Geske, associate professor of journalism and mass communication.

Geske said advertising does affect people on a daily level, from fashion and music to the type of food consumed.

“We’d be fooling ourselves if we didn’t know that the media, in general, affect us,” Geske said.

Geske said, however, the media can only be blamed for a portion of these problems. Although he said he doesn’t discount Kilbourne’s examples, he thinks they aren’t very representative of all the advertising out there.