Miss Representation

Reflection 6

Miss Representation is a documentary made in 2011 that focuses on the media’s portrayal of women, or lack of representation of women, in the media. The media shapes and teaches us from a very young age when we are most vulnerable and susceptible to different messages. The film gave me a great perspective about the history of different women’s movements and where things began to shift, the regression, and where we are today. The film also gave a lot of insight as to how the media truly showcases women and quite literally objectifies women to get views, ratings, and of course more money.

The film also gave some upsetting statistics such as 53% of 13 year olds are unhappy with their body, and by the age of 17 that number increases to 78%. Another shocking statistic is that 68% of women and girls struggle with an eating disorder. This is because of the unattainable beauty standards the media and society hold women, putting more emphasis and focus on their body above anything else. The rate of depression among girls and women and has doubled from 2000 to 2010.

Girls face a deep gender bias early on. The media pushes women to be fixated on weight and appearance over any substance. Women are told that their value comes from their appearance and perpetuates false, unattainable beauty standards. Each year, women speed roughly $12,000-$15,000 a year on beauty. This could easily pay for 5 years at a community college, or 2 semesters at a university. The sad reality is that media corporations use stereotypes and pry on women’s insecurities to make money. Advertising companies sell products such as anti-aging lotion because the media has made it seem as though a woman over the age of 40 has expired and needs to do everything she can to stay youthful, thus selling creams, lotions, and even cosmetic procedures to whoever they can successfully convince it is necessary.

Miss Representation also dives into stereotypes the media projects onto women such as being “bitchy, bossy, catty, and gold diggers”. The story where women are the protagonists are only shown in 16% of Hollywood films. More often than not, these women shown in movies are still overly sexualized, need saving from men, play the bitchy boss role, or gave up their family and love to be where they are. We also frequently see women pinned up against each other and as competition to one another. These limited views of women leave them to feel less empowered and objectified, feeling as though they are nothing more than a body. People wonder what role they play when they aren’t represented.

Women are discouraged from pursuing ambitious positions as they grow up. We see in the media that the more power women gain, the more backlash they receive. Another issues is that their are women who are empowered, but we don’t often see them being represented, or they are represented poorly. This is because women in power is seen as a negative thing. It is said that empowered women are viewed as threatening to men.

“We are socializing men to believe that being a man means being in power and in control, that they are smarter than women, better than women, and that their needs come before women’s.“

Miss Representation (2011)

The media treats power as though it is defined by men. The media gives men a false narrative about what is important in a woman, fixating entirely on image. Rather, men need to see men in the public (real life) and through the actions and words of their fathers to be better men. Men need to learn to express themselves in healthy ways, rather than through violence or objectification. I even feel as though these images of women in the media contribute to not only the loss of identity to women but to men too. We are receiving false narratives as to what it means to be a man or to be a woman when we follow the limited perspectives given through media.

“If women don’t stand up for each other, then no one else will. No one is going to look out for the interests of women except other women.”

Miss Representation (2011)