Miss Representation

SUMMARY I grew up watching TV commercials that showed women with toned bodies and wearing a few clothing items. It was not only commercials but also advertisement signs on stores, clothes, and streets. This is a way in which media shapes our perspectives without our awareness. Those perspectives are the ones that creates the politics, economy, and education we have (which tend to devaluate women). This is the issue being addressed in the film Miss Representation written and directed by Jennifer Newson. This film shows media plays in underrepresenting women in power positions, especially in United States. This is an attempt to uncover the challenge many women face when trying to reach a leadership position. The film achieve this by presenting statistics that reflects the issue. For instance, in United States women represent the 4.6% of CEOs and 17% of editors, writers, etc. additionally, US is 33rd/45 first world country where there is an equally gender representation in politics. Miss Representation shares the perspectives of young and old women regarding this issue. We can hear the opinions of women like Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, among others. the media does a great work presenting current facts regarding the issue that do not leave the audience indifferent.

REFLECTION
I remembered once a friend told he guessed that I was feminist.
I told him, “well, don’t guess anymore. If you think I am feminist just because I think women have been treated unequally and that is wrong, then, I am feminist.” This was not the first time I watched miss representation, I watched it last summer when I was taking social problems and I watched in February in my Social Theory class when we were studying feminism. However, in this reflection, I will not write about feminism or how media supports the way society treats women unequally, instead I will write all the things I though and felt while watching the
film. First, I thought about humans being stupid because –to be honest- thinking that women are less valuable than men is a stupid idea that just show how ignorant a person can be. It has no biological, logical, psychological support. Even if, tomorrow a scientist comes up with a research that shows men superiority (quite impossible), the simple idea that women worth less is no viable. It does not make sense. I am aware that women and men are different. There is sufficient and strong evidence that we are biologically and psychologically different, but we do not have to be alike to worth alike. Being different does not provide privileges to one gender and not so to the other because that would be relative. If men shows better performance in an area, then women shows in other where men do not and vice verso. All the rest is socially constructed. I cannot think of the moment in time when men thought that they were better than women and women just accepted that. However, what terrifies me the most is that today, in 2016, we still have this sexualization and devaluation of women. It makes me wonder where the progress is, where our logic is and reasoning that we preach. I guess I have to admit that this kind of films frustrates me.