Miss Representation premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and aired on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network October 20. It will re-air November 12th.
The documentary exposes how American youth are being sold the concept that women’s and girls’ value lies in their youth, beauty and sexuality. It explores how the media’s misrepresentation of women has led to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence. (Cited directly from the organization’s website.)
The documentary was written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, in response to her own experiences as a young woman and in looking towards the birth of her daughter. The film intersperses clips of the portrayal of women by media outlets (examples which are familiar and horrifying) with commentary from experts in the field, women and men alike. I’ve watched the film twice – once on my own, when it first aired, and a second time with my husband. I asked him “Please watch this, so that you can see what your daughters are up against.”
I urge you to watch it as well.
At all levels of media, women are simplified and objectified. There is a lack of complicated female characters in television shows and movies; there is a dearth of coverage of women in leadership roles. Negative and irrelevant comments of women in political positions swirl through the nightly news. Reality shows highlight sexuality, aggressive and retaliative behavior, and cat-fights. This harms our girls; this harms our boys; this harms us.
The film appropriately re-frames what we may even consider ‘normal’ in the media as atrocities that wash over us daily, via magazines, TV shows, films, the news, serious journalism and tabloid coverage. Though the film takes a general swath at the representation of women in the media and how this affects us all, it also includes points that speak directly to the impact on young children.
Of particular interest, Jim Steyer (Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media) briefly charted the rapid exit, in the 1980s, of government policy and FCC regulation from media sources and content. The ‘family hour’ on TV is a thing of the past. The de-regulation of the public airwaves and the exponential growth of cable stations has escalated the competition for racier, more violent, and more outlandish content. In speaking about the complete lack of policy regarding sexual and violent content in the media, Steyer notes that “the problem is, kids are exposed to this with little or no mediation.”
He also points to what we now know about the young brain’s development. Consider that the brain doesn’t mature until the early 20s, and think of the enormous amount of media consumed during these years – voluntarily and ‘involuntarily’ (via commercials, movie and subway posters). It is tremendous, and it is flooding young minds that lack the capacity or maturity to make sense of it and give it context.
I agree. I am also saddened and disgusted. So: what do we do? As I thought about this, I imagined three concentric circles of involvement, starting closest to home and moving outwards.
First, mediate and monitor what your children are watching, in the spectrum of media outlets and in your home. It is truly impossible to block all negative content, and it’s not necessary. What is necessary is to provide some mediation and to have open conversations about what they are exposed to, so that they can develop their own pathways for contextualizing these messages.
Here, I can’t help but reference two sources I look to often for strong messages and positive content: Kiki magazine and the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. As the editor of Kiki described “I couldn’t believe the magazines my daughters were bringing home – the way these people spoke, the way they dressed. I would never allow that from a guest in my home, why would I allow it in a magazine? So we came up with something different.” The Dove foundation’s short films include one called “Onslaught” – 82 seconds from the point of view of a nine year old girl. It brings tears to my eyes each time I watch it. See what they are seeing; see it through their eyes.
Second, put positive examples in front of them, starting with yourself. Don’t fuss about not fitting into certain clothes or wishing your hair were straighter. Accept compliments graciously and emphasize that the best compliments are the ones given for who you are and what you work hard on, not how you look.
Be attentive to ways that you can share positive examples in the media with your children. Did you read an interesting article that highlighted an accomplished female? Are their women in your children’s lives who are interesting, fun, strong individuals? Even seeking out positive role models for your children’s music lessons or sports lessons can have a big impact.
Because “you can’t be what you can’t see” (Marian Wright Edelman, Founder & President Children’s Defense Fund), make sure that your children can see healthy, positive, strong images that are inspiration for what they can accomplish and what they can be. Know who your children are looking up to.
Eleanor (age 10) wanted to take her dad to a show for his birthday. Knowing Eleanor, I could recommend the City Winery as a perfect venue for the father-daughter date. We looked through all the upcoming concerts and tried to decide what they would enjoy the most. We decided on the Israeli-Parisian singer-songwriter Yael Naim (you may know her tune New Soul from the recent Apple ads). They saw the concert together this past weekend and my husband, a talented musician and avid concert-goer, ranked the show in his top ten most favorite concert experiences. Yael Naim delighted the audience with her music, her stories, her talent and her personality. This was a wonderful first show for my daughter to have seen, and to have seen with her dad.
Third, get involved – in some way – to effect change. Your actions will be important to many, and the example you are setting will be critical and powerful to your own children. Go see films directed by women and see them on opening night. Don’t buy tabloids and magazines with negative messages. Seek out events in your community that speak to this effort and get involved. Let your children know that this is important to you, and that it is important to you because of them. And, if it strikes you, get angry. The unbelievable thing is not that the negative voices are so loud and fierce but that the positive voices are so quiet.
The making of Newsom’s film also gave rise to the organization, MissRepresentation.org. This is a call-to-action campaign with the mission of empowering women and girls to challenge limiting labels and realize their potential. Their website offers many tools and resources to be involved and to help bring about change.
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In listening to an NPR interview about the recent “Occupy Wall Street,” I heard one of the founders defending his stake against claims that the movement was loosely organized and lacked firm goals and actions. His point: Each generation has to fight for its own freedom, in its own way, based on the values that are relevant to them and their cultural context.
Gloria Steinem echoed a similar sentiment in the film and in the panel discussion televised after the airing. Whenever there is a front lash – as their was such powerful momentum in the women’s movement of the 1980s – there will be a backlash. Each generation needs to take their own stand, and make the changes they want and need to see. This is a pattern of history; this is social evolution. Be involved.
