For the full trailer, click here: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=186736304734686&id=100001499356377
When I first saw this trailer, it really hit home for me. In a way, it only confirmed what I already knew: American women are underrepresented in positions of power, the media portrays women as sex symbols and sex objects rather than as strong and independent, and girls are inundated with the idea that what matters most in life is how they look. Lisa Ling says, "As a culture, women are brought up to just be fundamentally insecure."
But the full clip puts things in even more perspective. For one thing, even if you ARE a woman in power, you are subject to the same sexualized media. Sarah Palin was asked if she got breast implants. Condelezza Rice was headlined a dominatrix when she appeared in a leather coat and boots. Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin are cast side by side as "The Bitch and the Ditz". The interesting thing is, at an early age, at 7 years old, an equal number of boys and girls want to grow up to be President of the United States. But ask the same question when those children are 15 years old, and the divide is painfully evident.
Consider this. Women make up 51% of the American population, yet account for only 17% of Congressional seats. By comparison, asiafoundation.org reports that in Afghanistan, "27 percent of seats in the National Assembly and 25 percent of seats in Provincial Councils are occupied by women." This means that a Middle Eastern country, one renown for its unequal treatment of women, has more women in political power than we do here in the States. Gloria Steinem, Co-founder of the Women's Media Center, puts it best, perhaps. "No wonder we're in such trouble in this country. We've been choosing our national leadership from 6% of the country." The 6% population she's referring to are white, heterosexual married males over the age of 35, college educated with a professional degree.
On the other side of the spectrum, "Miss Representation" admits that boys are also receiving negative messages. The images they see are telling them that they have to be "powerful and in control, [that they have to be] better than women, smarter than women, [or that their] needs get met first." This is something that is only loosely addressed, even though it has been gaining attention of late. Many people are upset with the images of violence that boys are subject to, but fewer people think about how those same images impact boys' relationships with girls and even the world around them.
I am going to try to find the full documentary soon, so I can tell you all what I think about it. But I really have to think: what does it say about our country when everything surrounding our boys tell them that the most important things in life are power and control? And what does it say about us when our girls are learning that it doesn't matter how smart they are and how impactful and strong they become, it only matters how good they look while climbing to the top?
When I first saw this trailer, it really hit home for me. In a way, it only confirmed what I already knew: American women are underrepresented in positions of power, the media portrays women as sex symbols and sex objects rather than as strong and independent, and girls are inundated with the idea that what matters most in life is how they look. Lisa Ling says, "As a culture, women are brought up to just be fundamentally insecure."
But the full clip puts things in even more perspective. For one thing, even if you ARE a woman in power, you are subject to the same sexualized media. Sarah Palin was asked if she got breast implants. Condelezza Rice was headlined a dominatrix when she appeared in a leather coat and boots. Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin are cast side by side as "The Bitch and the Ditz". The interesting thing is, at an early age, at 7 years old, an equal number of boys and girls want to grow up to be President of the United States. But ask the same question when those children are 15 years old, and the divide is painfully evident.
Consider this. Women make up 51% of the American population, yet account for only 17% of Congressional seats. By comparison, asiafoundation.org reports that in Afghanistan, "27 percent of seats in the National Assembly and 25 percent of seats in Provincial Councils are occupied by women." This means that a Middle Eastern country, one renown for its unequal treatment of women, has more women in political power than we do here in the States. Gloria Steinem, Co-founder of the Women's Media Center, puts it best, perhaps. "No wonder we're in such trouble in this country. We've been choosing our national leadership from 6% of the country." The 6% population she's referring to are white, heterosexual married males over the age of 35, college educated with a professional degree.
On the other side of the spectrum, "Miss Representation" admits that boys are also receiving negative messages. The images they see are telling them that they have to be "powerful and in control, [that they have to be] better than women, smarter than women, [or that their] needs get met first." This is something that is only loosely addressed, even though it has been gaining attention of late. Many people are upset with the images of violence that boys are subject to, but fewer people think about how those same images impact boys' relationships with girls and even the world around them.
I am going to try to find the full documentary soon, so I can tell you all what I think about it. But I really have to think: what does it say about our country when everything surrounding our boys tell them that the most important things in life are power and control? And what does it say about us when our girls are learning that it doesn't matter how smart they are and how impactful and strong they become, it only matters how good they look while climbing to the top?