Last night, Molly, Lauren and I went to a screening of the film "Miss Representation," which was shown as a result of a partnership between the Alliance of Women in Media Foundation and the Women in Politics Institute at American University. I didn't quite know what to expect going into the screening, and, admittedly, was just hoping to stay awake, considering that it has been a long week.
Let's just say that all three of us left the screening feeling really riled up. For a quick taste of the gist of the documentary, here is the
trailer. The film discusses, with the help of representatives from the entertainment/media and political worlds (both male and female) the misrepresentation of women in the media (hence the name of the film) and how such a misrepresentation has a direct effect on the number of women in positions of authority in the entertainment, political and business spheres.
The film was so rich in topics for discussion that I cannot possibly contain all of them in one post...which is why I have decided to dedicate several to the film. I guess I would like to start by talking about the "Bitch vs. Whore" dichotomy, being that it is such a pervasive element of our media-driven society. A perfect illustration of this (I was so happy that they used this clip) is a scene from the first Sex and the City movie, when Carrie and Miranda peruse the drugstore aisles. Miranda surveys the options for Halloween costumes and says something to the effect of, "I can't believe this. The only options for women are a witch and a sexy kitten." Carrie responds, "You just said a mouthful there, sister." Now, I have to admit that I always chuckle a little bit when I watch that part of the movie, but it really is a telling scene in terms of how women are portrayed in the male-run media.
I should add as a caveat that I am kind of going to weave in arguments and opinions that I have formed as a result of having read
Guyland, a fabulous book about the male 16-26 age bracket, because this film certainly gave supporting evidence to those claims. For most men (though certainly not all), women are not on a spectrum, but, rather, are either a bitch (a Hilary Clinton-esque, strong and ambitious woman who is seen as a "threat" to their masculinity and ambition) or a whore (a Sarah Palin-esque piece of eye candy with not a lot going on in between the ears; despite the fact that I disagree with her politically, I was disgusted when multiple sound bytes throughout the movie saw her described as "great masturbation material."). And, unfortunately, since men are the primary controllers and owners of media and news outlets, more often than not, the story of the whore is the one that is more pervasive. There is no space for a woman in the media who is both beautiful and competent/intelligent/accomplished, and that is a trend that sorely needs to change.
There was a clip of a news show that featured one female news anchor and a couple of male news anchors. The clip was from the day that Paris Hilton got out of jail, and the men insisted, "Let's go to the Paris Hilton story," which the female coanchor refused to do, adding that she was there to report on one of the many real news stories of the day. It was very telling that, ultimately, they played the Paris Hilton clip, but not before the viewer saw the female anchor with her head in her hands, shaking her head in frustration at the pigs she worked with. I was so proud, in that moment, that she stood up for women on-air and protested that deplorable fratty behavior.
The last thing I would add is that the omnipresence of the "whore" in media- in rap music videos, in movies (even in movies like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, where Angelina Jolie's character is supposed to be a strong, independent woman, she is still a sexual object), on magazine covers and even in politics- means that it is men who judge the beauty and worth of a woman. I hear my own brothers speak so disparagingly of women based on their appearance and perceived worth, and, even though I sometimes protest, I admit that I could do more to break that cycle of behavior. A perfect example came last night, when Molly and I stopped at the grocery store near our apartment to get milk after the movie. There were a bunch of 13 to 14 year-old boys perusing the magazines near checkout, and we heard them point and say, "she [Mariah Carey] used to be fat." We just shook our heads, as if to say, "And so it begins." What we need are strong male role models who will teach boys and young men how to be respectful of women, if we ever wish to break this cycle of unacceptable behavior. Boys need to be taught that women are not objects meant for their sexual pleasure, but, rather, complex, multidimensional human beings worthy of respect.
I will definitely be blogging more about the film either over the weekend or next week, but I will say that, if any of you have the opportunity to attend a screening of the film, I would highly recommend going. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Kristen
