Recently, I was instructed to watch the film Miss Representation(available on Netflix) for a project in my journalism class. Naturally, I assumed it would be boring and uneventful, but I was very wrong. This film, directed by Jennifer Newsome, truly opened my eyes to a very real problem in today's world: the misrepresentation of women in the media. Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow and many other famous female figures discussed sexism and how it is being enforced by the media in this powerful documentary. I believe this subject is important and needs to be recognized.
The media objectifies and depicts women in a way that is sexist and unfair on a regular basis, and as a society, we let this slip through our fingers. Networks convince both women and men that women can only be valued for their appearances and sexual appeal. Thus, women are discouraged from being taken seriously in leadership roles and at an intellectual standpoint.
While we may not realize it, the media is extremely prevalent in our everyday lives and has much power and influence over us. According to Nielsen’s Total Audience Report, the average person in 2014 consumes more than eleven hours of media each day (Richter). Clearly, the world is paying attention to what the media sculpts for its users, however, its illustration of women needs more acknowledgement.
We need to consider the problem with the media’s involvement in women in politics and other important leadership roles. In a study done by Catalyst, the percentage of women in the United States House of Representatives and the Senate is about twenty percent, meaning that men make up the other eighty percent. For the women that do make it into the world of politics, they're generally not taken seriously at all. It's very difficult for women to bring in votes because both men and women often do not have much confidence in them as leaders.
It's a common generalization that women are “too emotional” and “unrealistic” to steer others and make important decisions. Clearly, this is a ridiculous assumption, considering there are many underappreciated women across the world that perform difficult tasks every day. And, unfortunately, the media is usually more focused on what the female politicians are wearing than what they are saying.
In the film, Miss Representation, Erika Falk, author of Women for President, states that the emphasis on these figures’ appearances “trivializes them” and makes them seem less powerful. Not to mention, this draws away from their views and political standpoints altogether. Basically, the world could be missing out on profound thoughts because everyone is more concerned with the unflattering colors and low-cut shirts.
Even as talented actresses, women can't seem to get the same amount of respect as the men in their field. We must consider how media sexualizes and degrades women in movies and television shows. Have you ever noticed the difference between the purpose of male and female roles overall? Most often, women are purely sexual figures for men to look at.
Directors dress them in skimpy, provocative clothing and have them perform actions meant to get a man’s attention sexually. Even when a woman is the protagonist of a movie, she's of lesser strength and nobility than that of a male protagonist role. Unfortunately, many female actresses are asked to undergo plastic surgery and Botox just to conform to the standards that media has set. Also, women are often portrayed as “b*tchy” and “catty” on reality television shows, creating a poor reputation for women everywhere.
Finally, there are many problems with the involvement of the media with women in the field of journalism. They're expected to dress suggestively, which takes away from what they are saying and the important news they're reporting to the public. There's no reason women shouldn't be taken seriously in a professional setting.
Not only should society learn to recognize this problem because it's unfair, but we should also acknowledge it because it's affecting our generations attitude and behavior in a number of ways. Since the media paints women in such a negative light, men think it's acceptable to treat them worse than they deserve.
Media turns females from humans to things, which, according to Jean Kilbourne from Miss Representation, “is the first step towards justifying violence,” against them. Beatings, rapes, and other forms of sexual assault are just a few incidents that can be traced back to the way media represents women on a daily basis. The media also affects the male gender greatly in the sense that men are discouraged from showing compassion or any form of emotion at all.
Everyone needs to be aware of the power of the media and the toll it takes on the reputation of the female gender. Since social networking is so common among this generation, its impact is enormous and only growing. The media can either assist or destroy an individual without a chance of redemption. I strongly urge our society to be wary of the way the media presents ideas to the public, especially regarding women.
If our generation works together to put an end to media criticism, we are one step closer to changing the world. The power of social media is only increasing and we have the ability to use it to our advantage. Ultimately, as the public, we have the power to see the world however we want.
