MissRepresentation

It becomes appallingly obvious when you take a look at our society that so much of how we view one another is highly based off of the media we come in contact with; affecting the relationships we have with people, and ultimately, how others view us as well. Within the film, MissRepresentation, they demonstrate to you how men and women alike are influenced by the effects of media. For one thing, visible in so many of the ads in magazines or the commercials we see on TV, is the body image women feel they need to fulfill. Because of the images women see within media, they feel they have some need to be like that person, and because so, 50% of women suffer from some kind of disorder related to such. It is because of the media that shows women who are young and hot, who make up 79% of television, but really only 17% of the population, that put these feelings onto other women. As mentioned in the film, the time spent on cosmetics, etc. that women take to look like such could be used to discover cancer cures in just a few months.

This is just one of the effects the media's implications has on men and women. Another related issue is the whole ordeal with Sarah Palin, where she became more of an attraction than a politician. Women were viewed more to fit a certain image, and rather than viewing her as a politician, things like what she was wearing and her sex appeal took more prevalence than anything else. Coupling with that, as well, are other women's opinions that women reaching out for leadership roles are moving too soon too fast. Not only is this degrading to themselves, but it is also preventing them from moving forward, because even with some social reforms, woman still make 77 cents compared to every dollar a man makes. Similarly to that, within positions of power, compared to 2319 male governors, there have been only 34 female governors. Amongst other things, women remain persecuted in just higher job positions, not necessarily just positions of power. Women in movies are only 16% of the time the protagonist, and often times when they are, they are looking for love in a man, hence the title, Chick Flicks. One of the relatable quotes mentioned within the film went something like this,"We don't question the world we grew up in and that is the major problem in our society."  This just strengthens the idea of women putting other women down with the too soon, too fast line.

As you can see, implications put forth by the media about women affect the way they are treated in their daily lives. As well, it affects their own perceptions about women in power, and their minds are warped, often criticizing in the same way the women who are reaching for higher roles in power. MissRepresentation does a good job of explaining how the problems affect women, and what its effects are, and helps to raise the prevalence of these issues within our society today.