Miss Representation - the Role of Women in the Media - Movie Review Example

The Role of Women in the Media The movie Miss. Representation was produced in The production was done at a time when the role of women in the society was under serious scrutiny. The gender equality lobbyists in the twenty-first century have been trying to ensure that the women’s role in the society and especially in the professional and civilized community is not only upheld but also recognized and well displayed. The main question that have been arising among many is what the women already in powerful positions in professions and governments were doing to ensure that their fellow women in lower social groups are recognized and respected as equals to men (Carill 24). This movie, therefore, serves to answer this question, though indirectly. The movie has been written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a popular actress and a gender equality activist. She is also a powerful public figure, being the wife of Gavin Newson, California Lieutenant General. Seeing such a public figure in the move to produce a movie that addresses the issues that her acting and eloquence have not been able to solve is impressive from a glance. The movie however drives the viewer in a direction that was not expected. First, the movie can be said to be based on the fear that Jennifer herself has of the world and the position of women. The fear arises from the basic fact that she has a daughter who she wishes to bring into the world as a woman. She is however worried about the position of women in the society. Secondly, the movie takes an interesting presentation formula of a documentary. A combination of statistics and figures, as well as the interchanging of interviews and demonstrative and educative clips, makes the themes clear for the viewer (Trailer of the day). The 86 minutes documentary effectively captures the viewers’ analytical attention through the interweaving of stories from teenage girls and what they would like to become with the captivating and provocative interviews between the director and some of the most prominent women in the American society. From this interweave, several aspects that the movie aims at bringing into light are seen. First, the teenage girls out there are eager to find a positive aspect of the prominent females and those represented in the media to copy. From the general understanding that no one can become that which he or she cannot see, the aspect of misrepresentation of women is introduced. The teenage girls are eager to see in the media a positive woman to copy. However, the movie depicts the media as a major barrier in representation of a woman. The director, having been one of the people who has been into the media more than one appears to be an authority in the issue and therefore her depiction and display attracts all the attention that the movie requires. The media have been the main barrier to the development of women. From the movie, women have repeatedly been shown in the media as being more physical than intellectual personalities. Beginning from the fashion magazines and channels, entertainment scenes and other forms of media, the position of a woman is seen as that of a scenery beautifier and not more so as a contributor to the main idea in the piece of media. Mews concerning the women is inclined more on her physical image and dressing rather than the intellectual being in her. The role of a woman in the media from what the movie displays is a being who is usable for the benefit not of self, but of the sponsor or a company. The models used in the advertisement are the main women that the teenagers see in the media today. This makes them look forward to a future in modeling since this is the only thing that is available for the woman in the media. This is described in the movie as a negative portrayal and under-representation of women. It contributes directly to the negative perception that the public develops of the woman. Jennifer herself has been a victim misrepresentation by the media. In her career as an actor, Jennifer is s survivor of assault and eating disorder. The movie relates her problems to have arisen from the portrayal that the women had and still have in the media. They are regarded differently depending on their physical image and not on their contribution in the society works. This aspect of one form of media, mainly the visual and print media, have been taken over by the advertising and fashion industry who try to lure buyers using the figure of a woman. A negative portrayal which the movie, through a number of well-articulated statistics and interviews condemn. The mainstream media are, therefore, taken to be the real cause of the failure to achieve sustainable gender equality. This can be inferred from the notion developed by the director of the movie that one cannot become what they do not see. The implication of this is that if the teenage girls continue to see the figure of the woman as the media portrays today, physical rather than intellectual, the woman of tomorrow will have no chance of being better than that of today. The director of this movie, having been a victim of negative representation by the media aims to bring an end to the problem or at least bring the problem to the attention of many through the movie. She hopes that her daughter will meet a society whose media does not repeat the mistakes of today’s media of misrepresentation. She wants the daughter to find a media that is free from sexism and which will portray the woman for what they really are, strong, intellectual and dependable parts of the society in many aspects. By bringing out the truth about the media to be seen, the movie effectively captures the audience attention and analysis to the point that throughout the movie, people cannot help but relate the described situation to their own experiences in life. The movie communicates to all people regardless of the age and sex and therefore ensures a generation of change. It is however worth noting that the movie is relatively biased. This is because the movie shows all women as good and perfect, and that they can do anything. Whereas this is entirely wrong, the question on how the women in powerful positions have been unable to influence the teenage girls and the rest of the women is answered. The response to the question is that the women in a powerful position are seen from a physical point of view that is wrong. How the media portrays them is not exactly what they would want their children to see and emulate. The media have historically concentrated on the physical aspect of the woman neglecting her intellectual capacity (collegemoviereview.com). The woman role in the media is, therefore, physical. The core point of the movie is, therefore, that there is need to streamline the media. The media should be enhanced to display literacy in the culture especially at a time when the image of a woman has been widely used in advertisements and screenshots. Being a mirror of the society, the media should focus on providing the teenage girls with better-portrayed presentation of women to enhance interest development and emulation of positive attributes. When truth is convincingly told, there develops different levels of interest. From the authority in the area, the negative presentation of a woman to the public by the media is seen in this movie. It, therefore, remains to be seen the actions that will be taken by other voices towards the support of the same course taken by Jennifer. Works cited Carilli, Theresa, and Jane Campbell. Women and the Media: Diverse Perspectives. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2005. Print. College Movie Review. Miss. Representation. http://www.collegemoviereview.com/article/miss-representation. Accessed on: December 4, 2014. Miss. Representation. Retrieved From: http://www.missrepresentation.org/ Accessed on: December 4, 2014.  "Trailer of the day: "Miss Representation"". Salt Lake Tribune. December 10, 2010. Retrieved: December 3, 2014. Read More