Miss Representation is out on DVD now and, with the passing of so many new laws directly effecting women, it’s more important than ever to watch it with your kids and take action.
This often-devastating documentary shows how the media’s portrayal of women impacts politics – voters find it impossible to vote for a female president because they’ve never seen a female president – and keeps women out of positions of power and authority in so many areas of life.
When Miss Representation was shown on OWN last fall, my daughter and I were honored to be in the audience, taking part in the discussion with Rosie O’Donnell. You can read about our experience and our feelings about the movie here.
More than just a film, though, Miss Representation is a movement. Their website is a great resource for more information, and their blog is a fantastic read. Be sure to read Anea Bogue’s fascinating guest post, “What Limbaugh, Brown and Modern Family Have in Common,” which is where we discovered the shocking fact we used in our title above.
Check out this video to find out what happens to three out of four girls after leafing through a fashion magazine for three minutes, then please share this post to help raise awareness about Miss Representation. Let’s change the way the media portrays women so our daughters’ self-esteem continues to grow along with them and makes it possible for them to one day become president.
It is not JUST the media/entertainment industry/magazines. We all as women/mothers are constantly making comments about our “short comings”. Just look at Facebook, listen to our “lunch” conversations—we are all making comments of “As soon as I lose this weight…” Need to do something about the wrinkles..” etc etc. I catch myself making those same comments in from of my daughter. She is no longer 8 years old, but, at 20 she is still learning from me. It is not men buying these magazines that celebrate anorexic women. It’s us WOMEN buying them and handing them to our daughters. The day that as one voice we stop buying into what we “should look like” and “act like” is the day we change it for our daughters and for generations yet to come…
Well said, Priscilla.