Film Review: Miss Representation

 

 

I first heard about this film at the Girls' World Forum this summer and I was intrigued. When I got home I bought it on iTunes and I finally had a chance to watch it and I loved it! It is a documentary all about the representation of women in the media and how it has an effect on girls and women in the world, particularly in politics- which is something I am passionate about. Overall I would give this film five stars!

 

I would recommend everyone I know watch this film because the messages within it are not only important for girls and women, but also for boys and men because they are getting the messages about women as well. A lot of the messages that were discussed were about women being used as sexual objects, women in politics and journalism being judged not for their policies and skills in their field but by how the look, what they wear, etc.

 

I was also fascinated by some of the facts that were shared in the film like how when children are young and asked who would like to someday be the president of the United States an equal number of boys and girls answer yes. When the same group of people were asked as teenagers the number of girls who answer yes was much smaller than the number of boys. My mouth actually dropped open when I heard this fact: "Cuba, China, Iraq, and Afghanistan have more women in government than the United States of America" The United States in 90th in the world when it come to women in national legislatures. Pretty bad for one of the most powerful countries in the world...

 

I took a couple of screenshots while I was watching the film because they either inspired me or made me really mad... I take movies very seriously :)

 

Quotations from the film that struck me:

“If women don’t stand up for each other than no one else will” Lisa Ling- Journalist

"If women spent more time helping a sick neighbour or volunteering at a homeless shelter, focusing on how to use all of their energy to focus on solving some of the worlds problems, if they spent a tenth of the time thinking about those things that they do thinking about their weight, I mean, I think we would solve the world’s problems in a matter of months. “ Katie Couric- News Anchor



I will be having a movie night for Pathfinders and Rangers in my area to come and see this movie because I think it is very important and I hope that others will do the same.