Analyzing Jennifer Seibel Newsom's Miss Representation

Miss Representation is a documentary film written, directed and produced by Jennifer Seibel Newsom. The film was released in 2011 to address sexism and the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in America. Through the use of statistical data, anecdotal support and one-on-one interview, Newsom provides the audience with both a history of the issue, as well as suggestions for change. Miss Representation effectively persuades the audience that sexism is an important issue by providing credibility, supporting its claims with strong evidence, and by eliciting an emotional response from the audience which results in a desire to act on behalf of the cause.
The film opens with some personal information about the author, Jennifer Seibel Newsom. She is a woman expecting her first child, and expresses concern about the world she is bringing her unborn daughter into. As a woman in today’s society and especially as a woman in the public’s eye, she has personally dealt with many issues which she attributes to sexism in media and the unrealistic standards

placed on girls from a young age. By opening the film in this way, Newsom employs the rhetorical appeal of pathos. She does an excellent job appealing to emotions. First, she hooks the audience with the terrifying worries many expectant parents feel, and then by providing the audience with a relatable and emotional coming-of-age story. She describes the way that she never felt adequate, and struggled with eating disorders and depression; a problem which is, sadly, almost universally faced by teens and young adults. Through these appeals to emotion, Newsom appears vulnerable and this creates a sense of trust and credibility with the audience.
After the introduction, the film dives right into the core of the topic. It proceeds to switch between interviews with young teenage girls and boys, and interviews with many recognizable and respected women and men in media and politics. When something is particularly important, the scene dramatically cuts to a written statistic that supports what has been said in the preceding interview. In addition to these techniques, she addresses the other side of the topic. The film is focused mainly on the damaging effects of sexism on women, but near the middle of the movie, the focus shifts to the way sexism also damages boys and men. Her technique of addressing potential counterarguments in combination with the use of interviews and statistical data is a great example of appealing to ethos and logos, or ethics and logic. When viewing documents with the goal of persuasion, it is important to look beyond emotions; to be sure the information received is both from a reliable source and that it makes logical sense. Newsom provides many reliable and reputable sources, and then supports what is being said with statistical evidence. By appealing ethics and logic, she is able to evoke a thoughtful, rational response from the audience and increase the effectiveness of the information provided.
The film closes with suggestions about the steps that can be taken to start making changes in our society.

The viewer receives an abundance of information that evokes a wide range of emotions, and instead of cutting it there, Newsom calls for action from the audience. This, once again, appeals to the audience’s emotions. When watching the film it is hard not to be moved by the injustices facing women, and by providing an outlet for the audience, she creates momentum that can work to carry out real change. Much of the film discusses the many ways our society works to constantly divide the sexes, to divide individuals within each sex, and to make people feel disempowered and small. But by offering suggestions for change, and steps that can be taken at that moment, Newsom creates a sense of togetherness, community and impact. This appeal to emotions and call to action further increased the effectiveness of this

film.
Newsom provides a great deal of information to the audience, and successfully appeals to the audience’s emotions, ethics, and logic. Then she takes it a step further and calls on the audience to take action. The goal of persuasion is to create change within your audience, whether it is change in belief or change in behavior. By providing credibility, supporting its claims with strong evidence, and eliciting an emotional response and call to action from the audience, Miss Representation very effectively persuades the audience that societal change regarding sexism must be made.