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Media as a factor influencing public perception
Women in media stereotypes
Female stereotypes in media
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The eye opening documentary Miss Representation is an insightful film that brings to light medias persuasive force in the under-representation of women’s role in power, leadership, and influence in America. This movie exposes the harsh realities mainstream media has on various aspects of society, ranging from women’s self value to politics. The films message is evident from beginning to end of the movie. The sad truth is that media molds the minds of society rather it being a conscious or unconscious thought process. Through shocking statistics and facts, it is clear that through media dating from the past to present women are under-represented in relation to self appearance, film, advertising and even politics. Still to this day media sends girls and women the message that their value lies in their body and not in their mind. Within the first 15 minutes of the film numerous high school students tell their story about the pressure media puts on them to have the perfect body. It’s during adolescence that there is the greatest sex difference in self-esteem(d=+.33). There is so much pressure to conform to men’s ideals and to achieve that perfect body. This pressure contributes to 65% of women and girls having eating disorders. Through media’s portrayal of size zero models, actresses, and stars we get conditioned to believe that is what …show more content…
It really showed me that although I am aware of the under-representation of women everyday through various media platforms, in some circumstances I am blind to it due to cultural norms. I really enjoyed this movie and learned a lot from it. I feel that this film should be required to watch at middle schools and high schools as it could be very influential to girls during that age. This film got thoughts going in my head about what the world will be like when I have children. Given our present modern culture, I am genuinely worried about future
The documentary, “Miss Representation,” is a film about how women are perceived in the media. It is written, directed, and produced by Jennifer Siebel Newsom. She is an actress and a film maker who advocates for women. In the beginning of the documentary, Newsom discusses her struggles as a young woman surrounded by the pressures of looking a certain way. This film is targeting mainly women of all age that has experienced her struggles. Jennifer Siebel Newsom effectively convinces the audience of “Miss Representation” that the media has molded women in a negative way through statistics, celebrities’ and younger generation’s testimonies, and clips from the media.
Miss Representation, a documentary film produced by Jennifer Siebel Newsom released in 2011, presents a contemporary issue which is the misrepresentation of women’s portrayal in mass media. The media is powerful in shaping audience’s belief in how to be feminine. Women are expected to be beautiful, attractive, and even sexual on the media to attract audience’s attention. Also, the film points out the existence of social system in which men are considered more powerful and dominant than women. Finally, the film tries to increase the awareness of female real value including capability, educational achievement, and leadership. Consuming the media wisely to eliminate gendered stereotypes can help young women build their confidence and be successful.
The documentary Miss Representation identifies the numerous ways women are misrepresented in the media, including in news, advertisements, movies, and television. The title Miss Representation emphasizes that the way we portray women in the media is a misrepresentation, as in it does not do women justice and oftentimes, has a negative impact on the perception of women. Frequently in the media, women lack leading roles and complexity, are held to an unrealistic standard of beauty, and are subject to objectification and beautification (Newsom, 2011). These misrepresentations lay the groundwork for gender socialization, and therefore, shape how women perceive themselves and are perceived by others.
In Miss Representation movie, Jennifer Siebel Newsom determined how the society and media affected to women these days. There are many countries which judge women that they are not important in society such as Vietnam, China, and even the United States. The media play an important role in society because it helps us to receive the news every day and entertains. But, the ways media portrayed are completely making the negative effects for women. People usually use the media to illustrate that women are weak and they should not be in the same level with men. Also, women couldn’t get into the high position in government because nobody would listen to them. Jennifer Siebel Newsom made this move because she was fearful that her unborn daughter will grow up in the
According to the film, Miss Representation, the media “are shaping our society and delivering contents, but shaping children’s brains and minds (Newsom, 2011). Brooks and Hebert (2006) also discuss that “Much of what audiences know and care about is based on the images, symbols, and narratives in radio, television, film, music, and other media” (p. 297). The media is mostly governed by white men. “Women own only 5.8% of all television station and 6% of radio stations” (Newsom, 2011). “The limited employment of women in decision-making roles is the key element in understanding how gender inequality is woven into the media industry” (Watkins & Emerson, 2000, p. 155). Collins (1999) points out that elite groups manipulate controlling images that marginalize specific groups. As a result, girls and women are encouraged to achieve men’s ideals, impossible beauty standards; young men who are used to such models are judgmental toward real women (Newsom, 2011). Moreover, advertisers and marketers have had “dictated cultural norms and values” since the establishment of the Advertizing First Amendment Protection in 1976 (Newsom,
The documentary Miss Representation describes the struggle of female leadership. It is based on the way the women look, the way they carry themselves, and the way they brutalize themselves to fit in with others. This documentation allow different women to tell their ways that the media have slashed them, and allow others to stand up for women. Women portray themselves to fit as the image that has been altered with to get it to look that way. Margaret Cho explains that her show All American Girl was cancelled because she had problems with the network who aired the show because they constantly said was not thin enough. That is a prime example of today's problems with pursuing your dreams as an actor or pursuing your dreams as a model. You have to change your physical features to fit in, and if you do not you won’t get in.
The first documentary, Miss Representation focuses on the ways in which the media influences women and their place in society. In this documentary, Jennifer Siebel Newsom discusses her concern for society and the future generation of women after getting pregnant and giving birth to a baby girl. The documentary covers many issues concerning gender and sexism that impact women and the social expectations placed on women in society. Some of the main issues it focuses on are beauty in the media, women on TV, women in politics, and women in leadership roles. Miss Representation begins by discussing the beauty standards placed on women by the media.
The title Miss Representation garners its power and significance through the play on words of “misrepresentation.” It gives context to the documentary as whole, and primes the viewer with the underlying position that the media holds women back when it misrepresents them. The media’s portrayal of women creates a chain reaction of gender socialization that has lasting effects on the way women are treated and how they treat themselves. Misrepresentation in the media-be it oversexualization of women, negative depictions of high aspirations, or public backlash against the progress of the women’s movement-has very tangible consequences that begin with self-objectification and end with a lack of political efficacy. In between lie compromised mental
The mass media plays a large role in shaping a teenage and adolescent girl’s body image. By pushing an ideal body type that is uncommon and untrue to life, girls strive, and struggle to obtain this image. When the mass media only shows one type of body as desirable, they are alienating every girl who does not fit into that category. Pushing these ideal bodies onto teenage girls at an important developmental time in their lives can be detrimental to their bodies and their self worth. By showing what a girl should look like, the mass media is damaging the body images of young girls, and unless awareness is raised, could become more and more adverse on young women today and tomorrow.
The media, one of the most pervasive and powerful means of mass communication in our society nowadays. An influential tool in which provides us with entertainment and information that evidently enables us to shape our perspectives on the reflection of our society. While the media is extremely prevalent in our everyday lives , the portrayal of women in the media is a major issue with growing concern. As a society, we are letting the misrepresentation of our women slip through our fingers, as the media continues to objectify and depict women in a sexist and unfair way . With the over sexualisation, unrealistic portrayals and the underrepresentation of women in the media, theses influences convince society that women can only be seen for their
Eventually, it is shown how the juxtaposition used on the magazine convinced many teenage girls to admire and follow her tips on obtaining the “Amazing body.” The impact of image manipulation has brain washed and harmfully destroyed the lives of many young girls. The fictitious representations of women’s bodies are a great influence and will continue to affect our mental health. There is no need to cause the suffering, low self-esteem, depression, eating disorders and death that young girls go through by having control of every single media outlet with images that idealize what beauty should be
As a result it can be concluded that the general effect of the illustrations of women in the media to strengthen rather than condense injustice and stereotypes. The mass media in the United States has not made sufficient efforts to argue serious issues regarding women and arrange the women to play their correct and equivalent role in society. To alter this situation, it is required to observe the media and point out the qualities and faults constantly.
It seems that the media’s portrayal of women has negatively affected the body image of The Wykeham Collegiate senior school girls. The media has a negative effect on the youth of today, primarily amongst the female population when it comes to how young girls and women regard their bodies.
However, it is evident that the media usually presents and sexualizes women who are “young, fit and beautiful” hence probably creating self esteem issues more than confidence especially in younger women who are religious towards the media’s expectations. This stereotype of being a desired body shape only forces women to meet unattainable perfect physical standards (Gill 2015). The media bombards the youth with gender representations and the types of bodies that are deemed to be attractive. Many teenagers all around the world are desperate to lose weight to be “beautiful”.
“The media is not a window on the world—it is a distorting mirror” (John Pilger). Mainstream Media is the source of illusions that influences our society and allow ideas that do not represent the majority in the right way. Often the people who oversee media messages are patriarchal men in power. With these men in power, the perception of women in media reflects their ideas and wants. Women often don’t get the chance to truly represent themselves in the male dominated media world.