The Importance Of Media Representation In The Media

Media representation of different genders, sexualities, races, religions and mental disorders has been under fire in the last few years, as the awareness about social issues and inequalities grows. More than often, the conversation about representation of women in media comes up and is often scrutinized, and for a valid reason as well. When the United Nations criticises the global film industry for their under-representation, misrepresentation, sexualisation of female bodies, and the sexism women face in the film industry, you know you have a problem.

In 2014, UN women found that there was only 1 female visible for every 2.4 men, and that only 30.9% of all speaking characters are female. Even more worryingly that only 7% of the films had female

The importance of a variety of people represented in the media is essential for breaking down gender roles and previous stereotypes about females, especially women of colour, who make up 23% of female characters in movies and are often put into harmful stereotypes. Certainly, I will not be able to cover all of the stereotypes that exist in movies today, or their impact, however, I wanted to briefly discuss the problem.

The importance of representation lies in the fact that media is essential for supporting and setting societal expectations, and determines how we perceive the world. If we view the world through a prejudiced perspective where people are put into boxes based on stereotypes, it will affect how we treat people and often create a toxic environment. It determines which identities will be outcast or become the minority, or viewed lower: females, people of colour, LGBTQIA+ communities, etc

This is a trope that is often referred to as the Smurfette principle. It is very prevalent from children shows, such as the Smurfs and the Muppets, to TV series, such as the Big Bang Theory, to movies, such as Avengers, Harry Potter and Star Wars. As Katha Pollitt, a feminist poet and essayist, wrote, the Smurfette principle sends a clear message: ‘Boys are the norm, girls the variation; boys are central, girls peripheral; boys are individuals, girls types. Boys define the group, its story and its code of values. Girls exist only in relation to