Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Sundance Film: Miss Representation

Director: Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Website: http://www.missrepresentation.org/

Summary: Like drawing back a curtain to let bright light stream in, Miss Representation uncovers a glaring reality we live with every day but fail to see. It’s clear the mainstream media objectifies women, but what most people don’t realize is the magnitude of that phenomenon and the way objectification gets internalized—a symbolic annihilation of self-worth—and impedes girls and women from realizing their full potential. While women have made strides in leadership over the past few decades, trivializing and damaging images continue to proliferate. In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective message that a woman’s value and power lie only in her youth, beauty, and sexuality is pervasive.
Stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, academics, and activists like Condoleeza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, and Gloria Steinem build momentum as the film accumulates startling facts and statistics that leave the audience shaken and armed with a new perspective.

Excitement scale (1-10): 8 – I’m a man, so maybe my excitement is just me trying to make up for all my objectifying, but I actually think this is going to be a great film. As an actress, Jennifer Newsom has a unique perspective on the subject matter and her wide array of interviews should present something everyone can understand. Just like the controversial book Blink, perhaps it’s time to look at how our images in the media affect the mentality of millions.

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