Reflection: Miss Representation

Student

Institution

Date
 Miss Representation

Miss Representation is a wonderful documentary that sheds light on the plight of women

in American Society. The documentary was directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, an activist,

actress, and wife of current California Governor Gavin Newsom. In the film, she aims to

demonstrate how women, despite all the efforts and hard work, are not recognized in the same

light as men. As I was watching the film, one key concept came to my mind. In films, the sexual

objectification of women onscreen has resulted in their disempowerment and trivialization in

both the political and cultural process.

For a long time, women were not considered in the same light as men by the American

society. There are privileges they could not hold. In fact, the older American culture considered a

woman’s place to be at home and only to take care of their families. Like communities of color,

they also did not have rights to vote. Despite influential women existing at the time, the rights of

an ordinary woman were limited. Through activism, women have managed to gain more rights

and be considered in the same light with men.

One area where women have managed to excel is in the film industry. Over the years,

women have been included in movies They have been used to represent a key part of society that

can be incomplete without them. There representation in the film industry, however, is

misrepresented. According to the documentary, women are used to play certain roles but the

message that is communicated to the audience is different. Misrepresentation of women in the

film industry is made possible through different scenes that depict a different picture that is

contrary to what is intended.

 Filming women in the film industry is a form of empowering them to achieve different

aspirations. When a girl sees a woman on screen play a certain role, it is supposed to empower

her to work harder in order to succeed too. The film helps portray the roles of women in society.

It recognizes that women roles have been changing over the years.

Another aspect of the documentary is that it highlights how women are treated and

portrayed in politics, media, and economy. In the film, Nancy Pelosi and Condoleezza Rice

provide a reflection of the different barriers they face as women politicians. Sarah Palin and

Hillary Clinton also provide an overview of women politicians are treated by the media. From

the documentary, one can note that women are women are underrepresented at all levels of

government. Those that manage to get elected or be appointed in positions of power are often

met with a different kind of scrutiny than men. There values and opinions are sometimes not

valued.

As I watched the film, I noticed that there was a frequent use of the word “girl” in the

documentary. This is representative of how the society attempts to treat all women, young or old.

It is common to see little boys in movies and films being referred to as men. Older women are

sometimes devalued and demeaned based on how they are identified. In today’s culture, women

are often valued based on how young or beautiful they are. Those that do not fit in this category

are often marginalized by society.

The documentary is a call to action for women across America. It provides a critical

analysis of the status of women in the country. It should be used by women across the country to

learn how to empower themselves despite being held in a different regard when compared to

men.
 Reference

Newsom, J. (2021). Kanopy. Laverne.kanopy.com. Retrieved 14 May 2021, from

https://laverne.kanopy.com/product/miss-representation-0.