MISS REPRESENTATION
Directed by: Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Written by: Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Jessica Congdon
Starring: Margaret Cho, Katie Couric, Geena Davis, Catherine Hardwicke, Paul Haggis, Jane Fonda, Rosario Dawson, Dianne Feinstein, Condoleezza Rice and Gloria Steinem
Director Jennifer Siebel Newsom was spurred into making MISS REPRESENTATION – a documentary on the exploitation of women in media – when she found out she was pregnant with a girl. While the fact that our culture values beauty over brains comes as no surprise to anyone, what is absolutely terrifying is the alarming rate at which women are objectified by the media. This is a startling and inspiring “call to action.”
These days media is the message and the messenger. They deliver the comments that shape our kids’ lives, and those images are impacting them 24/7. The interviews with young men and women support this, as do many facts mentioned in the film; e.g., both depression and eating disorders are on the rise. It’s clear this pressure to be “ideal” is taking a toll on these girls. There is no appreciation for female intellectuals – all value is placed on what’s on the outside (one look at the cookie-cutter-beauty-queen anchors on Fox News proves this).
Notable women from Dianne Feinstein and Condoleeza Rice to Katie Couric and Lisa Ling give their views on women trying to get their viewpoints across in the various male-dominated media. As much as they persevere to impart their opinions and make their voices heard, male voices still dominate and marginalize the female perspective.
There isn’t much that Newsom deals with in the film that hasn’t been discussed before on Jezebel.com. However, for those not familiar with that website, Newsom’s documentary makes the statistics more digestible. The experts make their points in a clear and concise manner, and the interviews and archival footage flow together well, thanks to editor Jessica Congdon. The film never suffers from “talking head syndrome.”
MISS REPRESENTATION is paced rather well, if not a bit too fast. It touches all too briefly on the feminist movement, focusing mainly on the media’s constant disempowerment of women that’s been infuriatingly disguised as “empowerment.” The two main questions the film poses are “How do we as a society rise above this?” and “How do we change what’s happening now?” While Director Newsom is successful in getting her message across – so much so, you won’t want to ever look at a magazine or television ever again – some of the answers don’t ring entirely true. They create a kind of reverse sexism. One interviewee offers up the solution to “go see films written and directed by women,” but my thought has always been “How about if we just support what’s good, regardless of if the filmmaker involved has a vagina?” Over the past year, the WORST films I saw had females behind them – Director Catherine Hardwicke’s RED RIDING HOOD and the Jennie-Snyder-written SOMETHING BORROWED. However, other solutions offered were right in line with what we should be doing. “Measure yourself by your accomplishments and not how you look” and “Be the change you want to see” are standouts, along with more concrete actions like participating in mentorship programs and (if you’re a parent) encouraging children to examine media critically.
Despite my very few quibbles with MISS REPRESENTATION, I think everyone should take time to view this movie. Hopefully that will (fingers crossed) encourage women to rally to this cause. It gives rise to questions and conversations. It shines a spotlight on our currently bleak social situation, and inspires us to think about how we can do better.
MISS REPRESENTATION can be seen during DocuWeeks Film Festival in New York (at the IFC Center August 12-18) and in Los Angeles (at the Laemmle Sunset 5 August 27- September 1). It will also be showing in San Francisco at Unity SF on August 26. For more information on the film, visit their website
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