Birmingham, West Midlands, UK

Miss Representation #MissRep

I just finished watching Miss Representation and have to say as a woman working in the media industry in management position it speaks volumes to me. I had known about this documentary for a while and am actually really sad I missed it in the cinema as that meant it got sidetracked onto my 'To Watch' list which gets bigger every minute. If you are not a woman working in media do not be put off by my statement this film is a much watch for EVERYONE. For my male readers I urge you to at least read the rest of this post before you brush it off as just a women's issue. 

On a whole the documentary is focused on America and how the representation of women in the media can have an impact on women in leadership The documentary talks about the mass consumption of media by both men and women daily. I particularly encourage those who say they think the media has no impact on them at all to give this a watch as they do a great job of outlining the consumption and images that get shoved in the  face of thepublic every day. Working with young people I think this is something I became very aware of I boycott a majority of 'women s' magazines because I am not interested in the fat shaming of celebrities or who is dating who. Yes I love style and fashion but if you are not prepared to present me with real un-photoshopped pictures then I will read the amazing blogs from real people out there instead. 



This perception that is put out in the media rarely reflects the real feeling of men and women around the world. Yet media has the power to convince the same men and women that these are the ideals of all the other people in the world and present us with imagery of "what men really want" and what we all want to watch and see on our screens. If you read my blog it is a safe assumption that man or woman you are open minded to the fact that we are all different and unique and this should be reflected in the media more. The people of the world who feel that women shouldn't be in strong female leading roles that don't mean wearing just her underwear and the ones that have suffered the wrath of the media the most and this is why it is important we educate girls and boys from a young age. The images in the media have an impact on men as well as women and the great thing about this film unlike most feminist films it openly talks about the pressures men are facing too.

So how does this impact women in leadership roles? If women are badly represented in media and always sexualised how are they meant to be taken seriously in powerful roles. When the first question about a woman who gives a powerful speech is "did you see what she was wearing?" then how can we honestly say women are being taken as seriously as men? There is nothing wrong with an avid interest in fashion and beauty but why should a woman's appearance always be on attack. The documentary covers this conversation from the angle of women who reject femininity and those who embrace it in powerful roles and how society react to them.

So much more is covered and it honestly is a must see. Here is the trailer...

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Have you seen it already? What did you think? If you watch come back and let me know :)

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