Miss Representation

Last night, I attended a screening of the documentary "Miss Representation," which (according to their website) "explores how the media's misrepresentation of women has led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence."  The aspect of this movie that I found the most compelling was their discussion of the way in which the media portrays female politicians, focusing especially on Hilary Clinton ("the bitch" and "a nutcracker") and Sarah Palin ("masturbation material").  I was so moved by the documentary and found myself having goose bumps at several points throughout.  I have included a trailer for the documentary and encourage everyone to see it.    

This documentary served as the inspiration for creating this blog.  For awhile I have been passionate about working with girls and women to help themselves feel empowered and to understand the influence that media has.  One way that this passion is expressed in my life is through my job as a social worker running groups with middle school girls.  This blog is based on a media literacy activity that we do in our groups - Hall of Fame and Hall of Shame.  Media sources that portray women in an positive and empowered manner deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, while those that portray women in a negative and degrading way are in the Hall of Shame.