Film: MissRepresentation

While women have made great strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States is still 90th in the world for women in national legislatures, women hold only 3% of clout positions in mainstream media, and 65% of women and girls have disordered eating behaviors. --MissRepresentation.org

This past week I took my best galpal to a local screening of MissRepresentation: we had LOTS to talk about over dinner. The film doesn't simply focus on how the media portrays women, but delves deeper into how the derogatory messages effect our lives in ways that are so large and destructive they are often difficult to see. MissRepresentation discusses the pornification of women and how it translates into to a larger more powerful problem--dehumanization.

When you dehumanize someone,
you take away their personal power.
Their efficacy.
Their ability to make changes in their community.

The discussion shifts from impossibly photoshoped freaks to the stigmatization and sexist criticism of strong female leaders. (The investigation of the media cruelty suffered by Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin is painful, and fascinating.)

Take a peek at the trailer:

My favorite part of this film is the conclusion: practical ways to counteract the war on women. While the information is goose-bump inducing, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

If you have the opportunity-- see this film.
Bring it to your cities and schools.
Set up showings in your community.

You can find more information about the film and what you can do to make positive changes and help heal our collective media based consciousness here.