Miss Representation - Women & Media

Katie Couric the first female evening news anchor

The media has more power over our lives than we would like to think. I just watched a documentary on how the media treats women, and quite frankly it's appalling! The documentary was on OWN and featured Katie Couric, Lisa Ling, Rachel Maddow and many more powerful women. The documentary depicted stereotypes and how the media affects men and women. The media is so derogatory to the most powerful women. "The Bitch and the Ditz"- was the title of a news article talking about Palin, and Hilary Clinton during the presidential nominations. People learn more from media than any other source, it shapes our politics, our children and our future.

Tinkerbell...

Girls see themselves as objects, this leads to low self-esteem, depression, & eating disorders. 78% of 17 year old girls are unhappy about their body. And 65% girls and women have had eating disorders. In G rated movies characters are equally as likely to be wearing sexually revealing clothing as in R rated movies! 

51% of America is women, 17% of Congress is comprised of women this means we have made no gains since 1979! America is supposed to be a democratic society and an example to other countries. 67 countries in the world have had female presidents or prime ministers. The U.S. is 90th in the world in terms of women in national legislatures- Cuba, China, Iraq, and Afghanistan have more women in government than the US! America has been choosing their leaders from 6% of our population (no wonder why we are in trouble) : male, white (until 2008), married, heterosexual, over 35, college educated, and a professional degree.

In 9 states, women who are victims of domestic abuse can be considered a pre-existing condition and denied health care coverage! (what?!) A lot of times it's women who have a problem and are critical of women in higher positions. As women we need to be more supportive and encouraging of each other; not jealous and judgmental. Rachel Maddow said that she gets about 14% hate mail and 100% of that 14% is about the way she looks or homophobic comments!

Was this angle necessary? Palin's legs.

The documentary showed footage of Hilary Clinton when she was campaigning, and men had signs that said "Iron my Shirt." "Look at the skanks that make up the female leadership of the democratic party" ~ The Lee Rodgers Show.  "Nancy Pelosi get another face lift lady." ~ Chris Baker Show. What's the down side of having a women in the oval office? "You mean besides the PMS and the mood swings." ~ Fox News."The first female vice-presidential candidate, size 6" ~ introducing Geraldine Ferraro in 1984. "It's all over the media- did you or did you not get a boob job"~ an interview with Sarah Palin. 97% of media is run by men! When a women proposed another network for women the reply was why do you need another women's network - you have lifetime. (Meanwhile there are 22 ESPN channels).

Pat Robertson said "the feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." (that's my dream... not) The Christian Voice said "America's decline as a world power is a direct result of the feminists' movement for reproductive freedom and equal rights."

What?! We are living in the 21st century. Come on America, step it up. Women have come very far in the last couple of decades but this documentary showed how far we have yet to come. 

"The most common way women give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." ~ Alice Walker

"Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as a man, to be thought of as half as good, luckily that's not too difficult."

TAKE ACTION TODAY: at  http://missrepresentation.org/ and stop violence against women with http://onestudent.org/.