I’ve just finished watching ‘Miss Representation’ on iTunes, and I absolutely loved it! Recently released after it’s premier in late 2011, this film focuses on the representation of women in mainstream U.S. media: a topic near and dear to my heart both because of my work and my two little daughters. Drawing on statistics, teenage accounts, and interviews with the influential (politicians, journalists, filmmakers, academics), the documentary outlines the clear consequences of these representations, which so often go unnoticed in today’s society. Clearly I wasn’t the only one who loved it, since it has been lauded by nine film festivals worldwide, and awarded part of the Sundance Official Selection.
These images broadcasted in the media – of women being sexualized, objectified and judged based only on aesthetics– have ceased to evolve for so long that it makes me wonder whether people even notice them. Have women become complacent? Do they just not know what to do about how their gender is being stereotyped and represented? Or are these representations so ingrained in our culture that it takes a massive effort to recognize them at all? If you’re like me, then maybe you didn’t find the facts presented very novel – but the personal accounts are what drew me in. Because I think that everyone struggles in negotiating who they are with who they think society wants them to be – and to see others sharing in this struggle filled me with a sense of camaraderie and a sort of call-to-arms. The fact that the teens today are still dealing with impossible, projected images that us teens from yesterday were makes me terrified that so too will the teens of tomorrow.
What can we do to change the representation of women in media? First, I would say begin to recognize it if you haven’t already – the issue exists, and it’s certainly not getting any better by ignoring it. What do you notice are your favorite movies, t.v. shows, news channels, magazines, shopping brands? How do they represent women? More often than not, I think the representation will be so far from our own values (let alone our own experiences) that it makes you reassess the idea of entertainment all together.
Also, educate the next generation: if we rely on media to do the job, then the inevitable outcome will be adopting the values portrayed by the media as their own. Kids need to know that who they are and what makes them imperfect is exactly why they are special and worthy. The value of oneself is self-determined and this ought to be taught to boys and girls alike.
In trying to change an industry, the best option we have is to exercise personal choice. You are more empowered than you think! Choose products that represent your values if you don’t already, and learn to think critically about how something is presented and why exactly it appeals to you. I often like to ask myself, “do you actually identify with the woman in the advertisement, or do you simply want to be her?” So much of the media is based on this idea: capitalizing off of our own self-dissatisfaction.
A large part of my success with Erika Lust Films has been because my personal vision of eroticism is breaking the kind of traditional mold portrayed by mainstream media. By refusing to take part in this representation of women, and instead giving characters voice, power and uninhibited expression in their sexual lives, I’m trying to create a new media encouraging a women-positive message. This has been a huge factor in attracting an audience (mainly women; significant in an industry targeted towards, and dominated by, men!) and offering them something that they never thought existed. I hope to enrich my viewers’ lives by giving them sexual imagery with which they can identify and incorporate into their own sexual exploration.
With this in mind, I was definitely surprised that porn was completely omitted from the project. Granted, I understand the reasons behind it: namely the “opening a Pandora’s box” effect of introducing porn both as a norm in our culture and an actual transfiguring force. Entire films, books, lectures, etc, have been devoted to the topic of women portrayal in porn and how it changes the way then men view women, women view themselves, young people view sex and how the media can use sex to promote product. But in talking about this, one would have to admit how relevant porn is in culture AND personal lives … which most people just aren’t ready to do. In my eyes, the blatant sexualization and objectification of women in mainstream media is parallel in mainstream porn. I would say that the only difference is that media surrounds us constantly, whereas porn is merely accessible. Mainstream porn culture effects are pretty clear in one’s personal life {make love not porn link}, but what about in the media? Pornification is a great term referring to this, and can be seen everywhere from suggestive (or straight up explicit) music videos, sex advice columns, and video games to fashion and art.
What do you think readers? Did you see the film? What was your reaction? Do you think it might have been interesting or useful to add porn into the cultural debate? Do you even see the effects of porn in mainstream media and culture?? I look forward to your responses!
