Miss Representation

The documentary Miss Representation aims to shed light on the ways in which media has created a false, unhealthy image of woman. Of the statistics presented in the documentary, the ones that really resonated with me were those that stated that only 7% of writers and 10% of directors are women. When looking at other views expressed throughout Miss Representation,  these statistics do not seem at all shocking. When examining the Hollywood of yesterday, we see that women of the time portrayed real, multidimensional characters. When compared to the Hollywood of today, it is the complete opposite, women are archetypal with one interviewee coining the term "Fighting Fucktoy" which is a female hero doing things on their own terms but still being objectified by the mass media. Though this objectification is nothing new or out of the ordinary, it is still a real problem with real consequences. Young girls are seeing what the media considers "perfect" and are striving to fit that mold at any cost. Take Essena O'Neill for example, the Australian teen who recently decided to quit social media citing it is "contrived perfection made to get attention." What media has told her, and many others, is that to fit into society you have to look and behave a certain way, even if it means being unhealthy. This is a trend that, unfortunately, continues to grow. While I, as a male, do not, have not, and may never know what it is like to have media and society dictate unreasonable standards to me (in a way that is blatantly apparent), it is still a problem worth fixing. When women make up no more than 10% of the force behind media creation, it is no wonder these unrealistic standards exist.