Documentary: Miss Representation.
A) As you watch the documentary, focus on the following points:
● The media and self-damage among women.
There’s a lot of exposure . Girls get the message that
their value depends on how they look. All about the
body
● Female self-objectification and its consequences.
Self worth validated by body image can result in
eating disorders, women see themselves as objects,
depressed, lower gpa, lower confidence, ambition,
● The futile pursuit of an idealized body in a technological
era.
perfect women should look a particular way, weigh, hair, make
up,
ideal image of beauty, very extreme, absolutely perfect because
of computers, inhumanly perfect. Young men judge women
more harshly, Effect is subconscious
● The media and female disempowerment and
objectification.
● pursuit of idealized body, they end up spending money
in this pursuiit and wasting money that could be used
for educcation and that disempowers them. value lies
in their image
● The way mainstream media and Hollywood portray
powerful women.
In general pretty bleak, no complex roles, age ,
multidimensional roolees for women, same stereotyopes over
and over again.
women are not mainn characters, or at least not powerful.
Sotries
● Why “chick flicks” are deceitfully empowering.
stories revolve arounnd them tryying to get a man,
tryying to get married, fundamentally insecure and
rescued by men
● Female stereotypes in reality TV and reality shows.
bitchy boss, sacrificed everything to be in power,
femme fatal mother, witch or sexy kitten. if they are
empowered it’s not really their agency, exist for male
viewer and are objectified. you don’t get that message
that you don’t have to use your seexuality to be
something.
human characterrs in the 20s or 30s
women decorrative
● they can’t show emotion
● Women in news progammes: cocktail waitresses or
anchors? female journalists
dominated by white male
B) Select FIVE vocabulary items and/or expressions that you think are relevant when discussing the topic of female
misrepresentation in the media. For example: “to undervalue the tremendous progress that women have made in America”, “ “women
occupying clout positions in the media”, “self-objectification”. men hold positions of privilege and power
low cut shirts, lots of make up
● Women in politics: “movers and shakers” or “shrewd
harpies”?
harder to feel worthy of becoming a leader,
washington male. no woman’s perspective and
experience being part of decision making
she’s smart for a woman, she speaks well for a woman,
focus on what she is wearing. Gender bias. women
discouraged from pursuing.
the more power women gain the stronger the
blacklash
trivialize women.
associate worst aspects of power to women in power
sarah pailin and hilarry clinton, dehumanized, abused
● The percentage of women occupying clout positions in the
media. How does this contribute to the misrepresentation
of women?
highest percentage of information comes from the
male perspective
women will watch stories about men but men won’tt
watch storiees about women
● The female condition mediated by men: symbolic
annihilation.
their storiees are asctually not being told at all
● Why the media targets men aged 18-34.
media trying to bring down the feminist movement
it’s harder to get men to watch television. they target
so they can sell products to them. women watch
televvision. also advertisors are 18-34 yeaar old men
● The link between media violence and social violence.
there is no regultation of what appears in the mediaa,
rape, violence. they only want to make money. they
use the excuse of censorship. violent things get
attention, kids are exposed
● Male stereotypes: what men are expected to be like.
MISS REPRESENTATION: Vocabulary ActivityComplete the quotes from the documentary and test your memory! If you need some
help,you can check below.
1) And that’s like…I don’t know how we survive it. I don’t 18) Because when my mother, or grandmother, tells me
know how we rise……………………ABOVE………………… it. her story, I’m………………………RIVETED………………
2) I’m …………………COMPELLED?…………………… to make 19) Within 2 days, 8000,000 women were fired from the
sense of all of this for her aircraft industries and othercompanies began to follow
.3) To be a woman meant constantly …………………SUIT……………………
…………………STRIVING…………………… for 20) If we show a woman who is ……………………………scantily
an……………………UNATTAINABLE………………… ideal of clad?………………………………………………… that’s an
beauty. opportunity to get more viewers
4) Now the media disseminates such limiting 21) We need to change the focus from the
……………………POTRAYAL………………… ofwomen and …………………BOTTOM LINE …………………… to one ofsocial
………………PERVADE……………………… every aspect of our responsibility.
culture. 22) We must hold these companies
5) How long is it going to be for somebody to take ………………………ACCOUNTABLE………………
a………………STAND……………………… ? surpass;;strive; pervade;
6) …the ……………………FUTILE………………… pursuit of this
idealized body.
7) So we have a whole generation of young people being
raised where women's objectification is just
…………………PAR FOR THE COURSE (normally
expected)…………………… , it’s normal, it’s ok.
8) I was actually the
………………RUNNER-UP……………………… by a handful of
votes.
9) Devanshi’s story made me think about how early girls
face a…………………DEEP GENDER BIAS……………………
………………………………………………………………………………
10) My second ……………REALITY CHECK…………………………
………………………………………came when I learnt there were
very few multidimensional roles to even audition for.
11) The majority of female characters are in their 20s and
30s; that’s just a hugemisrepresentation of reality and that
really ………………SKEWS……………………… our perceptions.
12) I really truly believe that reality TV is the
contemporary cultural…………………BACKLASH…(avoid sth
intentionally)………………… against women’s rights.
13) It’s the scrutinization that women get that far
……………………………………… thescrutinization that men get
14) She was pornified and
……………………DITZIFIED…………………
15) We went to different distributors,
……………………PITCHING………………… the idea.
16) Women …………………COMPRISE…………………… 16% of
all writers, directors, producers,cinematographers and
editors.
17) I was told …………………FLAT-OUT…………………… “We
think a guy should direct this.”