Women and Power: Miss Representation

This past Thursday, Jennifer Seibel Newsom’s film Miss Representation made its television debut on Oprah’s OWN network. The documentary discusses the pervasive sexism in media, and was praised at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The objectified images we see of women in magazines and on television harmfully affect the ways women see themselves in real life, as women who possess youth, beauty and passivity dominate the media landscape. As girls learn to judge themselves and other women primarily by physical attractiveness instead of their intelligence, boys are also learning to judge women by the impossible standards of beauty set by the media. Even on the news, gender inequalities are reproduced, as the reporters often look like “someone’s grandfather and his much younger second wife.” The idea that media is made for men, who are a more desirable and evasive audience, is ‘justified’ by the myth that men won’t watch stories for and about women, Twilight be damned. And what’s worse is that we’re numb to it all.

The film also addresses the critical issue of the lack of women who produce media. The documentary provides dismal statistics, which show that merely 16% of film directors and 7% of scriptwriters are women. Only 3% of positions of clout in the media industry belong to women. The lack of diversity behind the scenes is one of the main reasons we still see such stereotyped images in media; the other reason discussed at length in the film is the emergence of female political figures. The most fascinating subject discussed in the film is the realization that as women are becoming more powerful in the real world, they’ve become more hypersexualized and objectified in the media, as if to take away that power. This phenomenon ripples over into the ways media judge female politicians primarily by their looks, from saying Nancy Pelosi needs a facelift to photographs of Sarah Palin at the podium angled between her legs. The film’s tagline, “We cannot be what we cannot see,” eloquently captures why as girls become older, they stop wishing to become future presidents. In order to take back that power, Miss Representation encourages women to show their discontent – with their pockets, as women make up 86% of the consumer power in our society. In this way, the media can be used to change the ways women are shown.

Of course, Miss Representation is not without its flaws. I found Jennifer Seibel Newsom’s personal story to be unnecessary, and her narration is extremely monotonous. Several critics mentioned that the film gives too much credit to the media as the cause of sexism in our society. But what really bothered me is that the film misses a great opportunity to discuss how women from ethnic minorities are depicted in the media. Even though Miss Representation includes commentary from Condoleezza Rice, Rosario Dawson and Margaret Cho, nearly all of the images dissected in the film are of white women, and the topic about the ‘angry black woman’ stereotype is only mentioned in passing. It’s a shame that the film meant to critique the media industry’s narrow depictions of women also leaves these marginalized groups invisible.

Tide: Cargo Shorts are the New Pink

Recently, I’ve noticed a commercial airing for Tide laundry detergent. In it, a stereotypical suburban mother comments on her young daughter’s fashion choices – she likes to wear hoodies and cargo shorts instead of pink – and when the mother uses Tide to successfully remove crayon stains from her daughter’s clothes, she laments that “it’s really too bad.” When I first saw this commercial, I was really bothered by it. If the mother’s disapproval is any indication, the message the commercial appears to be sending is that all girls should like pink and play with dolls. And even more disturbing is the implication that girls who don’t wear pink and play with building blocks might become lesbians (and that if the child was to grow up to be gay, the mother would be disappointed about this).

And yet, the more I thought about, I began to actually like the commercial. I appreciated that the commercial doesn’t reproduce the stereotypes of young girls (and really, women in general) that perpetuate the media. Instead of the typical image of a little girl dressed up in a fairy princess costume, we see a different identity for young girls, one that would normally remain invisible. The mother is at the very least kind towards her daughter and compliments her talent, even if she wishes she was more feminine. The commercial also shows that gender roles are social constructions that are learned, not part of our inherent biology. If anything, the commercial sides with the daughter, because it is the mother who looks foolish for wanting her to fit into societal norms (and for not wanting the stains to wash out of her daughter's less-than-girly clothes). If only toy companies would follow suit and open up their marketing to young girls beyond Bratz dolls.

Of course, the effectiveness of the commercial is extremely limited. As several bloggers pointed out, if the commercial is supposed to be satirizing suburban values, then it doesn’t do a good job of getting it’s message across. And the daughter doesn’t speak up for herself, so we are essentially only getting the mother’s point-of-view. So while the message of the advertisement is ultimately undermined, and the execution is poor, I can at least respect it for attempting to produce something new.

New Yorkers Gather to Celebrate the Columbus Day Parade

On a beautiful Monday morning, floats, flag-bearers and marching bands proceeded along Fifth Avenue in celebration of Columbus Day. The 67^th Columbus Day Parade started at 11:30 in the morning on October 10^th, traveling from 44^th Street to 72^nd Street in Manhattan. The event included more than 35,000 marchers and approximately 100 bands and floats, according to The Columbus Citizens Foundation, who organized the celebration. At the front of the parade were Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

            The Columbus Day Parade is the largest event in New York City celebrating those of Italian-American heritage.  Floats loaded with students from local schools such as La Scuola d’Italia Guglielmo Marconi filled the streets, while people on the sidelines waved Italian flags. The grand marshal of the event, Joseph Plumeri, believes that the parade pays tribute not only to Columbus himself, but to the immigrants who founded the nation.

“We would be nothing today without those people who came here with little more than the clothes on their back," he told the Columbus Citizens Foundation.


Arianna Holland, a tourist visiting from Toronto of Italian heritage, agrees, and says that she enjoyed the entire ambience of the event.

            “I’ve noticed that Italian-Americans are so patriotic, to both America and Italy. It makes me so excited just to be around all of this,” she said.

The La Scuola d'Italia Gugliemo Marconi float (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg).

            But for others, the excitement of the day transcended ethnic and cultural affiliations. Jorge Polanco, a New Yorker who is of Ecuadorian heritage, says he enjoyed seeing people come together to watch the parade, and wants to come back next year.

“What I enjoy most is the principle of this parade. It’s a celebration of the city’s multicultural makeup,” he said.

Indeed, the Columbus Day Parade celebrated more than the historical figure it’s named after. Police officers and firefighters joined in on the event , while people clapped and cheered for them on the sidelines. Entertainment included a performance by singer Pia Toscano, a former American Idol contestant. (You can watch the video here).

The event also successfully managed to capture the spirit of the city. Several floats blasted popular American music such as Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” while the end of the event featured several people, including Joseph Plumeri, singing Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.”

And true to the spirit of the city, the celebration brought large crowds. Waves of people were jammed up against the barricades, while police officers monitored the flow of traffic. Several people complained that they couldn’t see the performances. Josette Veguro, who came from Long Island with her daughter and husband to watch the parade, agreed.

“It’s a beautiful day and I’m enjoying myself, but I can’t see anything!,” she said while laughing. “I definitely want to come back next year, though.”

“But we’re coming a little bit earlier,” her husband added.

           

Tough Love for VH1's "Tough Love"



The cast of Tough Love: Miami (VH1).

 A few weeks ago, the third season of the reality television program Tough Love, entitled Tough Love: Miami debuted on VH1. The series follows a group of single women, who are coached by relationship expert Steve Ward on how to become more confident and attract the right man. In each episode, the women are given a challenge (which are usually performed during dates, such as paying the bill or telling a secret), and then are given feedback from Steve during ‘bootcamps.’ I’ve watched the previous two seasons of this show and I really do like it (I’m a sucker for reality television, barring Jersey Shore). However, I’m not a huge fan of the messages behind the show, which are reflections of larger social attitudes.

The biggest problem I have with the show is that it is based upon a double standard. The women who appear on Tough Love have had bad luck in dating, and many of them desperately want to get married.  But women aren’t the only ones who have relationship problems – after all, most people want to find someone special. Yet the show only ‘fixes’ women, which sends the message that something is ‘wrong’ with a woman if she’s single. The series exploits the plight of single women, by mocking them for their faults. For example, in the first episode of Tough Love: Miami, Steve gives the girls nicknames such as ‘Miss Desperate’ and ‘Miss Drama Queen.’ In the second episode, embarrassing photos of the women were posted on a large screen when they were on dates, including one woman’s mugshot. Tough Love also revolves around heteronormative standards, as there have been no lesbians to appear on the show. This suggests that a man may be ‘complete’ without a woman, but women certainly aren’t ‘complete’ without men.

Of course, I don’t blame Tough Love for singlehandedly sending these messages. Society, friends and families pressure women to feel that they should be married by the time they reach a certain age. But instead of reinforcing these beliefs, Tough Love should be reassuring these women that it’s okay to be alone. At the very least, VH1 is attempting to fix Tough Love’s double standard by debuting a new show, Why Am I Still Single?, which will help both single women and men find love. Hey, it’s a start.

Men Eat From Mars, Women Eat From Venus

It’s always bothered me the way food is gendered on television commercials. Advertisers make it seem as though only men eat hot dogs and burgers, while only women crave all things chocolate. But the queen of gendered foods is without a doubt yogurt. This past summer, I noticed a commercial advertising Raspberry Cheesecake Yoplait Lite airing all over the place. In it, a woman opens up a refrigerator in her workplace and finds a cheesecake. She debates over whether she should take a piece: “I could have one large slice and jog in place as I eat it.” Her female coworker comes by and takes the cheesecake-flavored yogurt, saying she’s been craving it all day, which prompts the other woman to follow her choice. Immediately after watching the commercial, my first thought was: “I would have eaten the cheesecake.” (You can see the ad for yourself here):

In the world of commercials, women are always on a diet and battling over what they should and should not eat.  What’s most unfortunate about food commercials like these is that they showcase how much women are still judged primarily by looks, because food commercials that target men rarely address their appearance, or are sold as products to help them look better. Implicated in these commercials is that there is only one way for women to be beautiful (being as skinny as possible), and the way women are portrayed in these commercials makes it seem as though all women are vain. And because of commercials like these, women are criticized for what they eat more than men in the real world. When I go to a restaurant and order chicken instead of a salad, or I’m the only female in my college’s cafeteria eating a pizza, I feel as though I’m somehow being judged (even though most of my female friends would do the same thing).

The fact that primarily women are targeted by advertisers for low-calorie foods also makes them more susceptible to eating disorders. The National Eating Disorders Association believed that the Yoplait commercial contained language that was “problematic for those who have eating disorders or those who have a predisposition towards developing one.” Even more troublesome is that the woman who considers eating the cheesecake is already pretty skinny. In response, Yoplait pulled the ad from further airings. And while I’m glad that they did, there are still so many ads for food that portray women in stereotypical and harmful ways. Instead of gendering food, advertisers would probably make more sales if they stopped dividing their potential consumer base in half. Or maybe that’s just me.