Miss Representation

Recently, in my critical thinking class, we watched the documentary 'Miss Representation.' This documentary was very inspirational and eye opening to many. By exposing young adults in a school environment to the harsh realities of the world and having open discussions on what the root of these social problems are and how we can try to fix them, I believe that more people will become aware of their actions and how they may effect others. 

This documentary discussed women in not only the media, but in our society in general, and included clips of very influential women opening up about their experience in the industry and the discrimination and misogynistic comments they had faced on a day to day basis. I think that by showing these women sharing their stories and talking about the pressure they felt growing up in our society, more audience members feel comfortable with their own struggles, since they now know the they're not alone. Having the comfort of knowing you're not alone and that there are people in this world who understand you and know what you're going through really helps people through tough times. It is so common for people to feel alone in times where they only see the bad in things, and the ability to relate to others and to see how they were able to move past these bad situations is very powerful.

 I felt a personal connection to this film as well, as I have many friends and family members who have had eating disorders and have felt very insecure due to the high expectations held by our society. I think women especially, have a hard time growing up in our society, because we are constantly surrounded by these images of picture perfect models with the clearest skin, whitest smiles, and perfect bodies. It is very hard to compete with what we see on Tv, especially since those images aren't real as well.

I definitely feel the pressure to look and act a certain way, and I think the media has had the biggest influence on those expectations I hold for myself. I find myself constantly altering my hair and clothes and watching my posture wherever I go. While men also have these things to worry about, there are definitely higher expectations of women to be presentable at all times, and I think that has definitely effected me. 

No matter where we go, people are constantly judging us from our external appearances. Whether its our gender, race, sexuality, body type, or anything in between, there will always be an opinion that people develop on us that derives solely from our physical appearances. I think this documentary did an excellent job of conveying the struggles faced by women, and discussing the harsh reality that is our society and the judgement we receive from it. There is always going to be pressure and unrealistic standards in our society, but it is up to us how we respond to and go about them.