Rachel Zuckowich Miss Representation

 
          I really enjoyed the movie Miss Representation. I completely agree with the sentiments expressed in the movie. I am not surprised by the statistics, I myself am a young woman that is influenced by the media daily, although I do not let it affect me so greatly that it would physically hurt me or mentally abuse me. I do admit that I love trying out new beauty products, especially makeup, but I limit myself as to how much money I spend on them. I know that there will always be someone prettier than me, skinnier than me, smarter than me, and we can strive to be like them or we can accept who we are.

            In Miss Representation it was said that people learn more from the media than from anywhere else. Every day I see young girls wearing lots of makeup and wearing revealing clothing that is very inappropriate for their age.  I think this goal of looking perfect starts at a very young age, particularly the age of children who play with Barbies. Barbie has her own movies, is advertised in commercials, and is a top seller in toys. All little girls love Barbie, including myself. Barbie is the definition of perfection, she’s beautiful, has a perfect body, and can be anything from a gymnast to a doctor. When I was younger Barbie was kind of like a role model to me, who doesn’t want to be her? Children do not realize that this idea of being perfect is unobtainable, and is completely created by the media.

         Another fact I agreed with from the movie is that women are seen as things/sex objects. When thinking about this, one commercial that stands out to me is the Carl’s Jr. commercial. In the commercial there is an attractive, tan, fit, young woman lying on the beach eating a burger. She wears nothing but a tiny bikini, and by the end of the commercial she removes the top of the bikini. She is shown eating a burger in the most sexy and seductive way that you could possibly eat a burger. Sex sells. If this commercial were filmed using a woman that was less in shape and was fully clothed it would not catch the attention of men viewers, nor would Carl’s Jr. have as much business as it does. By seeing these commercials men compare all women to sexy commercial girls or Victoria’s Secret models, and hold them to those standards. That makes life very difficult for women who try to meet the expectations of men. If women are supposed to be perfect than men should all have perfect bodies like Channing Tatum. Women should not be judged so harshly, while men can look however they choose.