All around campus Monday Nov. 14, I saw the words “Are you typecast?” and all the signs for the documentary showing of “Miss Representation”. Curious to see what it was about (and to get extra credit points for my cultural anthropology class) I decided to attend the documentary showing. I hadn’t heard much about the documentary or what to expect, but the moment it started my views on society had completely changed. The documentary focused on how the media has shaped our society into this sexist and gender gapped world. In this media driven world, advertisements and T.V. start to shape the minds of girls at extremely young ages. They teach girls that the only way to succeed in life is to work to obtain this idea of a “perfect image” – skinny figure, large chest, beautiful hair. This idea teaches girls that it’s all about their body, not their brain. It shows women they cannot reach their dreams or reach leadership and powerful positions because they aren’t supposed to challenge the “man”.
To me, this is absolutely appalling, yet I know I have been a victim of this media image, almost all girls are. I know I have struggled with self confidence and even as an 18 year old college student I am still ridiculously self conscious. I have only felt this way because I have seen the ideal images of what a “woman” should look like and how guys look at this image to compare girls to. Sometimes I feel a lot of pressure about who I am and that the person I am is never good enough, it’s like I am not perfect enough. It makes me sick to know they do this because it never ends, not even in college.
Even at 18 years old, I have accomplished a lot and overcame adversity because of what I wanted to do. People don’t think that I can accomplish anything just by looking at me, but if you really knew who I was you know that nothing stops me from getting anything done. I am a go getter and someone who will fight for what she wants, no matter how small it is. As a sophomore in high school, I was just a staff writer on the yearbook staff but I felt like I had potential to do bigger things. The editors and my adviser thought so too, therefore they encouraged me to apply for an editorial position for my junior year. It was something I wanted to accomplish and I wouldn’t let anyone get in my way. Guys running for the position tried to make me feel like I didn’t deserve it because I would only be a junior and they would be seniors. They made me feel unworthy of the position and that I wasn’t good enough. Girls hated that I thought I could apply for an editor-in-chief position, I was looked at as a threat and some people running even threatened to quit if I got the position. To their surprise I was chosen for the position and those people did quit. I was chosen because I had the skills and potential to be a leader. From that day on, I came to realize that if I keep standing up for myself I will really go somewhere in life.
When the documentary talked about women in power and how people do not look at them for what they say but how they look, I wanted to yell. It makes me so angry that this is how society works. I want to be a leader because I feel like I have the loud voice and strong appearance to lead a group, but I don’t want to lead anyone in a society where women are only seen for how they look and not what they are trying to do. I refuse to let anyone shut me up when I voice my opinion. Trust me, it has taken me years to realize this, but after watching this documentary I really hit rock bottom.
After the film, a panel made up of five graduate and undergraduate students led a discussion to cover five topics: inform, heal, build, lead, and create. Women and Gender Studies graduate student Kristen Shada spoke to inspire the audience to continue the conversation. Electronic Media and Flim student Chelsea Genser spoke to encourage the audience to heal themselves from the harmful effects of the media. Women and Gender Studies graduate student Taya Graham asked the audience to become aware of the differences between women, but encourages them to build bridges across those differences. Business Administration student Helen Osun promoted the Leadershape program here at Towson and encouraged everyone to get involved in a cause they feel passionately about. Women and Gender Studies student Krista Nickerson inspired the audience to take action and create media that represents the real lives of people and the world we live in.
Each panelist had an important message to bring to the table about being aware and getting involved. One big step to making a change is getting involved with what you believe in. There are so many groups on campus that your voice can be heard if you believe strongly in something. If there isn’t a group, MAKE ONE. The images the media create will only change if WE do something about it. Girls need to start standing up and taking a stand on this issue. The next generations are about to enter the media and internet driven world with no idea about what society is like except what is portrayed in the media. We need to start doing something now so that doesn’t happen or this problem will never end. The first step in making a change is YOU.