You Can't Be What You Can't See--Can You?

Miss Representation, is a documentary by Jennifer Siebel Newsom that first aired at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and was later shown on Oprah's OWN Network. It is a documentary about women in the media and power. It shows why if we want to become a force to be reckoned with we have to take control of the images and the voices in the media. The documentary explores media’s misrepresentations of women and how it has led to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence. Wow! Heavy stuff. Yes, heavy and important.

Are you tired of the violence against women in media? Repulsed by the way sex and women are exploited in the media? I say if you do not want your daughters growing up in a society where these attitudes prevail, it is your responsibility and mine to speak out and to be the agents of change.

In my small way I try to do this with my blog, what are you doing? Are you speaking out? Are you being sure your daughter sees documentaries like the preview of the one shown above so that you can raise the consiousness of your daughters (and your sons?)

Let me make one thing clear, it is just as important to raise the conciousness of our sons as our daughters. You can't uh...do a half a**ed job. You need to address both sexes for this to be effective.  So take your children to see this documentary. Get it on DVD. Suggest it to your schools. Be an agent for change. Raise your voice and let the advertisers and media know that status quo is NOT OK.

Miss Representation’s Curriculum gives media literacy a much needed gender focus. The curriculum asks girls and boys alike to think about the effects of the images they see—particularly the ways media affects women and girls’ ability to see themselves as leaders and be seen as leaders by others in society.

Per it's web site the film provides a curriculum for educational purposes. It includes the feature film as well as customized footage and lessons for the following age groups:

1. University
2. High School
3. Middle School
4. 4th-5th
5. K-3rd

As you attend your child's school PTA/PTO meeting this year and are considering ways to spend money, give some serious thought to acquiring this curriculum for your school district. What better investment could you make in your children and their future?