Are CCNY’s Women Misrepresented?

A documentary leads students to question inequality in our cultureby Amanda Logan.Women are caretakers, professionals and comprise 51% of our nation’s population. Yet, they are still negatively portrayed in the media. The media bases a woman’s worth on her appearance. This representation has been present for years, making it hard for future generations to overcome.On March 28 2012, the City College Graduate Student Council screened Miss Representation in the Hoffman Lounge. This documentary shows how the media portrays women and how it affects society. The event was crowded with students curious to see how the film’s message would resonate with their lives.Jennifer Siebel Newsom directed Miss Representation, which originally premiered at the Sundance Festival in 2011. Newsom is known for acting (she has appeared in television shows such as Mad Men and Proud Family) and being a filmmaker.In this full-length film, Newsom exposes the ugly truth behind the images of women in media. Newsom narrates throughout the film, sharing stories of her childhood when she tried to live up to unattainable ideals of beauty. Like many women, she did everything in hopes to seek approval from men.The 90-minute documentary, which cost an estimated $750,000 to make, featured interviews with a number of influential woman in politics news and entertainment. Woman like Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Margaret Cho and Lisa Ling shared their stories and views on this topic. Lisa Ling, executive producer and host of “Our America” (on OWN), made a valid point, saying, “As a culture women are brought up to just be fundamentally insecure and always looking for the time for when that knight on a horse will come and rescue us or provide for us.”After the screening, approximately 25 students in attendance stayed to speak about topics brought up in the film. All agreed that women are not taken seriously in their career choices, whether it is in entertainment or politics. They also believe that the media places unnecessary pressure on women to look a certain way. Sophomore Ashley Melchoire said, “Society teaches us to value beauty, which makes us think beauty is more important than brains.”Rebecca Dollard, also a sophomore, noted, “There aren’t any popular ugly women in the media and even the ugly ones are jazzed up by a make-up artist.” However, instead of letting this observation depress her, she added, “no one can even take away your education, degree or credentials. Beauty is a mind thing.”