 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Miss Representation
- Review Date: October 20, 2011
- NR
- Genre: Documentary
- 2012
Common Sense Media says
Earnest, illuminating documentary about women and the media.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this documentary offers a powerful, uncompromising look at how the media trivializes and sexualizes women. It's informative and enlightening and will be a total eye-opener for girls and their mothers. And it could move teens -- both girls and boys -- to re-examine how they absorb the images presented to them. Expect some strong language describing women (including one use of "f--k"), and photos and clips presenting women in sexual (or sexualized) situations, all of which are used to help drive home the movie's message. Note: Common Sense Media's founder/CEO, Jim Steyer, is one of the movie's interviewees.
What's the story?
This documentary by Jennifer Siebel Newsom examines how women are misrepresented -- hence the title -- by the media day in and day out. Drowning in misleading images of women that portray them as valuable primarily for their looks and youth, the film suggests that today’s teens may be growing up with a skewed perspective, one that undermines their intelligence and substantive accomplishments. Grounded in Siebel Newsom’s own personal experiences, as well as those of others -- young and old, famous and not-so-famous -- MISS REPRESENTATION invites viewers to examine gender bias in what we see, hear, and view at the movies, on TV, and on the Internet.
Is it any good?
Bravo to Miss Representation for calling into question the way the media -- TV, movies, the Internet -- trivializes women and paints them in subtle and not-so-subtle ways as sex objects. It’s fascinating -- and, honestly, disheartening -- hearing actresses like Daphne Zuniga discuss the pressure to look younger through Botox and plastic surgery, and Jane Fonda talk about getting the message that she’s not good enough.
We rarely get such candor, and what the interviewees say will really make you think (for example, one commentator wittily describes morning talk show pairings as grandfather types and their second wives). And it’s discomfitting to hear and see clips of admirable, accomplished women being disparaged, usually by men, for how they look. (One radio host calls former secretary of state Madeline Albright a “fat hag"!) That said, what’s revealed here isn’t exactly new. Plus, the connections that the film makes by pairing interviews with statistics sometimes seem overemphasized, the dots too neatly connected. Nevertheless, Miss Representation is an absorbing, if sometimes dispiriting, film to watch. Show it to your girls -- and your boys.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how the media shapes our views of women. What messages do you see on TV, in movies, and on the web?
How do you think the media's many images of scantily clad women affect the way that young women learn to view themselves?
How do you think the ways women are presented in the media has changed in the past several decades?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
Not so FAST for little kids!
I feel this movie could help teenagers, but would be HIGHLY inappropriate for children under the age of 13. On their site they offer corresponding curriculum for k -12. I would NEVER show this movie to a 5 year old boy or girl.
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AGE
Watch it first!
The movie was good in that it teaches girls that they are more than the sum of their body parts. If you are pro-life and/or conservative, this movie really demonizes you, then tries to make up for it by having Condie Rice interviewed. Also, it makes getting women into positions of power much more important than being mothers and having a family. Aren't both important? For me, the biggest problem is the complete absence of personal responsibility. It shows Jessica Simpson and other celebrities in sexually hyped roles, then blames capitalism! These ladies made the decision to act in these commercials and roles, yet no responsibility is laid on them. Very sad.
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AGE
A Must See
It's not for young children, but especially for pre-teen and teen aged girls and boys, I think it's very powerful. In addition to making them aware of how the media distorts images and expectations or female beauty and socialization, it questions the celebrity culture that seems to dominate right now.
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| Studio: | Girls' Club Entertainment |
| Director: | Jennifer Siebel Newsom |
| Cast: | Geena Davis, Jane Fonda, Margaret Cho |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Run time: | 85 minutes |
| DVD release date: | April 10, 2012 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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