Film Screening – Miss Representation March 29, 6pm

March 28, 2012

Like drawing back a curtain to let bright light stream in, Miss Representation (90 min) uncovers a glaring reality we live with every day but fail to see. Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the film exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.

In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective message that our young women and men overwhelmingly receive is that a woman’s value and power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, and not in her capacity as a leader. While women have made great strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States is still 90th in the world for women in national legislatures, women hold only 3% of clout positions in mainstream media, and 65% of women and girls have disordered eating behaviors. Read more about the film at www.missrepresentation.org.

There will be a discussion panel from 7:30-8 with former Vermont Governor, Madeleine Kunin, WPTZ TV Anchor, Stephanie Gorin, UVM Lecturer in Women’s and Gender Studies Annika Ljung-Baruth, and Burlington Mayor-elect Miro Weinberger.