Divas Girls - Media Analysis
Friday, November 9, 2012 -- Media Analysis
This week, the diva girls evaluated, analyzed and explored the world that is the media. The girls discussed the effects that the media has on our society, our daily choices and the views we possess about ourselves and others as young women.
The girls watched a clip from a documentary called Miss Representation, which was directed by Jennifer S. Newsom, to help broaden their knowledge on just how vast the media has impacted women from all ages and backgrounds. The documentary voices that women are more than what television shows, magazines, commercials and movies have pegged us to be.
A short summary of the documentary: "Actress turned filmmaker Jessica C. Newsom studies the obstacles women face in the media and the stereotypes that still define them... Featuring interviews with noted figures in politics (Nancy Pelosi and Condoleeza Rice), news broadcasters (Katie Couric and Rachel Maddow), television actresses (Margaret Cho and Lisa Ling) and movie actors (Geena Davis, Rosario Dawson and Jane Fonda), Miss Representation explores the glass ceiling that many women in the media still struggle to break and the double standards applied to women in terms of appearance and persona."
After viewing the clip from the documentary, the girls than watched a Dove commercial called The Evolution of Beauty. Seeing their reaction as the girl in the commercial was transformed from "average" to "supermodel" was priceless. The girls could not believe the extent of manipulation that went into advertisements. After a lengthy discussion, the girls were asked if they see themselves accurately represented in the media, and a unison no was heard. The girls discussed why they felt this way and a few mentioned that even the models in advertisements couldn't see themselves after all the manipulation was added to the photos. The diva girls refused to relate to Photoshopped images or extremely made up woman portraying a standard of beauty deemed unattainable to the average person. This wasn't who they were and nor did they want it to be.
R.T. Mujuzi
This week, the diva girls evaluated, analyzed and explored the world that is the media. The girls discussed the effects that the media has on our society, our daily choices and the views we possess about ourselves and others as young women.
The girls watched a clip from a documentary called Miss Representation, which was directed by Jennifer S. Newsom, to help broaden their knowledge on just how vast the media has impacted women from all ages and backgrounds. The documentary voices that women are more than what television shows, magazines, commercials and movies have pegged us to be.
A short summary of the documentary: "Actress turned filmmaker Jessica C. Newsom studies the obstacles women face in the media and the stereotypes that still define them... Featuring interviews with noted figures in politics (Nancy Pelosi and Condoleeza Rice), news broadcasters (Katie Couric and Rachel Maddow), television actresses (Margaret Cho and Lisa Ling) and movie actors (Geena Davis, Rosario Dawson and Jane Fonda), Miss Representation explores the glass ceiling that many women in the media still struggle to break and the double standards applied to women in terms of appearance and persona."
After viewing the clip from the documentary, the girls than watched a Dove commercial called The Evolution of Beauty. Seeing their reaction as the girl in the commercial was transformed from "average" to "supermodel" was priceless. The girls could not believe the extent of manipulation that went into advertisements. After a lengthy discussion, the girls were asked if they see themselves accurately represented in the media, and a unison no was heard. The girls discussed why they felt this way and a few mentioned that even the models in advertisements couldn't see themselves after all the manipulation was added to the photos. The diva girls refused to relate to Photoshopped images or extremely made up woman portraying a standard of beauty deemed unattainable to the average person. This wasn't who they were and nor did they want it to be.
R.T. Mujuzi
Comments