Miss Representation Demands Ms. Respect

Miss Representation illuminates the sheer power possessed by the media, namely the adverse effects caused by television, films and news coverage succumbing to the wills of its advertisers -- advertisers who seem to assume we're a nation of shallow, one-dimensional teenage boys. As millennials spend more and more time each day exposed to visual media, their perceptions of women are understandably becoming more and more unrealistic and damaged. Flipping through the channels they'll find Snookis, Real Housewives and Americas' Next Top Models behaving like caricatures of negative female stereotypes, with very few (if any) developed, authentic, interesting lady characters to be found. Of course, Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin are on the news, but they're ball-busters and ditzy MILFs, respectively -- and did you see what they were wearing? This documentary is a call to action, reminding us to question the status quo and challenge what we're told. Miss Representation screens at 7 p.m. Saturday, November 12, at Plaza Frontenac Cinema (1701 South Lindbergh Boulevard; www.cinemastlouis.org). Admission is $10 to $12.
Sat., Nov. 12, 2011