Miss Representation

Although many people believe that the media has no affect on them, it is not true. The media has subtle messages that affect everyone regardless of age. The media influences many young girls because the media teaches them that how they are portrayed in the media is normal. I am shocked by how much the media really affects children and teens. The sexualized images portrayed in the media are having a detrimental affect to the youth that see these images on the television or online.

At the Mount we are taught to believe that we can be powerful women. Although I think we all can become powerful women, society today does not usually portray women that way. In movies, many women are portrayed as sexualized people that only ever want a husband or baby. Only 16% of women are the protagonists in movie, even though 51% of the United States’ population is women. Very few women characters in the movies have complex roles, which undermines the career goals of women. Also, there are not many women that have served in the government. Only 34 women have ever served as governor. This past summer at my job, the males were always asked to take out the trash, sweep, and move the boxes of merchandise, while the women were always asked to organize the shelves. Although no one complained about his or her assigned tasks, this gender stereotype is present in the workplace. The males were expected to carry all the heavy boxes because that is a stereotypical male job. Women can carry boxes too; it is not a male only task.

The Mount has instilled in me that I can be a successful and empowered woman. Mount has tried to defy the traditional gender stereotypes. The Mount has shown me how important the education of women really is. The Mount educates women to go out into the world and be successful.  We are expected to go onto college and get at least a bachelor’s degree, if not further schooling. We are exposed to many alumni who have become successful the articles in the Mount magazine, speakers, trips to visit the alumni in New York City, and stories about successful students from the teachers.