Miss Representation

In 2010, women are better represented on television, in movies and in the news media than they have ever been in the past. However, while this increased visibility had led many believe that women have achieved something like equality, the truth is women have a long way to go before they achieve anything close to parity, as women count for only seventeen percent of elected officials in Congress and seven percent of working directors of feature films. Actress turned filmmaker Jessica Congdon Newsom studies the obstacles women face in the media and the stereotypes that still define them in the documentary Miss Representation. Featuring interviews with noted figures in politics (Nancy Pelosi and Condoleeza Rice), broadcast news (Katie Couric and Rachel Maddow), television (Margaret Cho and Lisa Ling) and movies (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. Miss Representation was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.