Sexism: The Ageless Wonder
Todayâs post will reflect on sexism which is discussed throughout the film Miss Representation. The United States is built on the idea of equality for all. And even some of the most patriotic and conservative of Americans can admit that our history is dark and jaded. They can admit that not all people have been treated fairly and with respect. But, theyâll argue, things have gotten better. Theyâll say things are certainly better than pre civil war, pre womenâs voting rights, pre Jim Crow, etc. But what most people wonât reflect on is how and why things âgot betterâ
I argue that social issues, in particular sexism, are still highly prevalent in our society. One of which being that women of a certain age have little to no value. In the entertainment industry, it is no secret that women are expected to conform to a youthful, fit image. Itâs not just enough to meet the male standard of having almost impossibly slim figures, as actress Margaret Cho was expected to do. Actresses like Daphne Zuniga recalls subjecting herself to botox. This traumatic experience left her scarred emotionally and may very well mean the end of her career. This is such a widely known phenomenon that there was a sketch featured on Inside Amy Schumer that revolved around Julia Louis Dreyfuss celebrating her âlast f**kable dayâ. Age is just one factor in this equation that the media uses to determine what roles an actress is allowed to portray.
I argue that women in positions of power, which includes famous actresses, but in particular politicians face unfair standards and expectations. Hillary Clinton, political ideologies aside, has faced sexist and bigoted opposition at every turn in her career including in her most recent presidential bid. Political pundits from Fox and MSNBC are shown in Miss Represenation saying that Hillary reminds them of a nagging wife, that Hillary is too emotional, that she was a bitch. These sexist attacks, aside from their inherent untruthfulness and visciousness, also prevent intelligent political dicsussions about possible candidates. Many people opposed Hillary Clinton over policy or over her personal beliefs. Many of these people were young women.
Progressive voters who supported womenâs rights found Hillaryâs policies and establishment connections to be troubling. However, I argue that these criticisms are tainted by the baseless misogynistic drivel of those who refuse to vote for women on the basis of gender stereotypes and sexism. Her policies no longer become the point of discussion, it becomes about her credentials, about her husbandâs affair, about her appearance and tone. And these arenât right wing outsiders, the men featured calling her bitchy or emotional are either major news network show hosts like Tucker Carlson or celebrities and historians like Penn Jilette and the late Christopher Hitchens. Instead of doing the same type of logical and mental work that theyâd do when arguing for or against a man, they result to appearance and tone and her sexual value.
 Representation matters, but what kind of representation do we want? Because women who meet the aesthetic standards and have the ârightâ attitude will be given plenty of air time depending on who runs the network or movie studio. But what about women who are considered too old or too fat or too gay or too brown or too opinionated? What about those women? This film reminds us that women face those type of double standards not just in politics or in media but in their workplaces and even in their home lives. True representation comes when every member of our society is treated with the same base respect and fairness that privileged straight white men are given every day.













