#pat mitchell

Adlai Stevenson and G. Mennen Williams on back of train car, Lansing, Michigan, Pat Mitchell, October 1956

As long as I'm learning every day of my life, I will never feel old. Never. And I don't feel old; I feel in my head and in my heart - I don't know, ageless!

-Pat Mitchell (b. January 20, 1943)

Missrepresentation is a documentary that deals with the misrepresentation of women in popular media through the usage of stereotypes in a derogatory manner. The idealization of a woman’s figure creates self-esteem issues among most school children, and the effect it has on female students is showcased in the documentary. The documentary takes the issue of misrepresentation of women to the political scene as well. Taking the examples of Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin, who were called a ‘bitch’ and a ‘ditz’ respectively, because of the way they act or behave, it is clear that women are often stereotyped and boxed into categories. The Indian scenario is teeming with discussions about gender role and the depiction of women and what they should be. Documentaries like ‘India’s Daughter’ which has been banned in India raise questions about the integrity of the image of a woman while simultaneously alerting and saluting the Indian population to and for dealing with rape. ‘Missrepresentation’ focuses on the stereotypes and portrayals of women in the American scenario. The documentary is shot from the standpoint of a mother who desires a better world for her daughter. She feels that a world of inequality persists even today, with women being misconstrued. However, it is feminism that is misconstrued.

My personal opinion on the ‘Missrepresentation’ documentary is that it is absolutely objectionable in some of the scenarios it portrays. It restricts teenage bullying and adjustment issues in adolescence to girls. The video shows several high school and college girls complaining about eating disorders and body image issues. Boys go through these issues too. This documentary restricts the difficulties of high school to girls, which is something I felt was very biased. Eating disorders and self-esteem issues are things that a lot of youths go through as they develop. It is not something that is only restricted to girls. Anorexia is in no way picky with gender. The claim that ‘girls treat other girls hard’ is, again, very one-sided. Boys face bullying too, in the physical form, not to mention. Aggression is something that is common to both sexes in the adolescent years.

Hilary Clinton was dubbed as a bitch by popular media and it had almost become a trend or fad to call her cold-hearted and hostile. However, she has done a lot of questionable things in the past. She has lied about being shot about a Bosnian Sniper, and was also fired from the Watergate Committee for fraud. George Bush is a man. He has been widely criticized for his mistakes and errs as well. Thus, there has been instances of both male and female politicians being bashed in the media. The documentary only presents the female side of the story. There is no depiction of the struggle men go through. The sensationalization of events pertaining to women is something that is carried out blatantly in the documentary, further misconstruing the concept of what feminism is. Male stereotypes are also misrepresented in popular media. The homosexual male stereotype is sensationalized by the character ‘Kurt’ on the TV show Glee. His character is essentially a conglomerate of effeminate behavioural character traits and homosexual tendencies. It results in a grotesque generalization of homosexuality and the homosexual male. Thus, males and male stereotypes can also be misrepresented or overgeneralized within popular media.

Feminism is heavily misconstrued in today’s society, in my opinion. Vehement females often assume that feminism is about being superior to men. However, Chimamanda Adichie explicitly stated that feminism is about social and economic equality between the sexes. Therefore, the sensationalized account given by the video would, in my opinion, elicit an exaggeratedly misunderstood notion of what feminism is. Feminism stands for equality, not for a war of the sexes. Feminism needs to be given the identity it is meant to take, not a form it has been given by over-enthusiasts. Why are women misrepresented in the press? Why are men misrepresented too? All these questions point to turning current media into popular media by influencing the way people perceive things. Negative connotations tend to generate a higher sense of curiosity due to the prevalence of the negative bias. Popular media is manipulative in the sense that it focuses on the thoughts which persist in our minds.  Conflict persists in the mind. Controversy persists in the mind. It stirs and generates curiosity which piques our interest in the persuasive popular media.

First drawn to Irish music by the charismatic singing of the Clancy Brothers, Dublin's Pat Mitchell later found himself drawn to the uilleann pipes.  In the late 60's & early 70's, he would soak up all of the information he could from teacher Leo Rowsome, and pipe-makers Dan O'Dowd and Matt Kiernan.  He'd learn from cylanders dating back to 1898, and from watching Seamus Ennis on television.

SAG Foundation - LifeRaft: LifeRaft: Female Leaders in the Industry

Six-time Academy Award Nominated Actress Glenn Close talks with Arthur Kade about presenting friend and Paley Center for Media CEO Pat Mitchell with an award at the 2013 Elly Awards Benefitting the Education Fund of The Women's Forum of New York. Inspired by her own family, she also talks about her mission to bring more awareness to mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

(via InternetMediaLabs)