Semester Project: Powerful Women in Media

Not so long ago, or what doesn't seem so long ago, women weren't allowed to vote. Slowly but surely that all started to change and women began fighting for their rights. Today: "Women hold 98, or 18.3%, of the 535 seats in the 113th US Congress — 20, or 20.0%, of the 100 seats in the Senate and 78, or 17.9%, of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. In addition, three women serve as Delegates to the House from Guam, the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC."  

We made a long way right? So why is it that women still aren't taken seriously? Why is it that women are degrading women in power? No matter what a woman does, it is not enough. There are constant jokes about their appearance, because after all that is what matters in today's society. 


When I was younger, living in Poland, I wanted to be a teacher. Not really sure why, but all teachers at time were women. I never thought of seeking a position in power. When I came to America and overcame the language barrier and saw how different it was and that women actually stood a chance, I was inspired. My grandmother, being in America most of her adult life, always told me I'll be a Supreme Court Judge because she cannot see me anywhere else but dealing with the legal system and being in charge. She built my confidence up and would always tell me she is excited to see what my future has in store for me. However, the older I got, the smaller that dream became. All that teachers and professors would talk about is how women are degraded by the media and how women in power are never good enough in societies eyes BECAUSE of how media portrayed them. When I would watch shows like SNL, or any of the late night talk shows and the hosts would make fun of politicians or anyone with so called 'power', I would laugh right along with the audience. I never gave it much thought. Then I realized that women are scrutinized about things they really don't have control over and that aren't necessarily true. Watching more and more of these shows and their comedy skits discouraged me. The media slowly but surely made my 'dream job' impossible to obtain. Then I thought "Well if that's all it takes to discourage me from following my dream then I guess it wasn't that much of a dream.." And just like that my dream, poof, gone... all thanks to media.

Link to blog: http://womaninpowerlol.blogspot.com/

"If you get a powerful women in the office, what is the downside?"

                           - "Oh you mean besides the PMS and the mood swings? "



"'The media is the message and the messenger. Media became the most powerful tool of 'educating' our society. We are living in a the era of internet and children get the idea of what they should be very early on. For women it is all about the beauty, not the brain."

http://www.missrepresentation.org/ 

 https://www.facebook.com/MissRepresentationCampaign



References: 

"Matt Damon Rips Sarah Palin." YouTube. YouTube, 10 Sept. 2008. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

"Miss Representation." Miss Representation Home Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2013.

"Miss Representation." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Mar. 2013. Web. 21 Apr. 2013.

News, CBS. "Hillary Clinton Goes "au Natural"" YouTube. YouTube, 09 May 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.