Maggie: media coverage of women

Thoughtful commentary on the media's coverage of women from long-time women's rights activist Gloria Steinem: “How hard is it to be a female human being in the media? Anne Hathaway is a pretty good measure. She learned everything she could about sex trafficking and prostitution to play Fantine, and knew only too well that modern-day Fantines were probably living within blocks of the Academy Awards. As she said in her Oscar acceptance speech, "Here’s hoping that someday in the not too distant future the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and never in real life."

Did that get coverage? No. Instead, the huge and expensive media beast speculated on her nipples. In a way, that makes Anne’s point. No wonder there are still Fantines, so many in the media think like pimps, traffickers and johns.”

For an excellent documentary film that explores the often disparaging portrayals of women and girls in the mainstream media and how they contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence, watch Miss Representation for ages 12 and up at http://www.amightygirl.com/miss-representation or watch it instantly on Amazon at http://amzn.to/1r81xRU

 
 
For many stories of both real-life and fictional girls and women challenging gender stereotypes, visit the "Gender Discrimination" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/…/soci…/prejudice-discrimination…
For books for parents that explore the effects of media on kids, as well as the impacts of commercialization and the sexualization of childhood, visit our "Media / Commercialization" parenting section at http://www.amightygirl.com/parenting?cat=451

To learn about books for young readers on children's struggles to go to school in modern times and the recent past, check out the blog post "Honoring Malala: Mighty Girl Books on Children's Fight for Education" at http://www.amightygirl.com/blog/?p=4057
For fictional and biographical stories about girls and women who love sports, visit the "Sports & Games" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/bo…/general-interest/sports-games