MissRepresentation in Film

Most films in existence are dominated by men, whether that be onscreen, acting as the protagonist, or behind the scenes, directing and holding power. While it is true that conditions for female representation in film has improved over the last few decades, we could still be doing much better. And the film MissRepresentation reminded me of that.

I have definitely noticed a lack of female leads in most Hollywood blockbusters. According to the Women and Hollywood organization, only 28 percent of films were led or co-led by women in the top grossing films from 2007 to 2018. Most of the time, women serve as background characters or, as MissRepresentation reminded us, they are just there as something pretty for men to look at. This is especially true for many action movies. Even when these films have a powerful female lead (Wonder Woman, Lara Croft, etc.), they are often still painted in the image of what an "ideal" woman should look like: skinny, hair and makeup done perfectly, and some kind of tight-fitting outfit.

An element of many action blockbusters that I've noticed over the years is what is known as the "Smurfette Principle." This is when, in a movie dominated by male characters, there is one token female character. She usually becomes the romantic interest of one or more of the male characters. Examples of this are Black Widow in The Avengers, Gamora in The Guardians of the Galaxy, and Princess Leia in Star Wars. These are just the really well-known ones, so I can imagine how many more there are, and how often this Trope appears in movies and TV shows of the past and present.

I think MissRepresentation was a good reminder that things have slightly improved for women in many areas, like film, politics, and the overall workforce. But, unfortunately, women are still second to men in today's society.