Got this information from the women who made the documentary “Miss Representation”. We’re bringing the film maker to campus next month as part of our Women’s Week of Empowerment. I’ve very excited to actually finally see the documentary and when I got this email – I immediately wanted to share it with anyone who reads my blog. I most certainly will be keeping a watchful eye out for any commercials that are over the line for me.
Here’s what they sent out:
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The Super Bowl is by far the most watched television event in the U.S., and is increasingly popular worldwide. According to the Nielsen Ratings of the most-watched American programs of 2011, last February’s game came in first with 111 million viewers, followed closely by the Super Bowl “Kick-Off” show.
An estimated 70% of Americans plan to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, and nearly 50% of that audience will be women. Yet the programming continues to be largely targeted to a very specific slice of the male demographic, and is too often filled with sexist and offensive messages.
America’s most popular annual entertainment event is a display of male athletic skill, strength and aggression. The commercials take these themes to an extreme by selling products via images of hyper-masculinity. Women, meanwhile, are either hyper-sexualized or entirely absent from the conversation (save the frequent cuts to cheerleaders on the sidelines).
This week’s Get Healthy action is centered on being conscious of what we are consuming Super Bowl weekend. Over the past few weeks we’ve worked to avoid objectifying women and girls and have encouraged each other to be more comfortable with ourselves, but the media continues to present a constant assault on our sense of self. Now is the time to hold them accountable.
The #SuperBowl is sure to be the most talked-about topic of the weekend in the U.S., so let’s flood the conversation with perspectives on sexism in advertising and American culture at large! Together we can influence an entire country to get healthy.
The MissRepresentation.org team
