In the Sun Dance festival documentary Miss Representation the hushed subject of

women's oppression and subtle brainwashing of the minds are revealed through numerous
statistical facts, interviews, and in depth sociological perspectives to highlight the much needed
reform for the image of women everywhere. Miss Representation allows the tabooed subject of
womens image to be questioned and reasoned with. In the film, it begins to describe the
various types of discrimination that women are faced with in all areas of life, even more poignant
areas such political power.
Throughout the documentary, after each viewpoint and perspective is revealed is
uncovers the real culprit and root to all of the brainwashing and that is media. As a woman
grows, she is forced this idea that a woman should act and look a certain way, and if there is
any variation between that then there is something that needs to be changed. It begins with
early development when a young girl is growing she is introduced to dolls. What ever brand
these dolls would be they all look and dress a certain way, would be wrapped up in bright
feminine colors, always adorned with sexualized clothing and types of accessories that would
suggest that the female doll is great at spending money or talking nonsense on the phone. Then
during adolescent and early adult stages in life, young girls would be constantly bombarded
with informative messages through advertisements, magazine article, products on the internet
or social media, all suggesting that there is a physical standard that every woman should meet.
For instance a magazine article could very innocently suggest what would be the best lip shade
to kiss with, this article would be selling a beauty product hoping to play on the fact that A) all
women need colorful and bold lips to be considered attractive and B) that all women need to be
find a romantic partner in order to feel complete or happy. Not only do women believe these
messages being projected but men do as well, further solidifying the distorted concepts of what
is natural beauty and what is fake. This distortion unfortunately reaches even the most sought
after positions in the world which is political influence, and when female political figures are
besmirched publicly it can dishearten younger females from expecting to achieve greater.

Through many sociologists perspectives I believe that this short documentary contains
many valid points of discussion through the theories of Comte, Marx, and Durkheim. With Miss
Representation Auguste Comte would imply his positivism theory and suggest that societys
purpose of this brainwashing of the media as being something of a natural process to reach this
third stage in his theory of realizing that individual rights are most important. Comte describes
his theory through three stages the first one being of a more theological approach. In this
documentary, Comte would relate to the dilemma to the biblical sense of woman repenting for
the sins of Eve in the story Adam and Eve. Then Comtes second stage metaphysical would
suggest that eventually humanity would discover the natural rights of women are as equal as
the rights of men, causing for a natural questioning or backlash against previous concepts. Then
finally Comte would end his theory with his positivism stage and would suggest that it is all in
the natural order for society to come to the conclusion that the world we live in has a troubling
foundation and needs to change its views entirely.
Karl Marxs view on society varied slightly from other sociologists where he saw society
as certain classes with their own freedoms and limitations. To this video Karl Marx would accept
this idea that media is establishing its own control over the subordinate classes in order to
maintain stability and control. In Marxs perspective the government, more commonly governed
by man, would be aware of the brainwashing occurring in the society in order to prevent any
outspoken individuals (mainly women) to question the infrastructure of the male established
domination. If Marx would still be alive today, then he would probably indulge in the comments
about women needing to look a certain way or perform certain tasks because he would see as
the class of women as being subordinate to the male class.
Durkheim saw the world almost as a machine that held each of its parts in equal
importance. In response to this video Durkheim would see mostly the fact that both sexes are
affected with the suggestion of what should be normal. Durkheim would understand that while
this video mainly focuses on the female's point of view, it also discusses the affect that men

have had to deal with. Men are also being shown through the same vehicle as women what is
the correct way for a man to act, look, or work. Durkheim would imply that seeing this as a
struggle for both parties would ultimately that either both groups will work together to correct the
system or, it is a constant aspect of life that both groups must now face daily. Durkheim sees
this social issue not as something that is one-sided but that it is an equal problem with both
sources in society.
In this video the main perspective that I believe it touches upon would be the Conflict
Perspective that suggests that in society there are classes that contain their own amounts of
power to exploit others. In this video there is a clearly identified line that does not enable women
to come into political power and another entity in actively in control of its harm. Through the
manipulation that men in power have obtained throughout the ages, there is an automatic
assumption that women are not fit to govern or be placed in positions of power. A woman with
power is a deviance in society, and the conflict perspective brings the situation to modern focus.