Blog Entry #11: Representation of Women on TV

Since reading the very enlightening Douglas book, I’m finding it difficult to think of any accurate representations of the lack of gender equity in TV shows/films.  So many of them display fantasies of women in power, as Douglas describes, without capturing what it’s really like to be a woman in everyday America.

One show that comes to mind is the recently released Netflix series 13 Reasons Why.  This show has been on my mind (and many people’s, it seems) quite a lot lately.  It wasn’t without its faults, but I found it to be very triggering and very impactful.  More than once, it showed how difficult it can be for a teenage girl who’s trying to navigate high school.

For one, the best/worst list that was created.  When Hannah Baker was listed as “best ass” on the list, even her most compassionate male friend thought she should take it as a compliment, when really all it did was make her feel uncomfortable and act as an open invitation for male students to sexually harass and assault her.  They gestured inappropriately at her in the hallways and even physically grabbed her.  This happens to so many women every day; I have even experienced it myself.  It’s such an uncomfortable position to be in.  I think these videos, co-produced by David Schwimmer, do a great job of shedding light on some of the forms of sexual harassment that women experience on a daily basis: http://www.upworthy.com/these-powerful-sexual-harassment-psas-by-david-schwimmer-are-must-sees

Comments

  1. JackieGMay 9, 2017 at 9:21 AM

    I agree that 13 Reasons Why does a great job of showing what a teen girl's high school experience is like. Even better, it shows what sexual harassment can do a young girl. I feel like a lot of shows and movies involve some sort of sexual harassment or even rape, yet they fail to reflect on or show what that does. I really want to see more shows like this one that actually address the problems that girls go through.

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