The Difference Between Propaganda and News

Well, I'm still in limbo after rewatching Battlestar Galactica for the 5th time (the new one, not the original). Hey, it's a good story, it's got strong female characters, and it's a good sci-fi program.

Anyway, so, I"m looking for something to watch/listen to while I do other things. (you'd have to see it to understand).

SOOO...I stumbled across a "documentary" on women in politics...at least, that's what it's supposed to be according to the summary blurb.  It's called Miss Representation.

It's not.

It's a general documentary about how women (still) do not have any realized power in the United States and how "the media" is condemning all women to oblivion because there is only one appealing stereotype in "the media"- the Barbie doll.

Now, I learned in school while studying the history of Nazi propaganda that the real difference between propaganda and news/information whether or not the story is BALANCED- does it tell both sides.

I'm sorry to say, but this does not.

News sites the source of statistics.

This, again, does not.

I wanted to like it.

There are important facts that they bring up about the US understanding and acceptance of what a woman is, what she looks like, what she is allowed to do in life, how she can never grow old...all of these are important problems that we face.  And, surprising, they even had a few successful men in the movie that were agreeing with the points as being problems.

But, I see these problems:

1. Diefying the "media".  
The main message of this opinion piece (I can't call it a documentary because of the lack of statistical citations that were needed), is that "the media" is evil and has it "out" for women.

MY POINT:  WHO THE F DO YOU THINK IS THE MEDIA!?  IT'S YOU.  
As loudly as each of these women is screaming about the media being evil, they're USING the media to publish their opinion piece.  If you want to make a change, YOU need to start doing it, too.  It's not "THEM", it's YOU.  I bet that they let their children sit down in front the TV and watch Disney movies (which is singled out as being a bad stereotype for women because they are scantily-clad women who need rescuing).  YOU have to make the change!

2. The evils of having to look young for your whole life....
...and yet each one of the interviewees was wearing cosmetics.  There wasn't an unpainted lip in the whole bunch.

It's kind of hard to sit there and tell me about the evils of cosmetics and cosmetic surgery when you're wearing the product you're ranting against.

3. Patrons include Tiffany & Co., Wellendorf Boutique, Levis Strauss & Co.
Again, this seems to be countering the message.  If your message is that women are being stereotyped in to valuing sparkling things and being the youngest, hottest female on the planet, don't you think you could have found a different set of sponsors?  What kind of mixed message are you trying to send?

The biggest solution is actually raised by one of the interviewees, Pat Mitchell (who, I can't help but notice goes by the androgynous "Pat" instead of "Patricia"):  STOP.

STOP BUYING THIS STUFF.

According to Ms. Mitchell (former President & CEO of PBS), women account for 86% of the buying power in America.  And I have to agree with her:  money is power.

Women, we HAVE the power!

Stop buying into the diet pills because the clothing manufacturers are now cutting your jeans smaller.  Cut the sizes out of the jeans, if you have to. Hold them up, look at them, and then blindly try them on.  Does it matter if it's a size 4 or a size 10?

Stop buying cosmetics (no, I don't- used to, but don't now- except for REALLY special occasions, where I consider it part of the costume).  Putting a bunch of chemicals on your face isn't going to make you look better.

But most importantly:
Give men a position in this world that makes it so that they don't WANT to have those stereotypes.  This is something that we've never really figured out in the US.  The ERA failed at it and so did all of the other attempts at it since the hippie days.

If you don't give men a place in your new world, why would they want to be in it with you?  This constant male-bashing isn't winning you friends and it's certainly not going to give you any clout in their eyes.  We have to have a world of equality- a place for BOTH genders to live up to their full potentials.

Otherwise, we're all going to be miserable.