See It, Be It, Emoji It

A few years ago, I took my daughter to see a really excellent documentary about how the media does — and does not — portray women. Miss Representation did an extraordinary job explaining why images of women (objectified, sexualized, marginalized, diminished) affect how and where women see themselves.

"You can't be it, if you can't see it."

How does a little girl grow up thinking she can become a doctor or a director, a lawyer or a supreme court justice, or president of these United States, if she doesn't see women in those roles. In movies. On TV. And, in advertising.

This is why, despite the profusion of pink, Barbie has actually been on the right track for some time. Okay, are most women pilots built like Barbie? (Then again, are any of us built like Barbie?) No. Do most women pilots wear pink uniforms with matching pink high heels? No. But, at least Pilot Barbie existed, along with Veterinarian Barbie and Teacher Barbie, Astronaut Barbie and Aerobics Instructor Barbie. At least Barbie had career options in addition to the cute boyfriend, cute convertible and cute townhouse. 

All pink, btw.

We may have grown up with Barbie (and my own teenage daughter had plenty of them herself once upon a time), but today's girls covet other, more digital, playthings. Like smartphones. The message still matters though and this week, I was happy to learn that Google has broadened its emojis of women. Until now, girls could choose from a sweet selection of female angels and brides, princesses and dancing girls. If they wanted to choose an emoji representing a particular career (other than dancing or getting married), their options were male, male, and male. 

“Isn’t it time that emoji also reflect the reality that women play a key role in every walk of life and in every profession?” Google is asking.

Uh ... duh.

The proposed new emojis (not available yet but in the works) include a lady welder, a lady chemist, lady doctors, farmers, chefs, computer engineers, teachers, executives and a female Bowie-esque rockstar.

Some credit for the overdue emoji additions is being given to a film made by the Always feminine products company in which young girls complained about their under-representation in emoji-land. (Hmmmm, does invisible really count as under-representation?) Amy Butcher, a professor from Ohio Wesleyan University wrote about it in a New York Times op-ed piece this spring: “How is there space for both a bento box and a single fried coconut shrimp, and yet women were restricted to a smattering of tired, beauty-centric roles?” Even FLOTUS has piped in; Ms. Obama encouraged Google to create an emoji girl studying.

This isn't the first time Google has updated its emojis in answer to customer calls for diversity and inclusion. You can now select different skin tones for basic emoji humanoids. And, there is a veritable rainbow coalition of families: one man plus one woman and children, two men and children, two women and children ... you get the idea.

News flash: the world is more than straight white men! Sheesh. Even in a society that's trying to catch up to the way real people look and act and love, women seem to be the last to the party.

But, it's reassuring to know that Google has finally caught up with Barbie.

If you've enjoyed this post, I invite you to order the book Lovin' the Alien here.      

Pass the Popcorn — and the Outrage

Women are 51% of the U.S. population.

Women are ...

3% of clout positions in mainstream media

3% of Fortune 500 CEOs

7% of mainstream film directors

16% of film protagonists

17% of Congress

I repeat, women are 51% of the U.S. population. What's wrong with the rest of these numbers?

Yesterday, despite it being a school night, I drove my 14-year old daughter into Boston to see a movie. It wasn't your typical trip to the cinema. We weren't in deep velveteen chairs, munching overpriced popcorn and sipping watered down soda.

Instead, we were on stacking function chairs (you know, the metal ones with padded seats that are supposed to be soft and comfortable but after an hour and a half ... well ... not so much). We were in the library of the Back Bay YWCA, surrounded by smart, edgy, engaged women and a couple of brave men. The documentary we had come to see was running on a laptop, projected on a small portable screen. There was no concession stand, but we did sneak in some leftover Halloween candy.

I, for one, was very happy to be there.

I first learned about Miss Representation several months ago. The trailer was posted on Women's Voices for Change, a fabulous online magazine to which I often contribute cultural pieces. I was mesmerized by it and looked forward to catching the film in its entirety. Unfortunately, that wasn't so easy to do.

Movie distribution is a business, yeah, I get it. Let's take a look at the top grossing titles this year: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Hangover Part II, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Fast Five. These are not woman-centric movies (despite Hermione's best efforts to be one of the Hogwarts' boys, the only other females are bimbos and pirate wenches). These are most certainly not documentaries about how the media depicts women and the consequences thereof.

Without sounding like a conspiracy theorist, I have to point out also that the great majority of the people making decisions about which films are released when, where and in how many theatres are ... men. Despite the fact that women are not actually a minority in this country, women are very much outnumbered in the corner offices at every media conglomerate. Miss Representation's message is demonstrated by its own difficulty getting out there.

Miss Representation was written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who introduces the topic in a meaningful and personal way. After sharing her own poignant history, she explained that her mission in making the movie was to understand the world into which she was about to bring her new baby daughter. In example after example, Newsom exposes how commercial media — and its pervasive and continued objectification of girls and women — lead undeniably to the under-representation of females in positions of influence and power.

In the course of the 90-minute movie, we heard powerful first-person accounts from politicians, journalists, activists, entertainers and academics, as well as extremely articulate teenage girls. These young women were angry about their own potential in a world that values women (even Presidential and Supreme Court candidates!) based on how they look rather than their intellect and accomplishments.

The movie ended to earnest applause from the small but enthusiastic crowd. Attendees were invited to stay for a discussion, but we had to hit the road (or face an even more grueling wake-up-and-get-to-school routine than usual). This was the moment of truth. Did my daughter think I was preaching? Did she think I was overreacting?

"That was so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o good!" she told me.

Good? Yes, good. Good as in frightening. Good as in important. Good as in powerful. Good as in every mother and every young woman should get out and watch this movie.

My daughter and I don't always see eye-to-eye. (Is that not the understatement of the year!) But, we agree about this. We encourage you to seek out Miss Representation and see it.