The American Association of University Women and the Coastside Film Society proudly present:

Miss Representation (90 minutes)

In 1964, Marshall McLuhan declared that “The medium is the message” — a proclamation that seems more prescient with each passing year. What do teenaged American girls learn from the almost 11 hours of media they consume every day? Unfortunately, all too often the message is this: How you look is more important than how deeply you think.

“If you believe that women are equal and there are no more battles to be fought in the name of feminism, Miss Representation is a long-overdue punch to the gut. … Filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom takes a hard look at how the American media portray women. Spoiler alert: it ain’t pretty.” — Miranda Nelson, Straight.com

As might be expected, the movie includes plenty of clips of women being objectified by music videos and female politicians being judged by the length of their skirts, but the heart of the film are the dozens of featured interviews. Media experts deluge us with shocking statistics: Only 7 percent of film directors and 17 percent of the members of Congress are women. We also get to hear from a wide range of celebrities — Oprah, Katie Couric, Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Margaret Cho, Rachel Maddow and the like. But the interviews that have the most impact are those with young women who ruminate about how their own self-images have been shaped by what they see on the screen.

“Bravo to Miss Representation for calling into question the way the media — TV, movies, the Internet — trivializes women and paints them in subtle and not-so-subtle ways as sex objects. It’s fascinating — and, honestly, disheartening — hearing actresses like Daphne Zuniga discuss the pressure to look younger through Botox and plastic surgery, and Jane Fonda talk about getting the message that she’s not good enough. We rarely get such candor, and what the interviewees say will really make you think.” — S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media

Parental warning: The film includes scenes of sexualized situations and clips that use strong language.

On the Web:

www.hmbfilm.org

The Coastside Film Society

Friday, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m., Community United Methodist Sanctuary

777 Miramontes St., Half Moon Bay (corner of Johnston Street)

Free Event: Donations will be accepted gladly