Girls on Film

In Hollywood, specifically in Disney films, there have been various works of the past that highlight the female character as being the protagonist. This placement of female characters in the lead role can be misleading. In these Disney features, the heroine is idealized at the height of puberty, the evil queen is a middle-aged beauty at the peak of her sexuality and authority, and the elder mother figure is a pear-shaped, old woman representing sacrifice and nurturing. More recently, Pixar has produced various films such as Cars, Toy Story, and The Incredibles, which feature male characters in the lead role. The characters in these films are all striving to become the alpha male, experiencing individual struggles, most of which having to do with competition and power. This difference in gender representation seen in Disney films leads one to speculate on the representations seen in other Hollywood films.

Films that target an older audience also seem to convey a distorted representation of women. Films targeting teenage girls seem to demonstrate similarly unflattering representations. A socialization that occurs at a young age with Disney films, continues at the teenage years. In films and TV targeting young girls, media heroines are increasingly filling role-model functions previously provided by families or churches. Rather than depicting young women in films as being troubled, and irresponsible, it is necessary for these depictions of girls to be as strong, capable and competent women. If teenage girls are looking to films and heroines as examples, then it is the responsibility of the film industry to provide these girls with a strong model of femininity, in order to socialize them positively. As we move increasingly toward a world in which media holds more and more power, it should be understood then that the media holds a certain social responsibility, especially to their most vulnerable audiences; youth.

Make Trade Fair...

I’d like to invite all of you to take a minute out of your busy schedules to put the world into perspective. When we imagine the world, there are two things that can come to mind. The idea of the rich living in wealth, and the idea of the impoverished, struggling to live while surrounded by fear and death every day of their lives. When we live in a society that we as Canadians do, it is easy to ignore the idea of the third world, hunger and extreme poverty. But it is up to us, to say WHAT CAN WE DO? It is up to us to explore the causes of this global inequality in which we live. By exploring the causes, we can easier find a resolution.

Now more than ever, the gap between the rich and poor nations of the world is wider. If the two categories of these nations were to be compared, the difference in economy, living conditions and quality of life would be uncanny. The living conditions in the poorest countries are becoming increasingly worse. With factors devastating their quality of life, it is hard to say if they can ever recover. But, there is a way for these nations to recover. The process seems impossible in the state that we live in today, surrounded by war, natural disasters, and epidemics. But, it is up to us, the developed nations, to make a change and look at the possibilities that lie ahead. Global inequality is as much of a tragedy as any of the natural disasters that have so recently taken place, but there are factors that contribute to this global inequality that can and must be eliminated.

"Rich countries dump subsidized produce on developing countries, driving down the price of local produce - with devastating effects on the local economy. This unlevel playing field has made many poor farmers even poorer, or forced them off their land completely." (www.maketradefair.com)

The trade rules that have been regulated against farmers in less developed countries affects the living of the farmers themselves as well as the entire local economy. These rich countries export subsidized produce to these nations, which eliminates the jobs of the farmers as their locally produced goods have decreased in price and demand. Also, the local economy suffers as the demand is placed on more expensive imported goods. As a result, the cost of everyday living increases, making it hard for most to survive.

Along with the dumping of subsidized produce on impoverished nations, another devastating factor is that some of the richest countries control poor countries' share of the world market by implementing higher taxes on imports. Because of this, a large fraction of poor countries can only afford to export raw materials, allowing for a far lower income than the finished goods exported from industrialized nations. Have you begun to ask yourself how this is fair? Well the answer is, it is not.

Visit www.maketradefair.com to find out more.