October 24, 2011
Miss TEDxWomen
by Pat MitchellWe are thrilled to announce that Jennifer Seibel Newsom, filmmaker and rabble rouser, will be one of our speakers for TEDxWomen. Jennifer has been shifting the consciousnesses of sold out audiences with her new film Miss Representation, which looks at the toxic ways in which women and girls are represented in the media and advertising. The Paley Center did screenings of this important film on both coasts and the response was tremendous. People are clearly hungry for a concise, unapologetic analysis of this decades-long struggle to take back our own visual culture.
And, truth be told, we have so much power. As I have often reminded audiences, 86 percent of the purchasing power in this country is in the pockets of women. Let’s use it!
Change has to come from the bottom up, but also from the top down. As Katie Couric reminds us, "The media can be an instrument of change: it can maintain the status quo and reflect the views of the society or it can, hopefully, awaken people and change minds. I think it depends on who’s piloting the plane.” We need more women in the decision-making roles that so disproportionately influence what the "wallpaper" of our daily lives looks like.
The New York panel following the screening was fascinating and fiery, with the usually calm and cool Christiane Amanpour getting a little worked up. You can watch the excitement here, and don't miss out on hearing Jennifer speak to these issues in December as part of our growing TEDxWomen lineup.
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About
Pat Connects
Pat Mitchell, President & CEO, The Paley Center for Media
Since assuming her current role as president and chief executive officer of The Paley Center for Media (formerly The Museum of Television & Radio) in March 2006, Pat Mitchell has guided the thirty-four-year old institution through an exciting rebranding effort and strengthened its public and industry programs by analyzing and interpreting the immense changes in the media landscape. Under her leadership, the Paley Center has become a major convener for media leaders and enthusiasts, continuing to offer its unrivaled collection of radio, television, and advertising content as a lens for exploring the powerful impact of media on our lives, culture, and society. Pat Mitchell was named to Newsweek's 2011 list of 150 Women Who Shake the World.
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“a woman sleeps as if tomorrow a war will begin” –Vera Pavlova
I first learned about you and your work watching the documentary “Miss Representation.” Your contribution to the film and the larger world of women’s work really touched me, and made a twofold impression upon me. One was my own myopia about the magnitude of women’s work that is making a difference locally and globally. The other was how can I use myself as an agent of change (as both an educator and soon-to-be mother) to disseminate the word about the work women are doing to effect change and transformation.
Recently, I wrote an article and blogpost titled, “This Woman’s Work: Blueprints for Being an Activist.” This article was published in Bronze Magazine (http://www.bronzemagonline), and simultaneously on my blog (http://wp.me/p1lNcW-59). I created the blog to explore educational, social, and gender issues. This particular article reflects on the depictions of “real” women (as portrayed on several “reality” shows) juxtaposed against the real work women are doing (locally, nationally, and internationally). Profiled are several women under the age of 30 making change, as well as the three Nobel Peace Prize recipients.
But, like the movie, even more pressing than what the article tells is what I am trying to do with the article after it is read. The goal is to create a forum where other women can learn about the work women are doing across many landscapes and within several contexts, with the hope that they will use them as blueprints for their own possibilities. I am asking several women to write about the ways each of them is trying to make a difference in the world.
Given what you shared of your vision and work in the documentary, I would really appreciate if you would please share about the work you are doing to make a change for women and the world on my blog. Please share about what inspired your work and activism, what you are trying to achieve, what support you want and/or need, and any contact information. My hope is that this article and the blog’s forum provide for you a space and opportunity to broadcast your work, inspire others, and gain any support you need to promote your cause. Recently, the blog was a nominee for the CBS New York 2011 Most Valuable Blogger. It is my hope the recognition will bring more exposure, and in so doing, more opportunities for learning and change.
If you are interested in telling about your work, please contribute by December 31, 2011. But, if more time is needed, then feel free to let me know. To post your response, click the red "Response" button at the end of the blogpost. And if you should know others who would be interested in sharing their work, I welcome them.
I am not seeking any monetary contributions for posting on my blog.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. My information is below. I welcome the opportunity to grow with and from you.
All the best,
Tanya Manning-Yarde, Ph.D.
Educational Consultant
tmy.chronicles@gmail.com
tmychronicles.wordpress.com
tmannearthlink1, December 04, 2011 at 7:44 am