Letter Assignment

Miss Representation

PO Box 437
Ross, CA 94957

To whom it may concern,

            I want to start by thanking all of you on the team for standing up for the beauty of womanhood. There was much in the film that inspired and uplifted me. But, I will admit, there was also much that brought great concern. While I agree there is a negative view on women in the media, I feel that this documentary had the same negative view towards men. I feel there was a lot of bias in this film that was closed minded to how men are also portrayed.

            Human males and females are incredible! Each has natural traits that complement and complete each other. I feel this film encourages competition between man and woman as opposed to using those skills together to make the world a more full and complete place. Men have God-given abilities to provide and protect the family, and women have God-given ability to nurture. Please do not get me wrong, I believe that God blesses both genders with both traits, but men and women are truly fulfilled as they pursue these roles.

            This documentary encourages women to go out of the home and be leaders in the community and country. In my opinion, the best way to do this is to be leaders in the home. So many women have left and pawned their kids off to babysitters or just leave them at home allowing for all sorts of mischief. Who are teaching the children? Rarely the mothers. Think of how much our nation has increased in sexual promiscuity, gender confusion, crime rates, and lack of faith in God since women have left the home to go out to the work place. I strongly believe a huge factor in this is because mothers have left the home seeking to make a difference in the world. Well, they have made a difference in the world, but it’s not good.

I love the quote by Margaret Nadauld, eleventh president of the worldwide young women’s organization: “The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity” (“The Joy of Womanhood,” Ensign, Nov 2000). This push for competing against men in the world creates friction in marriages that can lead to divorce. Husbands and wives should work together as equal partners—not seeking for power over the other.

            This film accentuates pride and selfishness in women. A true woman is not one who seeks fame and feels fulfilled because the world tells her she is intelligent or beautiful. A true woman is one who quietly knows she is intelligent and beautiful because of who she is as a woman. She knows she can be an influence for good in the home. She knows true leadership and power is raising a healthy and happy family. She is a good neighbor and citizen. Being at home gives a lot of opportunity to make positive change in the world. It gives time to be involved in many different things.

            Women and men alike need to be taught that they are incredible—not because of how “smart” they are, how “pretty,” “skinny,” or “talented” they are, but just because they are a man or a woman. My faith and belief in God is what has taught me my value as a woman. This is what should be pushed for in the media. This is what will make a difference for our sons and our daughters. We should all seek to complement each other and not compete against each other.

            I don’t understand why those actresses were complaining about the stereotype of women in the media when they are the ones who create it. We are always seeking to blame everyone else. No one seems to take personal responsibility any more. Why don’t the actresses stand up together and choose not to participate in degrading films? If they all did it, the directors and producers would have no one else to use, and that destructive media would dissolve.

            My strongest desire is for parents to return to being parents. Parents are the biggest force for good in their children’s lives. Parents are there from the very beginning. They are able to teach correct principles about who we are and what is appropriate. Then my next desire would be for the media to change and to portray these healthy relationships between and roles of men, women, and children.

            Again, I want to thank you for your efforts to help girls and women understand they are more than sexual objects. Thank you for your time reading this letter. I hope our efforts combined will make a brighter future for the next generation of men and women alike.

—Melissa Andersen

    School of Family Life

    Brigham Young University