Girls' film shatters old images of women

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Girls' film shatters old images of women

Wednesday, June 20, 2001

By CANDY HATCHER
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST

For five months, a group of teenage girls tore apart the taunting images of womanhood that have haunted generations: Skinny equals beautiful. Helpless women are more attractive. Every woman is competition.

They examined the stereotypes perpetuated on television and in movies, in advertisements and on the street. And then they flashed a videotape before a bunch of us, a fast-paced, in-your-face compilation of everything we've been absorbing all these years.

The REEL GRRLS' message, in essence: FUGGEDABOUDIT.

This group, 17 girls mostly between 14 and 18 and from Seattle, first confronted the stereotypes in their own lives and got past them. Within a few months, they learned to be comfortable with girls from other cultures, girls who listen to different music or dress in different clothes. And they learned that competing with other women for attention isn't as much fun as getting to know them.

Now they want the world to learn the same lessons. They want women, and especially young girls, to challenge the attitudes that make them victims. Their mission is to prevent those recurring images -- the Barbie-doll figures, the movies that glamorize violence against women -- from making women doubt their beauty, strength and independence.

What a lesson to learn at 14! And how I wish my generation had gotten that message, before we obsessed about weight and name-brand clothing and whether speaking up in class would turn off the guys.

"Don't beat the boys. They won't want to play with you anymore."

I grew up hearing that. I grew up knocking the mess out of a tennis ball and hitting with anyone who came along. I was supposed to beat the girls, but I was supposed to let the boys win.

It never made sense to me. Still doesn't. But Title IX wasn't around back then. In my growing-up years, boys were supposed to be better at math and sports. If girls wanted to be popular and active, they went out for cheerleading, not basketball or cross-country.

Fortunately, much of that has changed. But to hear the REEL GRRLS talk, there's still plenty that needs fixing.

The group came together in January after Metrocenter YMCA; KCTS, a public television station; and 911 Media Arts, a non-profit organization, sent a hot pink flier to schools. "Seeking 20 teenage grrls to work with professional media artists to create videos about images of young women in the mainstream media."

Among those whose curiosity was piqued: Emily Zisette, 14; Kat Bauman, 14; Suzanna Schwartz, 14; Miquela Suazo, 15; and Jamie Wheeler, 17.

Most of them had no experience with video equipment, no idea how to use a camera. But they learned to work together, to divvy up the tasks. "Everybody had their piece of the jigsaw puzzle," one explained. Five months later, the group of 20 was down to 17. Twelve hours of videotape had been cut to 17 minutes.

They'd seen Murphy's Law in action. Somebody taped over an original. The computer broke down constantly, and when they finally fixed that, the sound didn't work.

The result, though, is a video with attitude and an unmistakable message. It's being shown at film festivals. Sponsors plan to cut it into segments for public service announcements.

Organizers estimate the cost of the program, which began with a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, at about $2,500 per girl. But the lessons learned will last a lifetime.

"These girls are incredibly articulate now," said instructor Lucia Ramirez. "When we first started, these girls were very quiet. They were shy."

Presenting their work to hundreds of people the past two weeks, they have piped up with observations.

They're sharing what they learned. They're condemning the negative images they've seen and exploring their dreams.

"We learned these extra-skinny models are taken down on computer and made to look even skinnier than they are," said Emily Zisette.

"It's pretty gross, actually."

The work, all acknowledge, has made them stronger.

"I'm more self-confident."

"I got rid of stage fright."

"I'm coming to grips with my strengths."

Jamie Wheeler knows filmmaking is what she wants to do with her life. "I want to change the world, and media is the best way to do it because media controls society. If I'm behind the camera, I can control it."

You go, girls.

P-I columnist Candy Hatcher can be reached at 206-448-8320 or candyhatcher@seattlepi.com