Quite a few documentaries lately are spurring conversation and urging us to look at things differently. The third installment of the documentary series America the Beautiful is no exception, and questions the highly sexualized media we consume and how deeply it affects young girls. Looking at the problematic reality behind child beauty pageants, teen pregnancy, and rape culture, this documentary examines the consequences of sexualizing our youth, while highlighting the positive strides made by those determined to put an end to it.
Young Girls Grow Up Believing They Have to Be Desirable or Invisible
Young girls are feeling pressure to be sexy at earlier and earlier ages, and grow up believing they only have two choices: to be desirable or invisible, while boys are raised in a porn culture that makes it difficult for them to conceptualize healthy relationships with women. This film looks beyond the superficial into the psyches of our youth and those that perpetrate this epidemic of over-sexualization. Why this profound injustice against girls and women? The documentary looks at numerous culprits including the powerful corporations making billions, pop culture, and even parents and peers.
Why Don’t We Have More Realistic Images of Healthy Women?
America the Beautiful is a three-part documentary series by director Darryl Roberts that explores our obsession with beauty, thinness, and the increasing sexualization of our youth. Taking into account the high rates of depression, low self-esteem, teen pregnancy, and eating disorders, the series honestly answers the questions at the heart of all these issues. What is the cost of our obsession with youth, beauty, and a slender physique? Who truly benefits from this ideal? Why don’t we have more realistic images of what it means to be healthy in the media? Who is at fault for perpetuating these harmful standards? Are we doing enough to protect our children from the harm of the media, pornography, and other realms of pop culture?
America Will Never Thrive Until Women Are Seen as Equal
These films make it apparent that America will never thrive until women are seen as equal and treated that way. America the Beautiful is more than a documentary; it is a rallying cry for every member of society to create change personally and politically, and build a healthier culture for ourselves and for future generations.
Learn more about the three-part series here.