Miss Representation: Rise Up

Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s expanded message for women in Miss Representation: Rise Up is crucial viewing. Her second documentary about women under attack presents the untenable problems women face as the tech industry attempts control via AI, co-opting resistance and empowerment. In the spotlight category the film had its world premiere at Tribeca Festival. It hosted special guests after the screening who appeared in the film.

Newsom’s first film Miss Representation began the conversation

Newsom’s first film, Miss Representation (2011), delved into the normalization of unrealstic body images by all forms of media to manipulate and disempower women emotionally. The images of perfection and beauty perpetuated in the music, fashion, advertising, entertainment industry, etc., negatively impacted teen girls and women who felt they could never measure up. Stoking shame and guilt the related industries encouraged them to buy products to change their appearance and be prettier, thinner, “better.”

Newsom includes statistics of the percentages of women and teen girls suffering from depression, body dysmorphia, feelings of unworthiness and dis-empowerrment. Oftentimes, depression and body dysmorphia would lead to cutting and other forms of self-harm including suicide. In her acute depictions Newsom revealed an important story about our culture and society that rang alarm bells, but offered no real prescriptions for change. The relentless assault against girls and women has been unstoppable.

Newsom’s Miss Representation: Rise Up shows the situation has worsened

Miss Representation: Rise Up proves that the situation has worsened exponentially through Social Media’s algorithmic engagement. Male and female influencers via Instagram, Tik Tok and other platforms whether through soft power (body perfection) or toxic masculinity hate on women 24/7. Parallel with the demand for women’s perfected beauty we note the rise of the fascist, toxic, male “ugly,” who looks like Joe Rogan and demeans like the conservative MAGA Nick Fuentes.

The Trump administration has exacerbated the misogyny and objectification of women with the intent of removing them as an effective power block.Trump’s response to a female reporter whose question unsettled him, “Quiet piggy,” sums it up. In the fifteen years, strategic political pressure via media (images, toxic talking heads) inevitably moved to reverse women’s rights in the Dobbs decision. Spreading domination and hopelessness, these malign actors politically work to silence women’s voices because of the power they threaten.

Newsom interviews key spokespersons, i.e. Frances Haugen (Facebook whistleblower), Jim Steyer (CEO Common Sense Media), Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Amy Klobuchar and more. Using their commentary she explores the backlash against women’s progress. Also, Newsom uses powerful firsthand accounts of young women across the country. She highlights their experiences and gives them a platform to voice their concerns. Giving specific examples the documentarian reveals how political influencers on the radical right have created a hostile online ecosystem with ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools. Following the Trump administration’s MO, they weaponize these to harass, stalk, threaten and ultimately, make women do what they want. In other words they metaphorically disappear them and take their voices and power. 

Because everyone has a phone, the toxic messaging can be seen every hour on the hour. Unlike the analog assault of fifteen yeas ago, influencers personalize their digital warfare on others. Often AI Bots are set to monitor and comment on every powerful young woman’s social media account. Insulting comments and memes can erode girls’ and women’s self-esteem, mental health, and public engagement. The more these insidious technologies emotionally engage, the more money is made. Abuse and verbal beatings mean dollars. Young women navigate the currents of abuse with pain. Instead of pushing through, eventually they refuse to take on leadership roles and positions of political power. 

Congress must step in to regulate tech companies

Congress has attempted to hold CEOs of companies like Facebook accountable for allowing toxic messaging to get through. With the MAGA administration threatened by women, they try to prevent regulation of tech companies to engage them in their misogyny. In avoiding regulation for big tech and data centers, the companies have made payoff donations to campaigns. However, Newsom shows he resilience of young women who fight back and carve out their own power. Their voices now and in the future sound a reckoning. Increasingly, with awareness the public fights against data centers and wins.

 Miss Representation: Rise Up reminds us that all of us must remain engaged in our life’s processes, politics and our votes make a difference. Finally, by empowering women through agency, and maintaining hope, no one’s rights can be diminished.

Look for Miss Represenation: Rise Up on streaming platforms. See the synopsis on the Tribeca Festival website.

https://tribecafilm.com/films/miss-representation-rise-up-2026