My husband and I love watching the NBA. We keep up with most games and follow player news closely, so when the Cleveland Cavaliers played recently, my husband was especially excited to watch one player in particular: Sam Merrill. Merrill is a white guy born and raised in Utah who has carved out a successful NBA career primarily through three-point shooting and assists. As we watched, my husband said he enjoys watching Sam play because he relates to him. He explained that when he watches Sam, he can imagine himself in the NBA—they look similar, play similarly, and share a comparable background.
I immediately got excited and said, “Yes! You get it! That’s why representation in media matters!” My husband enjoys watching Sam Merrill not because he believes he will ever be in the NBA, but because seeing someone like himself in that space allows him to imagine the possibility. That imaginative connection is powerful. Representation is not simply about inspiration; it is about who is allowed to envision themselves occupying specific roles. When young girls rarely see themselves represented in positions of power, leadership, or athletic success, that imaginative space slowly disappears.
In the documentary Miss Representation's trailer, researchers note that when children around age seven are asked whether they want to be president of the United States, boys and girls respond in nearly equal numbers. However, when the same question is asked at age fifteen, a significant gap appears: far more boys still see themselves as potential presidents than girls do. This shift does not occur because girls lose ambition. Instead, it reflects years of consuming media that subtly and repeatedly suggest that leadership, authority, and power belong to men.
Popular culture reinforces this message not only through absence but through portrayal. Women in media are often shown as secondary characters, love interests, or exceptions to the rule. When women do hold power, they are frequently scrutinized, sexualized, or framed as unlikable for their ambition. Over time, these narratives teach girls that occupying space—especially powerful space—comes at a cost.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023) offers a striking illustration of how representation shapes imagination. In Barbie Land, women hold every position of authority: presidents, doctors, judges, and leaders. Female power is not extraordinary—it is normal. This world invites girls to imagine themselves naturally in roles of influence and leadership. However, when Barbie enters the real world, she encounters dismissal, objectification, and exclusion from power. The contrast highlights how quickly female confidence and ambition can be undermined by cultural messages that suggest women do not belong at the top.
The message is clear: imagination is socially conditioned. Just as my husband sees himself reflected in Sam Merrill and momentarily imagines himself on an NBA court, boys grow up surrounded by examples of men in power, sports, and leadership. Girls, meanwhile, are taught—often quietly and indirectly—to narrow their sense of possibility. If young girls never see women consistently and positively represented in positions of authority, they will struggle to picture themselves in those roles. That absence of imagination becomes a barrier long before any real-world opportunity arises.
Representation matters because it shapes who feels entitled to dream—and who learns to step aside. What examples in media have led you to dream you can be more than you currently are?
Thank you for your post! On top of this week's readings, your example of the importance of representation has been very helpful to me and my understanding of how popular culture plays a vital role in our imaginations. To answer your question, I often find myself scrolling through motivational videos and end up putting my phone down, feeling more motivated and driven to be successful. Popular culture does a good job in helping us in some cases, but as you mentioned, it can be responsible for limiting us as well.
ReplyDeleteI really connected with you post, especially about watching the NBA with your husband. That moment with Sam Merrill was such a clear, everyday example of why representation matters, not because we expect to literally become what we see, but because it opens up the imagination. Your mention of the Miss Representation video resonated with me too. One of the things that stuck with me from that video is the idea that messages about who we can be start incredibly early, almost from the moment we’re told “it’s a girl.” Over time, those images quietly shape confidence, ambition, and whether girls feel entitled to take up space. I also appreciated how you talked about mentorship and examples, because Miss Representation makes it clear that without visible women in leadership, girls struggle to picture themselves there. Your use of Barbie captured that contrast perfectly.
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