The Ethics of Women in Power Through the Lens of U.S. Media and Politics
Today, the absence of in-person events and activities has amplified what is most present in the world – the bombardment of politics and media and their intersection. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has made television all the more vital to our sanity. Streaming services constantly launch new feature films, documentaries and shows. Most people just stand by until the next series screams out to them: “WATCH ME!” Similarly, wherever you look, a political campaign or opinion is almost shoved down your throat, whether truthful or not.
From this, women across the world are forced to ask themselves what they aspire to be and how they want to get there. In U.S. government, the choices seem to be morality or success. It is up to women to challenge these standards and create another path.
Recently, I started watching a new series, entitled “The Wilds.” I assumed it was a coming of age story or romance, hoping it would give me a chance to take a step back from the whirlwind of news. I was wrong. The show centers around nine young women, all different in nature, who have supposedly crash landed on an island on a flight to an all-female retreat. Each episode slowly peels back a layer to reveal the girls did not accidentally crash land on the island, were unknowingly part of an experiment, and their traumas and troubles did not come from the island but from their lives at home.
The experiment’s purpose isn’t wholly explained. But from what we can infer, these nine young girls were put on this island to see if a women-led society could be peaceful and successful. Only during the final few moments do we see the experiment has compared them with a control group of men.
As a supernatural and science fiction show junkie, I can predict most plot lines in stories like this. But as the plot continued, I realized quickly this story wasn’t necessarily about its plot. It was about the underlying ideas that come from it: What is ethical? And what makes a woman powerful? We grapple daily with these questions in our politically driven society.
In the beginning of the show, I was disturbed someone could be so sinister and sacrifice these women’s mental health for empowerment. But in reality, women in power are often forced to stoop to similar levels to achieve the power and leadership roles they strive for.
Although troubling, these women seem stronger and almost better-off near the end of the series. The closeted pageant girl found the confidence to accept herself as gay. The strict athlete rid herself of her eating disorder and internalized pressure. The upbeat, friendly teen accepted she was abused as a child. But was the road to this endgame ethical? And will it continue to be?
What stuck with me the most is looking at the road to empowerment from the perspective of women versus men. Is stooping to a low to match an already problematic agenda worthwhile for the greater good of equality and women’s rights? Or is it actually the antithesis of its end-goal?
“The Wilds” made me realize women must make sacrifices to hold positions of power. In the context of the show, the experiment sacrificed the well-being and safety of its subjects. In the U.S. government, powerful positions require women, especially, to forgo their morality and sometimes compassion.
Yet, at the same time, this is progress in America. We now have the first female vice president.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, girls across the world now know they have the ability to hold a position in leadership, with Kamala Harris as a role model.
Mikaela is an Assistant Account Executive. Prior to joining Allison+Partners, Mikaela graduated from American University, where she studied Public Relations and Strategic Communications with a double Minor in Marketing and Political Science.
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