Ever looked at a magazine at the airport?

Have you ever stopped to look at the women on the covers of the magazines at the newsstand at the airport terminal?

We’re talking about all those photos of celebrities and models who are very beautiful and very slim and very young. They’re “flawless,” says the website MissRepresentation.org, which promotes the documentary “Miss Representation.” The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011 and is now being shown across the country.

This film, the website explains, challenges “the limited and often disparaging portrayals of women in the media.” Mainstream media is telling “yet another generation that a woman’s primary value lies in her youth, beauty and sexuality—not in her capacity as a leader.”

But this is more than just a documentary. If you visit the website, you’ll discover that the Miss Representation team is trying to start a movement “to stand up to sexism and challenge the media’s limiting portrayals of gender.”

The website suggests actions you can take immediately to make a difference.

* Watch TV and movies with your children. Ask them questions about what you see.

* Remember that your actions influence others. Don’t downgrade or judge yourself by your looks.

* Use your consumer power. Stop buying magazines and watching TV shows that degrade women.

* Mentor others. Start an open and honest conversation with a younger person.