The Male Gaze

The term the “male gaze” came from a theory that author Laura Mulvey had constructed when describing how the dominant male perceives the over sexualized women in media and the arts. Women's bodies have been used since the beginning of time as far back as Adam and Eve to be an objectified form for the male spectator. I think Berger made the best points when describing the male gaze by bluntly stating “men survey women before treating them.” (Berger, 46) I believe this is highly significant in popular culture today because how a woman looks will determine how a man treats or acts around her, giving the male its patriarchal dominance over her in today's society. To say the least the more sexy or sexual you are the more a man will go out of his way for your attention. Berger made the point to state that “ men look at women, women watch themselves being looked.” (Berger, 47) Giving the male the power to have us as women feel like objects for their pleasuring sight. I believe all females at one point or another whether we like to admit it or not, have gone out our way to look good for our male counterparts. To overly doll ourselves up when we know a guy we like might be at the place we are, or to even dress a little more provocative on a girls night out to attract male spectators. Why? When we all subconsciously know it's only for a free drink or to get taken home at night. We like to believe we are playing the same roles men do, “use them like how they use us” but personally at the end I think we still end up losing because we still have to use our bodies as objects rather than our minds. With ads and media being such a platform for how we “see ourselves” and how were supposed to present ourselves, gives off such high expectations on what the norm should be when interacting with the other gender. To again quote Berger, “Men act, Women appear.” (Berger, 47)

Sexist adertisments

In the article by Bell Hooks the oppositional Gaze, Hooks makes the keen remark “ There is power of looking” which is the main structure for this concept. (Hooks, 115.) She makes the point that regardless of the history of oppression both on and off the screen, she implies that black people have a right to observe, or gaze, and the repression of that right resulted in a “rebellious desire” to look. She called that rebellion the “oppositional gaze,” this gaze is to be described as one that cultivates a power to look, enabling black female spectators to document what they see and construct their own dialogue with their own voice. Hooks than primarily shifts to how this aims to a critical discussion of the black female spectator and her relation to black and white representation on film. She states that black women in film and tv always get casted in such roles that include, The mammey, the sapphire, and the jezebel to name a few, as almost demeaning their artistic abilities as less than the white female lead. Even in pop culture today, we do have more advances in black lead roles but even the finest of actors and actresses still feel like their voices aren't being portrayed or heard correctly.

    For example on September 11th of this year Viola Davis just had an interview where she stated that a role she regretted working on was “The Help.” To my shock, since i'll be honest it's one of my favorite films (don’t ask me why just certain scenes touch my soul *wipes tears*) I had to continue to read why she said this with such prestigious awards for it under her belt. She went on to say “have I ever done roles that I’ve regretted? I have, and “The Help” is on that list. But not in terms of the experience and the people involved because they were all great. I just felt that at the end of the day that it wasn’t the voices of the maids that were heard. I know Aibileen. I know Minny. They’re my grandma. They’re my mom. And I know that if you do a movie where the whole premise is, I want to know what it feels like to work for white people and to bring up children in 1963, I want to hear how you really feel about it. I never heard that in the course of the movie.” And even with my love for her role in that movie I could understand 100% on why she said that and if anything support her more because of her true take on how she felt on the film.

Viola Davis in her role in "The Help"

In Hook’s piece on understanding patriarchy was personally an interesting read for me. She spoke on her experiences in the 50s growing up in a patricharial home where her father was the dominant leader and her mother a passive understanding wife. She went into detail on how the gender roles between her brother and herself affected them growing up and how they learned to understand that patriarchy isn't the correct way to determine these roles. She stated that they taught her brother to be angry, and strong, and a leader while they taught her how her feelings take control over her but only certain ones could be expressed, that she was only their to serve the man and to live basically underneath the man. It saddened me when she mentioned the  story of how one day she was playing marbles with her brother and was whipped viciously because it wasn't for a girl to play a man’s game, making her want to almost do it on purpose on a rebellious tone. (Hooks, 20) Though I sympathized with her adolences I couldn't fully relate. Growing up I had a very large and in charge father but just as much in charge of a mother, two older sisters, so having those gender roles didn't really exist. My parents taught us from as early as I could remember that I could do better and be better than anyone, male or female. If I wanted to play in dirt and play sports my family was right there supporting me, if I wanted to be the girliest girl my dad was right there taking me shopping for makeup that they knew I was too young for. Though I do agree with how patrichary at a young age can be imbedded and should be spoken about, it’s almost harder to get the whole world to see that. As a soon to be mom myself I do want to set knowledge to my child that patriarchy isn't the only way of thinking and to live freely and to treat people with the same respect no matter the gender or tone. I want my child and future generations to understand that their voices matter and acting in a humble and honorable way can make a difference no matter who appreciates it or not.

Patriarchy holding woman by chains

Murphy, Mekado. “Viola Davis on What 'The Help' Got Wrong and How She Proves Herself.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Sept. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/09/11/movies/viola-davis-interview-widows-toronto-film-festival.html.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/11/movies/viola-davis-interview-widows-toronto-film-festival.html