John Berger’s Ways of Seeing explores the male gaze, how common it is in society, and how it affects women. Understanding Patriarchy by bell hooks, examines the patriarchy, how it is a fundamental in our society, and its effects on society. These two readings help to open our eyes on major topics that are not talked about regularly in today's society.

This illustration serves as an example of how women are looked at daily.

 The male gaze as described by John Berger is the depiction of women as an object or a thing. Berger examines the way a man looks at a woman and how that action affects the woman. Berger states “Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.”(Berger 47) This quote from the writing has powerful meaning and explains how women have the pressure of constantly being surveyed by men that they continuing examine themselves. Women’s appearance is greatly scrutinized by men, while women allow this by valuing the opinions of men. The reason women may tend to do this could be explained by a quote from Berger, “And ultimately how she appears to men, is of crucial importance for what is normally thought of as the success of her life”(Berger 47) This quote makes the claim that women’s entire life is spent pleasing the male spectators around her. If you think about women in this way, you may understand the pressure society puts on her to please the man. The understanding is that if her appearance is liked than she is successful in her so-called mission in life.
























Pictured here are little boys and little girls playing with dolls; however, most people will find it more atrocious that the boys were playing with dolls. This disbelief and outrage resulting from boys preferring "girly" toys (and vice versa) is born from the patriarchy which conditions society to believe in and reinforce toxic standards from such a young age.

The male gaze is pervasive in art and in popular culture because men have always been in power. It is these men who create and ask for art for their pleasure thus normalizing the male gaze. In the past it was kings commissioning artists and today this takes form in movies and media.

Bell Hooks defines the patriarchy as an underlined system that mostly everyone follows that allows the male to be dominant and superior. Historically, women have always been caretakers while the men were the providers. Even now, despite a woman having a job equal to her husband’s she is additionally expected to take care of her home and family by herself. Women are expected to “serve, to be weak, to be free from the burden of thinking, to caretake and nurture others”(Hooks 18). While men are expected “To be served; to provide; to be strong; to think; strategize, and plan, and to refuse to caretake or nurture others”(Hooks 18). This also works conversely as men who take on generally “feminine” roles, such as a nurse or a stay at home parent, are harshly judged by society.





















This illustration depicts how the man is the superior of the family, this is allowed through the support of the wife and the submission of the children. When children are out of line, the man must take action to assert his dominance while the wife must support him. This process of patrichary allows the man to remain the superior.

This writing has brought to my attention a fact that many other people in society do not realize. It is the fact that most of our society support in the empowering of men while disempowering women, and it is both men and women who reinforce this belief whether it be consciously or subconsciously. While many women fight for equality between in the job market, they are also participating in patriarchy. They participate in the act of patriarchy unconsciously, through allowing the male to lead in the relationship/family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdHJG67xmsQ

This link is to a Youtube video about the male gaze using the movie “Magic Mike” to help explain. This movie depicts male strippers who are somewhat sexualized as how we sexualize women in films. We can conclude through this movie that there is also a male gaze where women sexualize men to be only “things”. Even though this is true, the female gaze is way more common in films. There are only 15% female writers or directors of films in today’s world. This could lead us to the conclusion that males rule the film world and therefore create female gaze for their pleasure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIebsN18Eh4

This is link is to another Youtube video that provides examples of many films from today that depict female and male gaze including “Mean Girls”, “House Bunny, and Twilight.


Works Cited



Berger, J. (n.d.). Ways of Seeing.



Hooks, B. (n.d.). Understanding Patriarchy.

Patriarchy Society (The man overpowers the whole family)