Male Gaze and Patriarchy: An Everlasting Cycle

There is an old proverb that says, ''beauty is in the eye of the beholder". The original context of this proverb is that beauty is subjective; it is solely dependent upon the observer. When it comes to the art and media that surrounds us today, this proverb does not apply. Most of it is created by men, therefore it is mainly for men. Consequently, beauty is dictated by male creators and consumers and is determined by what they find desirable. Since men define the beauty standards by which women feel obligated to comply, it is evident that the male gaze is something prevalent in our society.

The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli
Is she covering her breast because she is ashamed, or have they been sexualized?

The male gaze can be defined as the objectification and sexualization of women's bodies, for the pleasure of heterosexual men. In John Berger's book, "Ways of Seeing,'' he further explains this notion and how it came to be.
Berger articulates the concept of the male gaze:

"Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only most relations between men and women but also the relation of women to themselves. The surveyor of woman in herself is male: the male surveyed female. Thus she turns herself into an object- and most particularly an object of vision: a sight" (Berger 47).

In his explanation, Berger presents the idea that women are these hyper-sexualized beings that are constantly being scrutinized by men. Because of the male gaze a woman's identity is not defined by her intelligence or capabilities. Rather, she is defined by her body and her ability to satisfy the sexual appetite of men. This controversial theory can easily lead to women feeling ashamed of their bodies, and questioning their worth.

"The Ideal Woman"

In a society where social media consumes us, the male gaze seems even more relevant than before. It is that much more accessible to find women putting their bodies on display for the approval of men. At this point, it almost seems involuntary for women to portray themselves in an over sexualized way. The reason for this being is that it is all we see.Whether it is in magazines, billboards, or on television, the objectification of women is everywhere, it is just inevitable. Social media, and all media in general, feed women this ridiculous notion, that they should look one certain way or strive to meet the beauty standards that have been created by men. Berger introduces the belief of artist, Albrecht Dürer, by stating,"Dürer believed that the ideal nude ought to be constructed by taking the face of one body, the breasts of another, the legs of a third, the shoulders of a fourth, the hands of a fifth- and so on. The results would glorify Man. But the exercise presumed a remarkable indifference to who any one person really was" (Berger 62). This is prime evidence that the image men have of women is unattainable. It is a false narrative that forces women into a vicious cycle of comparison and competition against other women. According to Berger, the male gaze is pervasive in media and popular culture because "the ideal spectator is always assumed to be male and the image of a woman is designed to flatter him" (Berger 64).


It is no surprise that the male gaze is heavily rooted in the fundamentals of patriarchy. Berger's, "Ways of Seeing," and Bell Hooks', "The Will to Change," are built upon the same foundation, which is that systematically women are nothing more than an accessory to men. Hooks defines patriarchy as a "political-social system that insists that males are inherently dominating, superior to everything and everyone deemed weak, especially females, and endowed with the right to dominate and rule over the weak and to maintain that dominance through various forms of psychological terrorism and violence''(Hooks 18). Unfortunately, patriarchy is the doctrine in which our society is born into believing. It seems as though patriarchy is the natural social order, but really it is harming us as a society. Patriarchy is the main reason why men feel entitled to a sense of power.

A prime example of this would be in the work place. More men are placed at higher positions, as a product of them being "assertive." However, once the roles are reversed women are almost looked down upon when they are able to take charge because some may still think women are inferior, or that it just isn't a woman's place.   We often fear challenging this ideology as it is "embedded in our collective unconscious"(Hooks  29), but is of utmost urgency that we learn to stand against this toxic system.

The Male Gaze at task.

Since learning more about the male gaze and patriarchy, I have definitely taken more notice in how much in truly effects us in our day to day lives. I've noticed how advertisements are made to be more appealing to men, regardless of the intended audience, because they are directed by men. I've also noticed how women's magazine have less substance when it comes to work and other life style articles, that can be easily found in men's magazines. This is just another way of enforcing the dominant role of men and the submissive role of women. Patriarchy and male gaze will persist until the end of time, unless there is something done to end it.

For more on Patriarchy and the Male Gaze:

• https://organizingchange.org/patriarchy-persists-can-change/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2PddIma3LQ

Works Cited

Hooks, Bell. The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love. Washington Square Press, 2005.

Berger, John, and Michael Dibb. Ways of Seeing: Based on the BBC Television Series Directed by Michael Dibb. British Broadcasting Corporation, 2008.