Male gaze as
described by John Berger is basically the process in which a man looks at a
woman. For a man to observe a woman and to objectify them into a particular feminine
way, illustrates how men have the upper hand in authority because of the way the
woman is stripped of her identity solely for the purpose of pleasuring a man. This
ideology of male gaze is pervasive in art and in popular culture because this
trend started years ago with European paintings and is still portrayed in todays
society. In John Berger’s Ways of Seeing,
the author states, “A naked body has to be seen as an object in order to become
a nude” (Berger, 54). This shows how European women were mostly viewed as
objects in nude paintings and perhaps outside of paintings because of the way people
were conditioned to view art. Even though it seems harmless to view women in
paintings as objects because of the actual experience to enjoy true art, it
actually affects the human mindset after they leave from seeing a painting, as
it could allow them to think it is okay to view all women as objects. This
process of viewing women as objects, is degrading to the actual woman because
it makes it more difficult to prove that women have the ability and potential
to reach higher positions in society, rather than the normal societal
expectations that include taking care of the kids, cleaning the house, and serving
her husband. In the text, John Berger also mentions that even if a man were also
painted in a painting, the woman’s face and body is always facing the spectator,
symbolizing that her attention is towards the man looking at her rather than
the man in the painting. This allows the spectator, assuming it is a man, to
feel superior and to feel wanted by a woman. Even in today’s society, women portrayed
in movies, music videos, photography, and on social media, all have a way of positioning
herself to be viewed and pleased by a man.
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| Some patriarchal views that are still relevant today. |
Patriarchy as described by Bell
Hooks is basically a political system in which men are the most dominant
beings, and that they are superior than everyone else, especially women. Patriarchy
is practiced through continuous acts of violence to ensure the societal roles
that men are expected to follow. In the text Hook expresses how she dealt with patriarchy
growing up, as not only did her father instill it in the household, but also by
her mother. She explains how she would always try to defy the societal
expectations for a young girl to follow, and how she used to get in
trouble for it. In the text it states, “‘You’re just a little girl. When I tell
you to do something, I mean for you to do it.’ He beat me and he beat me,
wanting me to acknowledge that I understood what I had done” (Hooks, 20-21). The
author mentions how her father beat her because she refused to stop playing
with marbles. Patriarchy is visible in this situation because the father resorted
to violence in order to make his daughter learn instead of comprehending that
it could have been more of an issue regarding innocence rather than implanting the
concerns of gender roles. The author also mentions how even though patriarchy is
practiced in most households, people do not speak about it in public. In the
text she states, “Keeping males and females from telling the truth about what
happens to them in families is one way patriarchal culture is maintained. A
great majority of individuals enforce an unspoken rule in the culture as a
whole that demands we keep the secrets of patriarchy” (Hooks, 25). I feel that
Hooks is addressing the importance of patriarchy and that in order to help diminish
the rule of it, that people must speak about it in order to enlighten people
about the serious issues that it contains.
These structures regarding the male
gaze and patriarchal standards have changed my views about various art and
media examples because now I am aware that there is more beyond the act of
posting a picture on social media or by viewing an art piece. I now know that a
picture or art piece has an underlying audience that it is trying to target, in
most cases a man. As I explore social media from now on, I am more conscious of
how the male gaze is presented as most posts are directed towards the pleasure
of a man. In respect towards patriarchy, I was always aware of how men have
this form of dominance over women, as seen in different religions and even portrayed
in movies and books. I feel that there is still a long time until the patriarchal
system is altered so that women may have the same powers as men, without being
frowned upon; and this will only change through enlightenment.
References:
1.
Berger,
John, Sven Blomberg, Chris Fox, Michael Dibb, and Richard Hollis. Ways
of Seeing., 1973. Print.
2. Hooks, Bell. “Understanding Patriarchy”. The Will to Change. New York: Atria
Books, 2004. 17-33. Print.
Links that describe ways to defeat the male gaze:
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| The "male gaze' is presented in this painting because even though there are two men in this painting, the woman is still directing her body towards the spectator, allowing the man who is observing it to feel that the woman's attention is only directed towards him. |
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| Here, it is evident that the male gaze is still relevant in today's society as there is a huge difference between the two different types of magazines. Why is it that women must show so much skin to only be viewed as inferior while men are dressed in suits and can be taken more seriously? |
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