Kittaneh- Male Gaze & Patriarchy

“A man’s presence is dependent upon the promise of power which he embodies. A woman’s presence expresses her own attitude to herself, and defines what can and cannot be done to her” (Berger, 45).  Berger explains the difference between a man and woman’s presence and how she appears to others.  He explains further that a woman’s body is always surveyed, judged, watched; therefore, turning into a sight, as opposed to a man’s body. The male gaze is very pervasive in art and in popular culture, whether we notice it or not.  One powerful Indian advertisement had the lyrics, “Look how you look when you’re looking at me” while men were staring at women on buses, at restaurants, and on the road.  This advertisement depicts everyday life for women all over the world, not just in India.  Men tend to talk down upon women who aren’t dressed modestly and use that as a justification for their inexcusable behavior, gazes, and rape.  However, Berger mentioned that men, “morally condemn the women whose nakedness [they] depicted for their own pleasure” (Berger, 50).  Men feel as though they are entitled to absolve nakedness when it is for their benefit or pleasure but feel the need to objectify women who ‘look like’ they are submitting to more than just them while walking down the street.  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/23/indian-ad-male-gaze_n_4492724.html

From 0:53-1:01 of this video, the reality of the male gaze is clearly depicted.  While the men on the bus were staring at a woman's cleavage, her mirror-reflecting necklace fell back into place, covering her cleavage.  The men then saw themselves and realized what they were doing.  This advertisement was more powerful than ever since most men feel entitled enough to look at and objectify a woman without feeling an ounce of guilt or remorse of how they make a woman feel.  This advertisement is just one step from turning the male gaze into an understanding of sexual street harassment.

Female gaze defeating patriarchy 

I’m sure there are many definition of patriarchy but they can never be explained better than when Bell Hooks illustrated her childhood. “As their daughter, I was taught that it was my role to serve, to be weak, to be free from the burden of thinking to care take and nurture others.  My brother was taught that it was his role to be served, to provide, to be strong, to think, strategize, and plan; and to refuse to care take or nurture others” (Hooks, 18).  This specific example Hooks gave, gave readers is about gender roles in our society.  It is engraved in us before we are even born that girls wear pink and boys wear blue.  That boys can play in the mud and be ‘cute’ but when girls play in the mud they are ‘dirty’.  There are instances in our everyday lives that we don’t even realize.  In recent news, Target Corporate decided they were going to move away from gender-based signs so that gender roles do not determine what toys/clothes a kid can get.  This move by target does not take away gender completely but it does reduce gender inequality and as a company, they are moving one step in the right direction in the battle against patriarchy.

https://corporate.target.com/article/2015/08/gender-based-signs-corporate

We can talk about how unrealistic this specific scenario in the advertisement below is. A woman cleaning in heels with the vacuum stuck under her dress. But we should instead focus on the male gaze, sexualization, objectification, and gender roles portrayed. This advertisement was created for the male.  It is has an action to "call us now". Men were the ones making purchases and calling customer service in the time this advertisement was made.  They sexualized and objectified a half naked woman doing house chores while looking at the camera, or the male viewing this advertisement. It is also clearly portrayed that it is a woman's job to clean the house and vacuum and that she can't always seem to get that right either.  The model in the image has a 'dumb-founded' look in her face as she does not know what is going on behind her.

Advertisement of vacuum. 1950's.

I have come to a better understanding of what the male gaze and patriarchy really are.  Understanding them and reading more about them have helped me structure how women are viewed by themselves, men, and society.  Looking at examples through art and media have helped me reflect on my own identity and obligations in society.  When I chose to cover up, I knew it was not going to completely dodge street harassment and the male gaze. But wearing the hijab helps me think of my personal values beyond the external instead of being sexualized, objectified, and part of the system telling me women must uncover and reveal their bodies to be sexy and beautiful. 

-Sara Kittaneh 

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London: British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books. 1972. 

Print.

Hooks, Bell. "Understanding Patriarchy." 2004. The Will to Change. New York: Atria Books, 2004. 17-33. Print.