Male Gaze and Patriarchy - Juleidy Aquino

Marilyn Monroe is ok with having her body seen.

In Chapter 3 of John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, he introduces the Male Gaze and how women are objectified to it. Women are sexually objectified by men and are constantly feeding the sexual desires that men hunger. In the book it states “to be born a woman has been to be born, within an allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men” (Berger, 46). Women are born to be in the possession of men and to allow them to be in control. Women must be appealing to the eyes of men and also have an approachable presence.

Berger further explains that men are surveyors and women are surveyed. Women are constantly surveyed by men because women’s actions and presentations deem how she would like to be treated. Berger states “If a woman throws a glass on the floor, this is an example of how she treats her own emotion of anger and so how she wish it to be treated by others” (Berger, 47). In today’s world, if a woman dresses with short shorts or a strapless top, it is assumed by men to cat call them and continue with slanderous statements. Women today are able to retaliate back to those statements, thus bringing back to the point the example of anger earlier discussed and how she would like to be treated. Women have to accept the most common expression “men will be men.”

In today’s culture, women are depicted nude in pictures and in scenes for a man’s pleasure, no different from the past. Even if a man were to be depicted nude, he still has a sense of power over women, and men can compare that nude to themselves; “I am him, he is me.” In the painting of Susannah and the Elders on page 50, you can see her being looked at by the elders, while she is looking at us. She joins us looking at her. In the other version, Susannah is looking in the mirror, thus looking at herself looking at what we see. She is still being objectified.

Women in today’s society believe sexually objectifying themselves is “ok.” Artists like Nicki Minaj and Rihanna love to show off their bodies and their curves because sex sells. Marilyn Monroe was also more than okay when showing off her body to the world. She was very proud of being a sex icon to many men. Their beauty and their bodies are what attracts more of their male counterparts. This begin to have women comparing themselves to these sex icons and if they are desirable to what men find attractive, thus bringing us back to women surveying themselves for the surveyors. Below is an attachment of an article describing reversed roles among men and women and how different society would be.

Reversed Roles Mini Article

https://wgs160.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/reversed-roles/

Nicki Minaj, a female rapper, showing off her body.

Bell Hooks introduces patriarchy in her book titled The Will to Change. She describes patriarchy as the dominant and superior roles men play in society. These values are taught to men and women when they are young, and organizes the way of life. Hooks was face to face with patriarchy when her father made it clear that her brother and she are not equal. This happens in many households. I was taught that men are the breadwinners and women cooked, clean, and took care of the children even if they had a job. The men are to be served while they relax for work the next day.

Hooks states “at church they had learned that God created man to rule the world and everything in it and that it was the work of the woman to help men perform these tasks, to obey, and to always assume a subordinate role in relationship to a powerful man” (Hooks, 18). This ideology is instilled in many religions and continues to be the basis on how society is molded today. The father is usually the head of the household. Conflict arises when women become head of the households because patriarchy may not be taught the way society views it. “We need to highlight the role women play in perpetuating and sustaining patriarchal culture so that we will recognize patriarchy as a system women and men support equally, even if men receive more from that system” (Hooks, 24). Women and men can be equal in the patriarchal world if both men and women would come together and make changes to the social system. Hilary Clinton is breaking barriers running for president because that is something that many may seem to be bizarre. A woman running the country? How can this be? There are many that are ignorant and oppose this idea. We must all change and come together to have the will to change patriarchy. Attached below is a link to James Brown's song It's a Man's Man's Man's World. I particularly chose this song because patriarchy is demonstrated throughout, but he also acknowledges women and how the world is nothing without them.

James Brown- It's a Man's Man's Man's World
This is a man's world, this is a man's world
But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl

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

Leaving Patriarchy in the Past

Work Cited:

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

Print.

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