The male gaze as defined
by John Berger was the way that men view women as an object which in turn gives
the man a form of power and authority over that woman. In European art, the
main subject was usually women who were painted naked. This form of art where
the woman's body is fully exposed represents the way she is submissive towards
the one viewing the painting which is usually assumed to be a man. Similar to
today’s culture, women enjoy being viewed by men because of the feeling of
being judged as beautiful is seen as important. Women go out and dress
attractively, take photos and broadcast this to the world in order to get
judgment from the men who view her as beautiful and appealing. The woman
believes that by making herself available to man in this way, she is awarded a
prize which could be used for her self esteem. The painting known as The
Judgment of Paris, Paris which is the man in the painting, is seen to be giving
an apple to the woman he finds most beautiful. Examples such as this prove that
women back then and now are seen and used as objects for men. Berger also
argues how nudity in the paintings “relates to lived sexuality” (Ways of
Seeing, 53). An example is seen in the painting by Bronzino called the Allegory
of Time and Love which shows the woman’s naked body arranged in a way that
would appeal to the sexuality of the man viewing it. Women are used for the
entertainment and purpose of a man’s desires only, not for herself.
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| The Judgement of Paris painted by Peter Paul Rubens 1577-1640 |
Patriarchy as described by Bell Hooks in
Understanding Patriarchy, is a system in which males are seen as superior
especially to females. They are expected to hold power and authority over
everything which represents their male dominance and defines their “male
identity and sense of self” (Hooks, 17). Hooks discusses how she grew up in a
patriarchal household. This system determined the way her and her brother were
taught to behave because their parents believe in a “predetermined gendered
script” (Hooks, 19) that should reflect on each of their behaviors. Hooks
wasn't able to do the things she wanted to be a part of such as playing with
marbles which was considered to be a boys game. When certain rules such as this
were not followed, Hooks’s father would punish them with a brutal whipping.
Hooks argues that the system of patriarchy not only prohibits girls from doing
what they want but it also keeps the boys from allowing to feel how they truly
want to feel by masking their feelings through forced pain. Patriarchy promotes
sexist attitudes and it creates a message that says that men should be in
control or else they would not be considered as men.
These readings that focus on male dominance and
authority has opened my eyes to better understand the purpose of certain
paintings and the role that both genders play when it comes to art. I notice
how not much has changed from back then to now. Women are still seen and used
as objects for the sole purpose to fulfill a man’s desires and to define the
power he holds over these women. Some examples from today can be seen in the
way some women are portrayed in movies. Their sexuality Is usually exposed in
order to attract the opposite sex making the movie more appealing for others to
watch whether she is naked, or dressed half naked but either way is still shown
as sexy and beautiful. Women in movies are usually expected to play some kind
of role where they express their sexuality and submitting to man. We see this
example in movies such as Transformers, or Miss Congeniality. As seen in the first link below,the very beginning of Miss Congeniality, a 2000 comedy film, it opens up to a flashback of the main character’s
childhood. The little girl sees a boy being bullied by
another on the playground. She steps in and decides to defend the boy who is
being bullied by beating up the bully. The young boy is offended by her action
because he becomes embarrassed for the fact that a girl is coming to his
rescue. This is a good example of how women, and young girls, are portrayed in
movies. They aren't expected to do the things boys do so when they do something
out of the ordinary, it is considered an embarrassment or taken to offense.
This is also a good example of how boys are expected to mask their feelings
with anger. When a woman is holding more power over the man, this forces him to
feel angry because he isn’t feeling like the man he should be. The second link below shows a scene from Transformers, the 2007 science fiction action film, where one of the characters shows off her figure in a mini skirt and tank top as she talks to the main character who is practically drooling over her exposed body. This scene shows how a woman's sexuality is exposed to attract the opposite sex. The girl is seen bending over, exposing her body even more as the camera zooms in, making the scene appealing for the eyes of the man. I now view various art and
media examples in a better light and have come to understand the true meaning
behind the nudity in the paintings and the power that men gain when women
submit themselves in this way. Seeing how much the woman's body is exposed in many more movies and not just these 2, prove that women today are viewed as objects. They are expected to submit and fulfill to mans desires by being naked or dressed half naked, and if the women do not adhere to this expectation it is seen as out of the ordinary.
Link to the first scene of Miss Congeniality:
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| 2000 comedy film "Miss Congeniality" played by Sandra Bullock, playing an FBI special agent who goes undercover as a beauty pageant contestant. |
Link to Transformers scene:
Works Cited:
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.
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