The Male Gaze in the Patriarchy

Shani Ketema

Professor Cacoilo

Art & Women

     As described by John Berger, the male gaze is the way the world views women from a male point of view. In a sense, the male gaze objectifies women by only making them seem like something pleasant to look at , or in a more contemporary phrasing , as "eye candy".

The term 'male gazed' was first used by a Feminist film critic named Laura Mulvey in 1975. The reason why the male gaze is persuasive in art and popular culture because of the patriarchy. The patriarchy is the male dominated society that we live in. According to Bell Hooks, the patriarchy is "the most life threatening social disease assaulting the male body and spirit in our nation"(Hooks 17).  There are so many rules concerning gender roles, I have to agree. Even in culture that isn't mainstream, the patriarchy reigns. For example, (my favorite example) is the everlasting argument about nipples. When a woman breastfeeds in public it's "disgusting and she needs to go somewhere private". This is because even though the woman is satisfying her patriarchal role as a woman- taking care of the child- the good girl aspect of a woman is supposed to conceal her body. the 'bad girl' is supposed to put out. It’s funny how a man can walk down the street shirtless in the summer time. No one will say anything to him, or ask him where his shirt is. In fact, people are completely oblivious to the fact that he’s “half naked”. They justify his half nakedness with “It’s so hot outside, he’s just cooling off”. If a woman decides to wear shorts and a bikini top , she’s labeled immediately. People will advise her to go change, or put on more clothes. Men will call her disrespectful names and other women will shake their heads.

Consider the male gaze in clothing advertisements. In American Apparel Advertising, we find that most if not all of their advertising featuring a woman that is overly sexualized. Sure enough just as the male gaze is designed by men to appeal to men, American Apparel advertising appeals to men. They even hired a porn artist to design their ads. If a man were in the same position, American Apparel would have to change their audience.  It has become socially acceptable for women to be sexualized because of the male gaze.

Another example of patriarchy is the male opinion on abortion. It's a paradox for women, because men expect them to give them permission to ejaculate inside of them and think it's their choice as to whether or not the woman pursues and abortion.

I understood the male gaze and patriarchy at a very young age (10, I was a baby feminist), I just didn't know what to call it. I concluded that it was designed to justify inequalities. I was taught to be a 'good woman', to sit with my legs crossed and bring comfort to the men in my life. I was taught that the way I look says fifty percent of what I wanted to be said for me. The other fifty percent came from action, because ladies should be seen and not heard. Questioning it wasn't an option, my questions were met with answers like "because you bring life and it's your job as a woman to make a man feel...". The part about bringing in life was empowering but what about how I felt ?

As far as art and media goes, I try not to look at everything with my feminist eyes, because then I'd hate everything. My understanding of the patriarchy changed my views about media and art young as well. I noticed that every artist I was taught about was a man, and that all the women I saw in the media were either women looking for a man to love them or mothers of some sort. Women couldn't be CEO's of companies or doctors in a world where men reigned...right ? Wrong. As my understanding of the patriarchy developed I realized that Tyra Banks wasn't the most powerful woman in the world (Between Queen Elizabeth and Oprah), women were artists- painters, writers and photographers too and without the presence of women, men couldn't do half of what they did. The patriarchy upsets the worlds natural balance.

In the society we live in a man can walk down the street shirtless and a woman can’t because men make the rules. I wouldn’t say that trying to change the way gender roles work is pointless but it takes a lot of effort. It’s like arguing with your parents about why they won’t let you do something and they say “because I said so”. Unless you were the kid with perseverance, you still get a no anyway.