Karima Nasr Art and Women Professor Caçoilo The male gaze was coined by feminist Laura Mulvey in 1975. The male gaze simply explains the idea that art containing women is for the satisfaction of the viewer (male). This portation of art started back during the renaissance period and continues heavily in today's society. In John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing”, he notes that “A woman must continually watch herself. She is almost continually accompanied by her own image of herself”(16) This means that while a woman is being “gazed” upon whether is a photo or in real life, she is subconsciously thinking of how she looks to the viewer and perhaps “how good” she appears to the male. The photo above depicts an advertisement for men's antiperspirant. What makes this an example of the male gaze is that they used a woman to showcase the antiperspirant. The worst part is, is that she isn't even holding the product, but is putting a turkey in the oven half naked. Her body language in this ad is sexual and is for and only the eyes of men, as it is a men's deodorant advertisement. The Male Gaze is persuasive in art and popular culture because it is largely a logical answer to why women photograph the way they do and why they were painted a certain way. Why else would women pose and or be painted looking completely available, sexual, and naked? For example, below lies a painting of a naked women and a man observing her. She does not look back at the man, which signifies her nakedness is only for him to see, "Nakedness is in the eye of the beholder"(Berger 48) Similarly, the beholder would be the man(voyeur) looking at the image itself. In the words of Bell Hooks, "Patriarchy is a political system that insists that males are inherently domineering, superior to everything and everyone deemed weak, especially females, and endowed with the right to dominate and rule over the weak and to maintain that dominance through various forms of psychological terrorism and violence"(Hooks 18 Understanding Patriarchy) The idea of patriarchy can be the sole reason why things like the male gaze and sexism continue to occur today. Simply because society has the idea that men need to be strong and dominant installed into their heads. This should not mean that men have some sort of "special badge" to keep continuing acts of male gaze, men's privilege,abuse and such.For example, coming from a Middle Eastern family I experience patriarchy often. My two younger brothers(5 year age difference) had their "no curfew" curfew at the age of 14. While I on the other hand, had to wait until 18 to be able to come home past 11. This is simply because men are men and girls are girls that should not have much freedom. Another example of Patriarchy takes place is the newly famous book and film series "50 Shades of Grey". This series resembles patriarchy because Christian Grey the main character beholds a sexual abusive BDSM relationship with a Anastasia Steele. The whole idea of the movie depicts patriarchy, Christain is a dominant character and can do whatever he pleases to Anastasia because she is submissive. My current understanding to these structures have made me realize the amount sexism there is in today's society and in history as a whole. This makes me feel obligated to stand up against how normal patriarchy can be perceived and to attempt to change the way a woman is seen as. Citations and Links http://www.hypable.com/fifty-shades-of-grey-male-nudity/ Berger,John “Ways of Seeing” Hooks, Bell "Understanding Patriarchy"