Male Gaze

Gabriela Carrillo

Profesor Cacilo 

Art and Women 

Male Gaze 

10 February 2020  

In today's modern world the male gaze remains a relevant and essential part to our everyday lives. From the beginning of time man has lived under the minds of men. Enforcing their ideas of right from wrong, powerful versus weak, and man versus women. Male gaze can be defined in many ways. How I believe the male gaze to be is the way in which a man views, and the regard a man has for the women's body. The way male gaze has been exercised has been in a demeaning and selfish manner. Men would allow themselves to have an opinion and in some situations enforce say on the way a women's body appeared, was treated, and cared for. We can see this male influence through social media, television shows, novels, billboards, plays, and so on. It would take less time to say how male gaze has not been publicized, as it has in every way. The disdain for the male gaze concept is not that women feel we should be the mot empowered (though that does not seem like a bad thing) but rather have the only and final say on how they appear. Men tend to use women in a way that objectifies them. Either taking away their individuality through paintings, shaming women of color by never portraying them at all or advertising the only desired women is a skinny women. These projections have been given so much power over time, because social media has taken over our lives! We use social media and technology daily without trying because our routines have learned to depend on it. We see tall thin women constantly put on display and somehow confused beauty with this one idea.

Men today are not as powerful in the decision making of women's lives as back then, yet their original mindset remains. The influence has shifted over time only to adapt to our new way of thinking and receiving information. Women used to look for what men desired by the women being selected for marriage, conversation, and high social status. Today young girls and women both look to social media. Unconsciously we have put on display the image if the ideal women in children shows, adult film, and so on. Girl from a young age now desire to look much like the women they saw on tv as they associate it with a form of success and acceptance. John Berger wrote, "She has to survey everything she is and everything she doe because how he appear to other."(46) This reinforces the same idea that women have only been able to hold their head as high as the women beside them. To further support this notion, Bell Hooks explains, "I was taught that a boy should not express feeling. I was taught that girls could and should express feeling's, or at least some of them. When I responded with rage at being denied a toy, I was taught as a girl in a patriarchal household that rage was not an appropriate feminine feeling."(Bell hooks 19)This classic conditioning of young mind has only shaped and continue to shape women's destruction as well as mens who hold themselves back. It in a way set the downfall for women of the next generation as the power structure was continuously left alone. It wasn't until the 1920's that women started to rebel in small ways and took the baby steps to get the ball rolling Women began to question the system began to seek education and question why the hell we were not treated as well as we should be. To me the man is as strong as the women allows him to be. 

While we all strive for equality, it is nearly impossible to achieve with today's society because women are still not peaking up, men are still given more leverages than us, and it wont end until we form a large united front and say enough is enough. We give men the power they have over us by submitting to their way of thinking and living. Though it is harder than it seem for women dependent on the man we just need to recognize a power shift can be made. The 1950's are no more and the idea of submission no longer stands. The women of today have started to think about the women of tomorrow and how we are responsible for lighting the spark to their revolution. I have longed for the day to hear of a women's uprising and refusing to cease until we see the change we desire. Unfortunately Equal pay, body positivity are not things we can imply ask for or demand, as women have no become part of the problem by doing what we can to meet the ideal beauty standards. We all have to want this and more importantly we need to officially take the reign's out of the mans hands, rather gaze and change our course. 

As a child I grew up loving Disney films. While I very much still do enjoy these films, I am saddened to say the lesson of male gaze has greatly affected the way in which I watch my favorite Disney film, The little mermaid. At first I loved Ariel simply because she was this magical being, a mermaid ! This majestic allure surrounded the entire film, being the most colorful then and having fun upbeat Caribbean style music, couldn't get better! As I babysat for a young girl who also loved the film I felt as though I had to protect her from the way Ariel was being portrayed in the film. I would ask her questions throughout to ensure that though this is a fun happy movie she knew that a girl does not have to change her appearance for a man. The entire film now seems more of a young teen girl being the possession of her father. He father who stands as a kind. When Ariel expressed her desire for freedom he was outraged and sent his second hand man to monitor her and report back. The way she was oppressed left me feeling so empty.

The Little Mermaid 1989
Ariel Signs away her voice

King Triton was no longer a protective father but in a way owner of his daughters. Ariels thought she could escape her life in the sea by being saved by another man. Making a literal deal with the devil to change herself and become what he wanted. What I was mot hocked about was how they took away Ariels voice and as Ursula explained, "never underestimate the power of body language." A silent women with beauty i the perfect women and it all depended on him kissing her and claiming her the one. I spoke with the girl I babysat and would joking say, "You know that it important to express yourself and talk to boys. They will never get to know how smart and funny you are if you have no voice." She would innocently respond, "Ew I don't talk to boys ever gross," Some ease went into he back of my mind as she hasn't been internalizing the film as I now was, but still this concept bothered me and still does. How could Disney do this? Tinker bell begging for attention as thats what women seek, Aurora has but one line in her film and had no real role in life but damsel in distress, Bell falling for an abusive oppressor! All these films I loved I now watch with an eye closed almost feeling ashamed for having loved them. Thankfully today as the social norms change we see some stronger characters emerge. We have a long way to go! 

Male gaze has began to weaken, and continues to weaken as we start to say no more. Women have become stronger because we say we can. We are educated, independent and starting to speak up for more equality! Women painting other women taking our bodies back. Women who are now officers, firemen, lawyers, and doctors are saying we can be just as successful if not more! Social media platforms saying beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Love takes on all kinds of forms. Taking back words like bitch, slut, and so on and saying I am who I choose to be. If I a women am being sexualized it's because I am choosing to do so. I choose to declare myself sexy, beautiful and so on. The #MeToo movement is in effect!

                                                                 Works Cited

Berger, John, and Michael Dibb. Ways of Seeing. London: BBC Enterprises, 1972

“Feminism and the Disney Princesses.” The Artifice, the-artifice.com/feminism-disney-princesses/.

Hooks, Bell. Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom. , 2010. Print

Wanshel, Elyse. “Artist Gives Vintage Ads A Feminist Makeover By Swapping Gender Roles.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 27 Nov. 2018, www.huffpost.com/entry/artist-gives-vintage-ads-a-feminist-makeover-by-swapping-gender-roles_n_5a60f7c9e4b01767e3d1a484?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFYYFc_Krb4XOIaia6U6Qg7ctJaNUyOEszLfIWGaQGaphyz-25b1-GJuclSKeZk8hWyB1f_8-JJVeJpUF2yRnuoxl6KazX3tVP6b-O4B3fyWVeZ4srwW9frFsX8fcmsKMz1Yjzu7uDqLFrPf6lGHFRmqPOJu-hz5ANbsjHj6ssad.