The perspective at which a man objectifies a woman,
and imagines a sexual relation is the male gaze. It could simply be the way a
man looks at a woman, but art has depicted it in a fashion where the woman is
exposing a part of their body, normally, to please the male audience.
The male gaze has been popular in every culture, of
any age groups. Betty Boop is one of the most famous early 1900s sex symbol. Her
show was extremely popular and attracted a large audience. She was created as a
cartoon for an older audience, but was seen by every age group. Within the
show, there are many scenes where a male gets to view underneath her clothing
and she openly flaunts herself throughout each episode.
This video shows many of the scenes where she was
displayed sexually, her portrayal of women, and her change to make herself seem
more family friendly which eventually led to her decline in popularity.
Basically, if Betty could not be sexual, Betty was not allowed. Her merchandise
is still sold worldwide and extremely popular, from phone cases to car matts.
A large part of the audience for movies, and art used
to be men. Women were not allowed to attend guilds or have a heavy part in art,
unless they came from a background of artist fathers, if they approved. Most of
the women that attended these artistic gathering were wealthy. The male gaze is
pervasive in art because majority of their audience consist of men. A nude, sexually
exposed women was what was “appreciated”.
Patriarchy is a political- social system followed by society
that implants in our mind that male dominance is the correct way for life. They
are more superior in society, families, and in the eyes of God. Women are often
portrayed as the weaker link within each family. They are the supporters and
have the right to encourage and help the man in his life. In bell hooks
article, “Understanding Patriarchy”, she states that her brother was taught to
serve, and not express his feelings while she was taught to express feelings.
His rage protected the nation and family and her rage was inappropriate and not
feminine.
I have come to understand these structures based on
society and television shows. The male figure has always been favored
throughout my life span, even when my family has always treated men and women
equally. These “rules and regulations” has been taught, indirectly, in school,
TV, and some families. Male dominance is common in many other countries. It is
openly said that women should be spending their time inside the house, taking
care of children and men should be outside working, creating a financial
stability for the family. In many families, the male figure has the last say in
many arguments and final words.
This understanding has changed my perspective on many
television shows and art galleries. I, often, find myself disagree with advertisements
shown to the public, criticizing their work about how it can affect the mentality
of the coming generations. My role in this structure would be to become independent
and never rely on a man to permit me to follow through with what I have always
wanted. It is important to have equality through the two genders because a
woman’s opinion should not be overshadowed and lowered because of the simple
fact of just being a woman.
Bibliography
Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London,
England, 1972
"Understanding
Feminist Historiography." Economic and Political Weekly25.31 (1990): 1735-736. Web.
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