The Gaze

According to Laura Mulvey, the male gaze refers to looking as a source of pleasure for men (Mulvey 835). Within media and film men are the lookers while women are the source of “looking”. In doing so the woman becomes objectified. She is viewed as an object whose prime source is to be looked at. There is power within the gaze, the man is dominate because he is allowed to look while the woman is a result of that gaze which makes her subordinate.  Therefore women must always ne away of their gestures, voice, expressions, clothing, taste and etc.

Women are the source of the gaze, therefore their actions, gestures, language, and among other aspects of their selves are viewed and judged.  According to Berger, the action of a woman indicates how she would like to be treated. “ If a woman throws a glass son the floor, this is an example of how she treats her own emotion of anger and so of how she would wish it to be treated by others. If a man makes a good joke this is an example of his anger.” (Berger 47).  Berger goes as far as to state that women posses both the surveyor and the surveyed within her and that the surveyor of the woman in herself is a male (Berger 47).

The Male gaze is a pervasive force in popular culture. Art, and film are two important aspects of popular culture. Throughout these different sub cultures of popular culture the male gaze is present. The ideology of the male gaze is present within Renaissance artwork of nudity. Within these paints, the female subject is aware of being seen by a spectator (Berger 49). “She is not naked as she is. She is naked as the spectator sees her.” (Berger 50). Mulvey reflects on the male gaze within cinema.  There is a sexual imbalance in which a male is active and the female is passive. This imbalance is present within cinema. The male character looks upon the woman’s body, which is styled and presented accordingly. Women are displayed as sexual objects and in certain scenes the involve pin-up girls and strip- tease which is apparent in many films during the 40’ and 50’s, these women are set up to be looked at by the males within the films and the males within the audience. Mulvey also reflects an important aspect within the relationship between male and female characters. The female character is there to make the male character act. His love or fear for her are all driving forces within his actions to save her or have her. She is of no importance to herself (Mulvey 837).

Bell Hook coins the phrase oppositional gaze refers the gaze of a blacks. As Hooks explains the gaze of a black person does not align with the typical male gaze between a white man and a white woman. Blacks deem the ideology of “gaze” differently. This difference stems from slavery.  As slaves you were not allowed to look at your master or any white man. “Gaze” is viewed as a dominant right, which is not based on gender but by color. Black men, although men were also deemed subordinate with their female counterparts. The gaze is viewed as a privilege, the power of a spectator. (Hooks 117) In terms of television and film, blacks could no relate to what they saw. The “gaze” was not the gaze of blacks whether male or female. “ To stare at the television, or mainstream movies, to engage its images, was to engage its negation of black representation.” (Hooks 117). As a result independent black cinema was created.

The black gaze of a man is viewed as a danger to the white woman. Black men have been lynched for looking at white women. By looking at the white woman the black man puts her safety in jeopardy. He “rapes” her white womanhood. In terms of the black women, it is as if they do not have a gaze nor are they subjects of any gaze. “Black women spectators shut out the image, looked the other way, and accorded cinema no importance of their lives.” ( Hooks 120). The misrepresentations of black were presented in early shows such as “Amos n Andy”.

Prior to these readings I was aware to a certain extent of the male gaze but I was not aware of it dominating control. In a world different by patriarchy is it damaging to know that something as simply as our gazes are also driven by patriarchy. The power of the gaze is evident in today’s society.  Upon reading Berger’s reading, I am aware that even today women subconsciously tend to these ideals. As a black female, who is a film major I resonate with the work of Bell Hooks the most. The importance of the difference between the black gaze and white gaze is critical especially in film theory. The representations of blacks within cinema lack certain truths. Due to the ill representation of blacks independent films such as Julie Dash’s “Daughters of the Dust” is greatly appreciated for its authenticity.

Even in the present day not much has changed in the mainstream media. It is still sexual driven. The male gaze is still deemed essential. That is apparent within the magazines (even women magazines), cinema, commercials and so forth. As a woman I have to understand that my sole purpose is not to live as one that is being surveyed.  I have to live life as the woman I want to be. Women are given more liberties in this present day but there is a strong sense of patriarchy within this world and as a woman you must pave your own way.