The Male Gaze

What is the male gaze? It's the way men view women. the way men want women to be, and to appear. The image that is created in a man's head that creates pressure in a women's life. For example, seeing beautiful women (or what is thought of as beautiful) on billboards, 'demonstrates' to men what is 'out there'- it plants a seed that the grass really always greener on the other side (is it greener or is it astroturf?). We, as women constantly strive to be and achieve something that is frankly impossible.

I do not believe women are the weaker sex, but I do believe we are the more compromising and accommodating one. We want to feel loved, and accepted- unconditionally. So unconditionally that we are willing to throw our conditions out the door to be pleasing to men. I am not blaming all of the women's insecurities on men because I believe we have just as much of a say in this "creationm" as any man does. But this industry is a really big business; and a job of a businessman is to sell. What sells? Sex. Men have created an idea as to what is beautiful, and what is desired.

Last week when we discussed the male gaze and as degrading as most women find it- there is always that excitement as well as the intrigue that someone is watching or admiring you. Throughout the week the most poignant example I could think of was Marilyn Monroe, which then lend me to think of all the young "starlets" from 1930's to present date (Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, then the more popular, Brittany Spears). All these women, have one big thing in common, they were 'created' from man's idea.

Bell Hooks article spoke of how women are objects- but not only was her focus on gender, she was also a voice for race.

I used to be greatly affected by the media's view of women. For a very long time I thought of myself as disgusting, and completely inadequate because I didn't look at certain way. It wasn't until I began to look closer I was able to see the cracks the media. For me, 'reality' TV shows such as "The Newlyweds" with Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson actually helped to open my eyes to see a different side of the media- to see that the pedestals that all celebrities that are placed on- well, they were placed there by us and our oppositional gaze.

before
after
'reality'