Ways of Seeing

The Male Gaze is pervasive in culture because since the dawn of time, all thing threaded into the fabric of our nation ( Religion, Politics, sex) have men in the power seat. This particular gaze enforces the patriarchal view of how men see things; therefore pushing the view onto the masses. It is by no coincident that things are this way, the majority of entertainment CEO are Men (i.e. Rupert Murdoch NewsCorp., Robert "Bob" Iger from Disney, Sir Howard Stringer of Sony Music Corp, Philippe Dauman of Viacom). This male dominated media sphere is made by men, and inevitably for men.

The male gaze encompasses the view of woman as lacking agency or the power to look, to be, to have opinions. It often placed woman in the field of passivity and to be looked on as an object. This idea of woman as passive and a spectacle to be stared at is reminiscent of John Berger's "Ways of seeing." Berger quotes that "men act and women appear." this means that men look at women while women watch themselves be looked at.

The notion startled me, at first. I had spent many classes and lecture learning how women were objectified by the male media and how we can one day help break those tightened molds. Berger suggested that women in fact elude to the objectification. But can it be? I realize now that it most certainly can. It makes sense! women dress up t be looked at otherwise why by the latest fashions? As Berger laments " those who are not judged beautiful are not, those who are are given the prize." It can be cause we like the way we look in fashions, we feel they make us look good, but it is as much to attract a man as for any other reason.

The Oppositional Gaze is, as described by acclaimed write bell Hooks is how Black women are excluded and included in the arts. They are made to feel they should not see themselves in their white media counterparts and lack a sense of "agency." the gaze of opposition is a sight of agency, a place in which we can defy what we (black women) see on the screen.

The Oppositional gaze challenges the views of authority in that women are not given permission to look or "gaze" as they would like. Like any other person can. Black women have been forced to resist and be critical in order to achieve some identity. This gaze also helps to fight the idea of women as being subservient to men. Hooks presses upon black women to not only NOT accept the black stereotypes media projects, but to write about them, critique them , make it known their dissidence towards the unfair portrayals.

It is both hard and easy for me to understand these to ways of seeing as I am a woman but not black. As a woman I see everyday how we are watched. I can only imagine as a minority how it would feel to be consistently misportrayed. I imagine it would be hurtful and over all frustrating and that's probably an understatement.