Tulsi Raja

“Male Gaze” term relates to the viewing of women through art and literature from a male perspective making female into objects, as you see in the paintings in 1900s painted by men. Berger writes “ From earliest childhood she is taught and persuaded to survey herself continually. She has to survey everything she is and everything she does, because how she appears to others - and particularly how she appears to men - is of crucial importance for what is normally thought of as the success of her life."(Berger) This means she will be treated on how she portrays herself into the world. For example, models such as Angels from Victoria's Secret they want you to watch them, and the men will watch not only because she wants to be looked it but because its dominance over women. Just like the models the women who are ‘nudity” painted are shown off as trophies.

Men for ages have enjoyed women nudity, not only because of course it’s enjoyable but it made them feel empowered. Bell Hooks, defined patriarchy as a political- social system that insists males are inherently dominating, and females as necessarily weak. Both articles spoke about “men” being superior to women and it has become a natural way of life. Religion and gender roles in patriarchy have given women no voice Hook states,” at church they had learned that God created man to rule the world and everything in it.” I personally will never understand how people are still blind sided by “Religion” that doesn’t respect both female and male,but rather state women are made to help an obey man.

Years have passed but issues such as equal pay rights, is still an issue. Things such as wearing colors pink or blue rise questions of gender. Women till this day still get objectified, being used for sales, views, and ratings. The likelihood of that changing are close to not even close yet. We have established the teaching of gender roles so effectively that till this day many people view a female to obey the man, because his role is the provider of the house. Personally, I feel that view is completely false because in many cases now women are the bread givers in many households. Girls only cook and boys don’t, girls clean and boys don’t etc are not the views I will pass onto my kids or whomever.

Reference

• Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. Penguin Books, 1972
• Hooks, Bell. Understanding Patriarchy, 2008
• The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art
• https://everydayfeminism.com/2013/05/changing-male-gaze/