Male Gaze and Patriarchy

The male gaze is when men depict women as sexual objects, which dehumanizes them and makes them feel subordinate to men. In art, this means that women only exist to please men and women know that men observe/judge them. The male gaze is so pervasive in art and popular culture partly due to the ideology of patriarchy. Berger stated, “One might simplify this by saying: men act and women appear. Men look at women … Thus she turns herself into and object - and most particularly an object of vision: a sight (47). Women are aware that they are being looked at by and they have to carry themselves in a specific manner. Unfortunately, they know that the way they look or act can cause a man to act a certain way. Berger mentioned how beauty becomes competitive and it is determined by the man (52). This complicates the idea of beauty because many male artists would depict what they thought was beautiful and women felt the need to try to obtain this beauty. Berger stated, “Her own sense of being in herself is supplanted by a sense of being appreciated as herself by another” (46). This relates to Berger’s argument that women seek the approval of men and if they are called beautilgu by a man, then they are worthy. Hence, if a woman is not deemed beautiful by a man, she is worthless (in the eye of a man). The male gaze emphasizes the woman’s body and nothing more. Berger stated, “A man’s presence suggests what he is capable of doing to you or for you. His presence may be fabricated, in the sense that he pretends to be capable of what he is not. But the presence is always towards a power which he exercises on others” (46). By “others” Berger is clearly referring to women and how they continuously get oppressed by men. Many of the artists exaggerated women’s features and made these features impossible to obtain. This supports Berger’s argument that men seek power and want to be in control at all times. By painting these “perfect women”, they are further controlling/manipulating women and the idea of beauty. From their perspective, these male artists have all the power by creating these images. They know that women will try to achieve these looks. Knowing that they will never obtain these looks, men can  continue to be superior and in control of women (psychological manipulation). Berger mentions how these male artists painted women with mirrors to make it seem that they want to be looked at. This idea of a mirror was used to change the narrative and not make men look like “pigs” or “sex driven animals”. This supports the idea that men will find a way to put the blame on the woman and say that she was “asking for it”.

Edouard Monet’s “The Luncheon on the Grass” (Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe). This painting shows that the woman is aware of the male gaze. Both men are dressed and the woman is depicted as a sexual object. In a sense, the men think a nude woman at a picnic is “normal”. If the men viewed her as a human and not an object, they might have a different facial expression (ex. one of shock). https://www.manet.org/luncheon-on-the-grass.jsp

The male gaze is still pervasive in art and popular culture because it became a societal norm. Not to make any excuses or allow this behavior, but this became a “normal” way of life and in a sense it is expected for men to act like this. However, it is necessary to call out this ideology, be aware of it, and create some change. Even though today’s society is more progressive, we still see the “male gaze” on a daily basis. An example how the male gaze still occurs in popular culture today is music videos. In many hip hop and rap music videos, women are viewed as props and sexual objects. These women are in the background and are viewed as objects instead of humans. Most of the time in these videos they have very little clothing and are looked at very sexual. Many women fear walking down the street because men stare at them and objectify them (including catcalling). Men looked at women in such a man centuries ago (whether in art or daily life) and this continues today.

As mentioned before, the male gaze exists because of patriarchy. Men feel entitled and are taught that they are superior. Bell Hooks defines patriarchy as: “a political-social system that insists that males are inherently dominating, superior to everything and everyone deemed weak, especially females, and endowed with the right to dominate and rule over the weak and maintain that dominance through various forms of psychological terrorism and violence (18). Women are constantly depicted as weak and need the saving of a man to survive. It is evident that men use power and violence to maintain their control over women. An example of where patriarchy continues to exist is the workplace/careers. In the twentieth century, women could work outside the home. However, this came with many restrictions. Women have broken many barriers, yet many people view women as less competent than men. When one asks someone to picture a doctor and a nurse, gender usually comes into play. Most people associate a doctor with a male and a nurse with a female. Even when one googles the word “doctor” almost all the images are of male doctors and when googling “nurse”, majority of the images are of females. In the medical field, doctors are at the top of the chain and nurses report to the doctors. Women are “supposed” to be nurturing, while men are “supposed” to be more powerful and knowledgeable. Hence, females are in positions where they are subordinate to men. This is not to say that there are no women that are doctors, however, there is still a stereotype in today’s society. As a whole, we are moving in the right direction, but there is still a lot to improve on. Today, men still earn more wages than women and hold more political positions than women. All of this stems from patriarchy.

In film theory, they started to discuss the “female gaze” and how the female's perspective is just as important as the males. When comparing both genders, females are a minority. One of the issues with this is that women from other backgrounds are even further marginalized and oppressed. Understanding and embracing intersectionality is important, however, in society these different systems are looked down upon. Belonging to a specific gender group, having a specific sexual orientation, or belonging to a different racial group can cause one to face more obstacles and hardships. Intersectional feminism helps women of color feel empowered and allows others to see that they share similar stories and experiences. When discussing contemporary art, someone like Mickalene Thomas is a great example of someone who sheds light on intersectionality and embraces being a woman. Carol Kino discusses how Mickalene Thomas uses her platform to speak about emotions and essentially the “female gaze”: “Yet Ms. Thomas didn’t seem especially interested in showing off her new paintings and photographs. Instead she wanted to talk about the volatile emotions that had possessed her while making the work” (1). The female gaze allows women to express their feelings and show what is important to them. Essentially, women are taking back the spotlight and giving attention to what they want and not want men directed them to. The female gaze is further explored today to show that women are far more than a sexual object and women are capable of just as much as a man is.

Mickalene Thomas’ “She’s a Beauty”. This piece shows what beauty is to Mickalene Thomas and she shows what it means to be a black woman. She uses her identity and translates them into her work. The woman can be fully dressed and can still be considered beautiful. This shows that beauty is subjective and confidence plays an important role in this. The women in this piece looks confident and aware of her being. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/arts/design/12kino.html

Works Cited

Berger, John. “Ways of Seeing.” Chapter 2 & 3. Penguin. 2008.

Hooks, Bell. “Understanding Patriarchy.” The Will to Change, pp. 17–33. 

Kino, C. (2009, April 7). A Confidence Highlighted in Rhinestones. The New York Times.Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/arts/design/12kino.html