On ways of seeing/veiwing

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There is power in the male gaze. Laura Mulvey states, that "...through participating in his power, the spectator can directly possess her too." (Mulvey 840).  The male gaze is defined as the predominantly straight, white male lens that dominates our mass media.  As a result, there has been one narrative portrayed in the media. This narrative often sexualizes females, and deems us as powerless. Too often females are portrayed as the support, as nannies, side pieces, and maids, or eye candy. A prime example of this is the origin of the Miss America organization it was not always focused on scholarship. Initially the pageant started off as a swimsuit competition in effort to extend the summer season for local Atlantic City business men.  The newspapers  increased their exposure by sponsoring photo competitions that served as a preliminary round for the pageant.

The Atlantic City business men and owners of the newspapers in 1921 are apart same population that controls the narrative today, the male gaze. John Berger states that women are regarded as an “…Object of vision: a sight” (Berger 6) In this instance females, were regarded as an object of vision to benefit the business men’s pockets. Fortunately, the organization has worked incredibly hard to act as positive influence for  females by shifting the focus on presentational skills and academic scholarship. However, it can not be overlooked that the organization has kept the swimsuit competition which has attracted a male audience during the live show.

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The oppositional gaze as defined by Bell Hooks is the concept that Black women are not represented in the media. “…enabling black female spectators to document what they see and construct their own dialogue with their own voice.” (Hooks)It is difficult to have representation in mass media when the mass media is operated by white, heterosexual males. Even when you have someone like Issa Rae, Black female, providing a quality product that creates a conversation about Black experience such as her show, Insecure, the reality is a white man is still signing her check. So at the end of the day, a white man has the final say, and this means the male gaze is still present. Perhaps it is shifted a bit but it still undoubtbly present.

Media with diversity is necessary. Hooks confirms this reality when she states that “Opening a space for the assertion of a critical black female spectatorship, they do not simply offer diverse representations, they imagine new transgressive possibilities for formulation of identity.” (Hooks 130) Exposing children to people in media that is representative helps to shape their identity. But while diverse casting is necessary, it is even more imperative that the ownership of mass media is diversified. 

The male gaze is still the predominate force in mass media. There have been continued efforts to diversify the representation in media. Yet, there is still so much work to do for all to feel represented in the media that surrounds us all.

Work Cited

Bell Hooks. In Black Looks: Race and Representation. Boston: South End Press, 1992: 115-131.

Berger, John. “3.” Ways of Seeing, British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books, 2008, pp. 36–64.

Mulvey, Laura. "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema." Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings. NY: Oxford UP, 1999: 833-844.