Male Gaze and Patriarchy

Vanity By: Melming (1435-1494)
The mirror is hypocritically painted as the symbol of the subject’s vanity

The definition male gaze is the way that men depict women, this can be seen in art as well as literature. Men view and present women as objects that can fulfill their desires. Berger states in the text that “men survey women before treating them. Consequently, how a woman appears to a man can determine how she will be treated” (Berger 46). The male mentally puts the woman through some form of evaluation. For example, if her demeanor comes off as being nice, sweet, and really caring, the man could use that to his advantage and take her for granted. On the other hand, if her demeanor is seen as aggressive, direct, and bossy he might find her intimidating and in some way he might try to challenge her. Women are incapable of living their truth based on the way men will perceive them. The quote shows that women have no control about how men will perceive them or treat them, which makes them seem even less superior. Men being able to evaluate women allows them to feel superior to them. They are able to have that control over women, and what makes it more possible is that women confirm to these evaluations which makes it seem like what men do is justified.

The term male gaze is widely used in art and in popular culture cause the audience is typically male. In the picture above it has a woman looking at herself in the mirror. The text mentions how “you painted a naked woman because you enjoyed looking at her, you put a mirror in her hand and you called the painting Vanity” (Berger 51). This quote depicts male gaze because it shows that men depict women as objects. They see women as objects that they can use whenever they please. The quote says “enjoys looking at her”, which shows men looked at women as a recreational activity, so anytime they needed some form of entertainment they would just look. As they are viewing women as objects they expect women to be self-absorbed and consumed within their own beauty. In reality, the women see themselves are objects as well, because that is what men perceive them to be. For this reason, it causes a woman to feel worthless and inferior, because they know that men only value them for how they physically look and not who they truly are.

“The Patriarchy” cartoon by nakedpastor David Hayward

Patriarchy is a system that we may never escape. As much as people try to deviate from it; it still holds a firm spot in many households. Bell hooks is a witness to this system, because it occurred in her household. In the text she mentions that “patriarchy is a political-social system that insists that males are inherently dominating, superior to everything and everyone deemed weak, especially females, and endowed with that right to dominate and rule over the weak and to maintain that dominance through various forms of psychological terrorism and violence” (Hooks 18). This quote shows that men actually have to put effort into keeping the system of patriarchy alive. It is such an aggressive system, so in order to really have control over it a male has to present himself in a certain way. If at any moment they feel challenged they are allowed to react or physically harm the individual that has challenged them. It shows that those “weaker” than men must abide with these rules in order to avoid men being violent. This shows that the patriarchy system is only capable of working if the “weak” continues to follow rules. It now makes it seem that patriarchy is only effective because everyone else does not challenge it.

Women tend to root more for the patriarchy system. I feel like a big part of this is because it has become so normal that woman and even men who are against it have just learned to settle and accept it. For example, the text states “women in such households are far more likely to idealize the patriarchal male role and patriarchal men than are woman who live with patriarchal men every day" (Hooks 24). Single mothers idealize the patriarchal role more than men because as single mothers they are already being doubted. The world already looks down at them and they think that they are incapable of surviving without a man. Without a man in the household they now have to play both roles so they now feel obligated to encourage the patriarchal role. Women who have husbands do not have to idealize this role, because the man already takes that dominant role without them having a choice, so those women just settle.

The picture shows a group of men sarcastically discussing why women keep talking about patriarchy. In the image we can see how the men are sitting down while the few women surround them. It shows clear dominance on the men and it shows the women being inferior to them. The women are not respected enough to have a sit at the table. They have to just stand behind the men as if they are there to cater to their every need. Another interesting thing to point out is there are more men than woman so even in number the men are dominating. It just shows that art and media will always value men more and portray them as being dominate.

References 

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing; a Book Made by John Berger. British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books, 1972.

Hooks, bell. The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love. Simon & Schuster, 2005.