“Black female spectators, who refused to identify with white womanhood, who would not take on the phallocentric gaze of desire and possession, created a critical space where the binary opposition Mulvey posits of ‘woman as image, man as bearer of the look’ was continually deconstructed.” (The Oppositional Gaze, 123) The oppositional gaze is a technique used to preserve individual dignity, in which many black women would decline the stereotypical representations of women like them and instead actively critique them.
However, spectators whom were susceptible to stereotypical projections allowed these notions to project into their critical view of themselves in a negative portrait. Furthermore, that could easily be implemented to the view perceived by their children. Fortunately, Bell Hooks, a black novelist was raised in a family that encouraged critique of the media in their representation of women relatable to themselves. The separation from her home to the characters on the tv screen disabled a false desire to attain projected ideas of "ideal" beauty and significance. Not only that, “the pleasure of resistance, of saying no” offered more to the dignity of Bell Hooks as a woman and as a black woman than to anyone who accepted the terminology of media naively. (The Oppositional Gaze, 123)
The oppositional gaze developed since the beginning of oppression towards black communities through attempts to regain humanity. To look at white slave owners meant to defer their supremacy over them. It was a desire, that for black women mixed with thoughts of envy and self-detrimental discrimination. The oppositional gaze is a hatred-influenced stare that tv perpetuates to exhibition when characters are codified and denounced but moreover the spectators critique themselves. The oppositional gaze actually hinders self-sustainability of black women when they visualize themselves being portrayed in the media, because they begin to see such thoughts as how white supremacists think of them. And in comparison to themselves, witnessing the false happiness of white men on the television could only put into perspective their own conscious state of being. “I want my look to change reality.” (The Oppositional Gaze, 116) The reality is that black women are not depicted in the same relation to white women or even men. They view the screen and see the difference between themselves and the portrayal of other women and men. But hoping that by staring at this representation of reality that it may contribute to the change of circumstances is a helpless idea that only encourages sustainability. By simply staring, it undermines the possibilities of change.
As we are confronted with the issue of female inferiority, without co-ed attempts to find solutions, universally there have been little efforts to undermine the commonality of the separation of powers between men and women in our society. “Clearly we cannot dismantle a system as long as we engage in collective denial about its impact on our lives” (Understanding Patriarchy, 24) In reference to the collective acceptance of household women to living in a patriarchal society, Bell Hooks addresses the problem as not being solely a male constituent. Women choosing to believe in patriarchal principles in their households reinforce these concepts among their children. Especially in single parent households, one that is mother-led will often have more abundant patriarchal values encouraged and enforced strongly to "benefit" their children with a well-rounded moral sense of the world. The development of these pre-imposed values are in alignment with the “male gaze.”
The “male gaze” is an actuality in our society that continues to exist as long as men stare at women in an objectifying manner. Nonetheless, there is a stigma that perpetuated ideals that women are meant to be looked at or stared at in a certain way by men. The “gaze” protrudes itself as a form of resistance or assertion of power, which men use to accumulate dominance in the same manner black women would take this into account. But men who subconsciously gaze even in their homes(nude paintings) are disrespecting the female gender by limiting their knowledge of connectivity to who or what they looking at. “To be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself.” (Ways of Seeing, 54) The manipulation of the conventional misrepresentation of women has evolved into a gaze that speaks a message of power without words. The way women are objectified in portraits as nudes, in which the owner-usually a man-can do what he wants with, gives the owner pure ultimate control. “Men act and women appear.” (The Ways of Seeing, 47) Women watch themselves being looked at; there is no social justice served in situations through which the woman objectifies herself as an object through her own projected male gaze. Shame and other values are considered when women see themselves in the light of judgment. The amount of freedom women have to express themselves is limited to the expressions that judgers have for them, according to what they see fit of their stereotype while other aspects are simply dismissed. And in their gaze, since women have no words to say, men have more room to project “stuff” about them and all this alludes to the prominence of patriarchal attitudes.
“Then there were those spectators whose gaze was that of desire and complicity. “(The Oppositional Gaze, 120) As spectators, men and women question the representation of women if they do not see her following the normal habits of a "woman." The combination of Hunter College's course offering of Women and Media, outside protests and other social news, further consciousness over self-destructing issues will be raised. Now, we have access to gaze at celebrities and characters through the tv, at whom we aspire to become like or be with. Many women see themselves in the media being portrayed in such a critical way. Women think that they need make-up, accessories and certain advertised goods to fulfill their womanhood because this is what the media projects and it actually hurts more than helps their overall state. Throughout history, black women would gaze at white women on the television and picture themselves as the white woman in the story. This was another projection of false happiness in the white world, secluding black women from it ands point an oppositional gaze. Now in commercials, women "male gaze" at other women through which they objectify themselves. The “gaze” has led to awareness raised over the issue of sexism wherein men receive pleasure, and women, discomfort at the expense of objectifying other women and themselves. Women are objectified so commonly, it is hardly noticed as an issue by the public. Women continue to accept the "gaze" as a social norm rather than arguing it to replace it with a safe and pleasurable life rather than with a life that is pleasured. These circumstances have never affected me as a man in our society, in fact I hardly noticed how the situation has affected women until taking Women and Media studies. Men lose certain rights to express themselves through this system so it affects us as well, and that I have noticed. It bothers me that I have only been knowledgable of my own state while women face oppression quite more often than men. When you walk in the streets of NY, you will notice how in certain neighborhoods, the "male gaze" is prominent when a woman walks by and is literally objectified without compassion. Men fulfill their stereotype and women, theirs, but social change happens when you resist the urge to follow or to "gaze."
However, spectators whom were susceptible to stereotypical projections allowed these notions to project into their critical view of themselves in a negative portrait. Furthermore, that could easily be implemented to the view perceived by their children. Fortunately, Bell Hooks, a black novelist was raised in a family that encouraged critique of the media in their representation of women relatable to themselves. The separation from her home to the characters on the tv screen disabled a false desire to attain projected ideas of "ideal" beauty and significance. Not only that, “the pleasure of resistance, of saying no” offered more to the dignity of Bell Hooks as a woman and as a black woman than to anyone who accepted the terminology of media naively. (The Oppositional Gaze, 123)
The oppositional gaze developed since the beginning of oppression towards black communities through attempts to regain humanity. To look at white slave owners meant to defer their supremacy over them. It was a desire, that for black women mixed with thoughts of envy and self-detrimental discrimination. The oppositional gaze is a hatred-influenced stare that tv perpetuates to exhibition when characters are codified and denounced but moreover the spectators critique themselves. The oppositional gaze actually hinders self-sustainability of black women when they visualize themselves being portrayed in the media, because they begin to see such thoughts as how white supremacists think of them. And in comparison to themselves, witnessing the false happiness of white men on the television could only put into perspective their own conscious state of being. “I want my look to change reality.” (The Oppositional Gaze, 116) The reality is that black women are not depicted in the same relation to white women or even men. They view the screen and see the difference between themselves and the portrayal of other women and men. But hoping that by staring at this representation of reality that it may contribute to the change of circumstances is a helpless idea that only encourages sustainability. By simply staring, it undermines the possibilities of change.
As we are confronted with the issue of female inferiority, without co-ed attempts to find solutions, universally there have been little efforts to undermine the commonality of the separation of powers between men and women in our society. “Clearly we cannot dismantle a system as long as we engage in collective denial about its impact on our lives” (Understanding Patriarchy, 24) In reference to the collective acceptance of household women to living in a patriarchal society, Bell Hooks addresses the problem as not being solely a male constituent. Women choosing to believe in patriarchal principles in their households reinforce these concepts among their children. Especially in single parent households, one that is mother-led will often have more abundant patriarchal values encouraged and enforced strongly to "benefit" their children with a well-rounded moral sense of the world. The development of these pre-imposed values are in alignment with the “male gaze.”
The “male gaze” is an actuality in our society that continues to exist as long as men stare at women in an objectifying manner. Nonetheless, there is a stigma that perpetuated ideals that women are meant to be looked at or stared at in a certain way by men. The “gaze” protrudes itself as a form of resistance or assertion of power, which men use to accumulate dominance in the same manner black women would take this into account. But men who subconsciously gaze even in their homes(nude paintings) are disrespecting the female gender by limiting their knowledge of connectivity to who or what they looking at. “To be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself.” (Ways of Seeing, 54) The manipulation of the conventional misrepresentation of women has evolved into a gaze that speaks a message of power without words. The way women are objectified in portraits as nudes, in which the owner-usually a man-can do what he wants with, gives the owner pure ultimate control. “Men act and women appear.” (The Ways of Seeing, 47) Women watch themselves being looked at; there is no social justice served in situations through which the woman objectifies herself as an object through her own projected male gaze. Shame and other values are considered when women see themselves in the light of judgment. The amount of freedom women have to express themselves is limited to the expressions that judgers have for them, according to what they see fit of their stereotype while other aspects are simply dismissed. And in their gaze, since women have no words to say, men have more room to project “stuff” about them and all this alludes to the prominence of patriarchal attitudes.
“Then there were those spectators whose gaze was that of desire and complicity. “(The Oppositional Gaze, 120) As spectators, men and women question the representation of women if they do not see her following the normal habits of a "woman." The combination of Hunter College's course offering of Women and Media, outside protests and other social news, further consciousness over self-destructing issues will be raised. Now, we have access to gaze at celebrities and characters through the tv, at whom we aspire to become like or be with. Many women see themselves in the media being portrayed in such a critical way. Women think that they need make-up, accessories and certain advertised goods to fulfill their womanhood because this is what the media projects and it actually hurts more than helps their overall state. Throughout history, black women would gaze at white women on the television and picture themselves as the white woman in the story. This was another projection of false happiness in the white world, secluding black women from it ands point an oppositional gaze. Now in commercials, women "male gaze" at other women through which they objectify themselves. The “gaze” has led to awareness raised over the issue of sexism wherein men receive pleasure, and women, discomfort at the expense of objectifying other women and themselves. Women are objectified so commonly, it is hardly noticed as an issue by the public. Women continue to accept the "gaze" as a social norm rather than arguing it to replace it with a safe and pleasurable life rather than with a life that is pleasured. These circumstances have never affected me as a man in our society, in fact I hardly noticed how the situation has affected women until taking Women and Media studies. Men lose certain rights to express themselves through this system so it affects us as well, and that I have noticed. It bothers me that I have only been knowledgable of my own state while women face oppression quite more often than men. When you walk in the streets of NY, you will notice how in certain neighborhoods, the "male gaze" is prominent when a woman walks by and is literally objectified without compassion. Men fulfill their stereotype and women, theirs, but social change happens when you resist the urge to follow or to "gaze."
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