Switching Lenses

           Feminism has always been an active collective of people who fight for gender equality in all aspects of life but many are undereducated about the true meaning of this movement and refuse to take part in it. This raises the question, why would people overlook or shoot down being part of something as beneficial and powerful as feminism? Well, we could turn to what is being instilled in your average media consumer; biased perspectives, which have transformed into societal ideals and norms.

            In Mulvey’s essay, she addresses the different “gazes” that exist in the film industry that don’t work in favor of women or people of color. One of the terms she discusses is the male gaze. It means exactly how it sounds; it’s how women are viewed as objects of desire in film. Unfortunately, the male gaze is still being implemented into films (especially actions films). I feel that the male gaze is still present in popular culture for selfish reasons. By placing “attractive” or over sexualized women with weak personalities into films, it will have a large exposure, which leads to more viewers and higher revenue.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Transformer

            In Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the story follows Sam Witwicky, the Autobots and their friends as they fight a villainous force that threatens their existence and the fate of the world. Of course, his girlfriend who is played by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley accompanies the male protagonist, Sam on this action packed journey to saving humanity. I remember watching this movie as a junior in high school and feeling irritation from how all the women in the film were portrayed. They did make her a tech nerd but that side of her was played down so they could make her the constant damsel in distress that was always looking polished and fresh faced (even after an extensive running or battle scene).  The whole movie was the epitome of the male gaze that is being addressed in the assigned essays. 

            Another term that was talked about would be the oppositional gaze. The difference between this and male gaze would be the cultural aspect of it, however, both gazes can go hand-in-hand. According to Bell Hooks, the oppositional gaze is her way of encouraging black women to critique stereotypical representations in films instead of accepting them. This is encouraging for women of color and minorities to follow since there is so much racism and the industry believes it can pass off offensive stereotypes as humorous, acceptable and realistic. The problem with challenging stereotypical roles and being a woman of color is the backlash that one is faced with afterwards. 

Mo'Nique after Oscar win 

            Recently in the news, African-American actress, Mo’Nique told a magazine reported that she was “blackballed” in Hollywood after her notorious Oscar win. She said when she was first casted in the award winning film, Precious, she had problems with her character and demanded for changes to give her character meaning and purpose. However, she said after her win, directors turned her away, stating that she was difficult to work with. She challenged the oppositional gaze and was blackballed by Hollywood. I’m not saying one shouldn’t critique weak characters but I’m merely pointing out one of the many injustices that occur in the film industry. 

          I’ll admit I was reluctant to fully engage in the readings when I first saw them. Granted, reading lengthy pieces come with the territory when you’re an English major but as much as I love the idea of feminism, it does frighten me. I feel that the subject itself is another language; there’s so much terminology and strong ideas behind it that you are overwhelmed when asked to respond to them. However, once I sat myself down and cancelled out my surroundings, I started questioning and started understanding the complexity of feminism. I felt so many emotions and being presented with different point of views by active feminist has motivated me to become knowledgeable and a better woman. Just like Laura Mulvey stated, "Not only will I stare. I want my look to change reality.” (Mulvey, 116)