- Patriarchal society dictates how women see themselves.
- Men run society; women are a threat so this disempowers them.
- To be looked at / ‘looked-at-ness’
- Women bearer of meaning – not maker of meaning
- Scopophilia – reducing women to objects to be looked at and for men to gain pleasure from looking – e.g. men’s magazines. [MEN BEHAVING BADLY pornography episode.]
- Leads to voyeurism at its extreme. [SKINS!! / REAR WINDOW.]
- Cinemas pander to this – dark, comfortable, private, separation – fantasy up there on screen, grants anonymity; gives impression we are given access to an otherwise private world.
- Active/ male vs. passive / female – binary opposition – Levi Strauss
- Camera becomes a male eye.
- Most directors are men!
- Camera operators likewise!
- Production companies controlled by men!
- Women hold the look and play to the male’s desire.
- Women unclothed – men never! [SKINS!]
- Women often slow the narrative down; i.e. get in the man’s way, need rescuing, misunderstand, become the reason for the male’s actions.
- Men speed the narrative up, are responsible for the action; women are there to be looked at ‘eye candy!’
- Implications – women are used to being subjected to the male gaze and see themselves as men do: idealised. Image consciousness is FOR men’s benefit!
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