The Male Gaze

First -  A Glance 

Second - The Gaze

You have to be sly to check out a woman without her noticing or feeling awkward.  To do it right you must first look at her feet then slowly look up her body, not stopping on any body part, leading to her eyes.  Always finish with her eyes.  If you look at her eyes first then look down to check the rest of her,  she will know what you are doing.  Old advice originally written in the 1950's I recently heard quoted on a radio news segment.

Much has been written about the male gaze.  To gaze at something is to view it, absorb it and give it some personal meaning.  The male gaze is described as the popular media focus of providing images that are primarily for the heterosexual male with heterosexual females being a secondary audience. 

For both audiences, we are being manipulated into believing this slick propaganda is the only way to happiness.  The only way to get the girl is to do what the ad, movie, tv show is telling us to.   In an even more manipulative and devious method, the messages tell women they are not worth anything to men unless they meet these expectations.

I am not sure how prevalent the male gaze is in our media today compared to generations past.  I've seen great spoofs of it where the tables are turned.  This famous Diet Coke ad below is one example of the role reversal.   Even with it, is the satire directed at mocking the male gaze or is it mocking women for their version of it?



I believe the male dominated media industry's male gaze machine hurts humanity by limiting us on what we should find desirable with narrow definitions of beauty, sexuality, and objectification of women.  As a culture and a population, it is bad.  One challenge for me though is to determine if that same sense of "wrongness" should apply to the individual.

Unseen Interactions

I am a mostly heterosexual guy.  I overall know what my preferences are in determining attractiveness.  My preferences are not limited to certain ages, races, body shapes, hair colors, or geographic backgrounds.  I've been attracted to them all.  For me, it is the attitude, beliefs, self perceptions, intelligence and physical appearance combining to make a woman so damn attractive and sexy.  Sometimes I see an instant attraction that disappears as soon as a conversation starts.  Other times I feel a great and deeper attraction grow from getting to know the person and learning about how attractive they are.  On the special occasion, the instant and the ongoing attraction coincide.

Even though I believe I am a somewhat enlightened guy, I have my preferences that influence my male gaze.  It is part of my DNA, my soul, and who I am that directs me to look at what attracts me.  It is not as primal as a moth flying to the light, but it is an almost unconscious, autonomic physical behavior to look.  I will look.

"The day I stop looking is the day they close the lid."  Frank, an octogenarian and former coworker. 

Over the years I've chosen to acknowledge and learn about the male gaze in modern media and pop culture and how it is damaging society.  I believe everyone should recognize, develop, appreciate, and maintain a healthy (insert your name here) gaze.  I am sure all people who are sexual have their version of the gaze.  The Karl Gaze likes how the curve of the back of the leg is mirrored and accentuated by the curve of the breasts leading up to the neck and the chin.  That is one part of my gaze, but not the only part of it.  My gaze also likes how the sunlight shines through the silhouetted hair and caresses around the beautiful edge of skin on the nose, lips, chin, and neck of a woman standing by a window on a sunny day.  My gaze also appreciates the slow walk of a woman deep in thought about something as her mind focuses and her walking becomes secondary.  These and many other appreciated parts of my gaze make up a unique fingerprint of who I am and what I find attractive.  My gaze/fingerprint should not be the same as any others'.

Piernas (Andrea on the hood of my old truck)

With all aspects of our individuality, we must recognize and respect others when we use it.  Our gaze must not be the only discriminating filter when judging others.  Our gaze should not demean others because they are not part of our preferences in beauty.

My gaze is reflected in my photography.   It is not limited to the women in my photos, but to everything I capture.  My gaze is part of the theme, soul, aesthetic, and core of my photography.  It is not the only part of it, though I would be stupid to try to hide it and not acknowledge its importance.  I am no longer going to feel obligated to apologize for my art.  It is how I see things and art should be for the artist.  Viewers of it are free to make their own interpretations, projections and decide if they like my art or not.  I am interested in their views, but I will not apologize for what I've created.

"Europeans enjoy taking a moment to look at each other and appreciating each others' appearance.  Americans feel awkward and self conscious about this."  Something I recently overheard, but can not remember where and from whom.

Maybe it is time to accept, as individuals, that our gaze, what we find attractive and the preferences we hold are not bad to have.  How we use them may not be good, but having them is part of being human.  I refuse to limit myself to avoiding looking at beauty, in all forms, and enjoying it in a respectful manner.  That goes for what I look at and what I photograph as well.


Great continuation of the thread over at What We Saw Today.

Moon - 071310

Valya - 071310