The Female Gaze

http://www.djmick.co.uk/really/24-pictures-of-nice-view-moments/

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:39:55 -0500

http://www.djmick.co.uk/really/24-pictures-of-nice-view-moments/:

Sorry guys, I’ve been working and going to school. Here’s a quick link to a site with some pictures that are a great example of what I talk about. Notice how only one of these “nice views” is a woman looking at a man, and the rest are people (mostly men) enjoying the “nice view” of a shortskirted woman. I find the wording interesting, because they refer to this as “nice view moments” instead of something more specific, like “nice upskirt view moments” or something similar. The act of viewing a woman sexually is considered a general “nice view” without any specifying one way or another. Apparently, conventionally attractive women can be defined as nice views simply by existing as conventionally attractive women.

Notice how the men are fully clothed, whereas the women are...

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:58:52 -0500

Notice how the men are fully clothed, whereas the women are scantily clad. This is just another of many examples of sexism used by peta to further vegetarian awareness, although numerous other groups exist that don’t utilize sexism and the idea of women being symbolic of sex to get their real and important messages out.

Source

I saw this at a tattoo place where a friend was getting her ear...

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:30:12 -0500

I saw this at a tattoo place where a friend was getting her ear pierced. This is somewhat different from what I’ve been posting thus far, but the treatment of sexual harassment as something that is anything other than unwanted sexual attention seems to come up every now and again, especially in passive sign form. I am sure that this sign has made countless women uncomfortable while visiting, and made countless others laugh hysterically, not letting the reality of those words sink in.

Via Sociological Images. It’s from a slideshow on USA...

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:40:00 -0500

Via Sociological Images. It’s from a slideshow on USA Today for coffee shops that have scantily clad waitresses as their main specialty. This is frustrating me greatly to see over and over again, so I’m just going to say that I am so tired of being a member of the sex class, here only to be looked over sexually by men, and to serve men. Note how the men being served seem to be older and unattractive in this picture, but an older, unattractive woman would never be hired in such a position. Such is the plight of the sex class; when you aren’t conventionally attractive, then you are pushed even lower than sex class status, and it’s sick.

This picture was found on AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com. I find this...

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:50:40 -0500

This picture was found on AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com. I find this to be an interesting photograph because of the fact that the family is defining itself based on its relationship to the “man, the myth, the legend” Bob. Men are usually considered the “head of the household” even when at times the husband isn’t in the picture, and the son takes over (although this is a bit of a tangent). In the picture, it is also important to note the font used for daughter versus son.

Notice how the girls are posing alongside the palm tree, whereas...

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:29:41 -0500

Notice how the girls are posing alongside the palm tree, whereas the guys are striving for the coconuts. The boys are actively attempting to obtain the coconuts, whereas the girls are simply posing alongside the tree, passive.

These pictures were a part of an album posted on Facebook, more...

Sat, 09 May 2009 19:17:58 -0500

These pictures were a part of an album posted on Facebook, more of which I will upload in the future. These particular ones were interesting because of the way that the four of these people posed/interacted with the object. In this instance the object is the pink elephant. Notice how the girls both pose with their respective boyfriends atop the elephant, as the boyfriend will stand beside her. The boys, when posing, seem to take a more ‘masculine’ approach, by spanking or hitting the elephant. I think it’s interesting that our common interpretation of gender norms will seep into the way we interact with the items around us.

I feel that this image perfectly exemplifies what the male gaze...

Sat, 09 May 2009 02:14:10 -0500

I feel that this image perfectly exemplifies what the male gaze is, in the most literal sense. Notice how the woman is perfectly dressed and made up, as dozens of men, dressed casually and somewhat disinterested, critique her ability to be an “auto babe.” I chose a screen cap instead of the image itself because the name “Auto Show Babe” couldn’t go unnoticed.

Welcome to The Female Gaze

Sat, 09 May 2009 01:42:08 -0500

This blog shall center around the finding and analyzing of a variety of images related specifically to gender relations, usually resulting in a feminism-related analysis. Analysis of images will be casual, short, sweet, and to the point. The name plays on the concept of gaze and, more specifically, the role the male gaze plays in the images I will focus on. I will update every time I find images which I find interesting. If you would like to share pictures with me, I would appreciate it greatly. Just leave a comment on the most recent entry, unless I’ve posted an email to be reached by by then.

Some recommended reading:

Sociological Images (I would credit them as being my primary inspiration for this idea)

Blog of Champions (Written by an awesome person)

Feministe

Feministing

—Devotchka