As finals are approaching, I am finding myself swamped with group projects, papers, and tests. Life is hectic, but my film class is keeping me motivated. In this class, I have been able to truly express myself through silent film, working with 16 mm film and old school cameras from the 1950s and 1960s. For our final projects, everyone had to give a one minute pitch, which would be put to a vote, and the top three would be chosen. After hearing my fellow classmate Maddie Aybar give her pitch, I immediately knew I wanted to work on her project. Maddie Aybar, who is a junior studying Classical Studies and Media, presented her project with passion and vulnerability, and I want to share what I learned form working on this project with you.
This film is called "The Gaze," and is about the effects and emotional impacts catcalling and the male gaze have on all women in society. When discussing how catcalling affects Maddie personally, she expressed, "my body isn't for me anymore."
On a larger scale, Maddie's film is really not just about catcalling, but about the concept of the male gaze altogether. The male gaze is when a male looks through life's lens only considering the male perspective. The male gaze comes along with a lack of respect and consideration for the female perspective. This includes sexualizing women as well as accepting the inequalities between men and women. This idea has been promoted and normalized into our culture through media and the misrepresentation of women it promotes.
Maddie's film strives to point out the presence of this male gaze and provide a glimpse at a woman's perspective on the topic. How the male gaze affects women should be recognized, and Maddie dives head first into this idea in her film.
The film includes shots from multiple perspectives, including that of women, the male gazing, and onlookers who see this happen. From the perspective of the onlooker, we see our beautiful, wonderfully talented woman subject standing in busy public places holding a picture frame around her chest or butt. As people passed by they would look at her, and one guy even stopped and asked what she was doing. The objectification of women is not only noticed by the woman being objectified, but also those surrounding her. It isn't too hard to notice the presence of a male gaze, no matter what gender you are. The overt dominance is easily sensed. This not only makes the woman uncomfortable, but also the people experiencing it with her. We also see close ups of men "checking out" girls off camera as if the viewer is the one being gazed at. Being in this position is disturbing and unsettling, which is exactly what Maddie wanted to get across. And finally we get to see the male gaze for ourselves. Close ups of our talent's exposed chest and butt are used in this film to give the viewer a glimpse at what the gaze-er is seeing. This seems so inappropriate, and it makes the viewer, man or woman, feel as though they are gazing at this woman's body.
Maddie also invested in Barbies, which she cut up took apart. Shots of Barbie's chest alone on a black surface and images of legs and heads reveal how Maddie feels, "detached from my body when I'm being looked at."
Interviewing and working with Maddie on this project was inspiring and an overall learning experience. Conversing with her on this subject, as with any woman, was enjoyable and empowering.
I remember the first time I was catcalled. I was in the eighth grade. I don't know what kind of person was into me when I was in eighth grade, considering I was 13, but I remember hearing the whistle, smiling, and feeling flattered. Society has normalized and even romanticized the male gaze, to the extent where women are finding flattery in disrespect. But how could we not? I've grown up watching the media portray African Americans as criminals, Middle Eastern people as terrorists, and women as sexual objects.
Society is instilling racism and sexism into our everyday lives, to the extent where they become so inherent that they are unconscious. It's our responsibility as individuals to educate ourselves and break from the "normalized" ideas society has promoted for so long. It is not shameful to be uneducated if you strive to become educated. So when I write this article discussing the male gaze, I by no means want men to feel attacked. I merely want to discuss its presence and how we can fix a broken society by working together. Realizing the privilege of being a male, and/or white, and/or American, and/ or straight, etc. should be nothing but inspiration to use that privilege in a way to promote equality. Considering all perspectives is key to understanding how to stand up for yourself and others around you.
If you, like Maddie and myself, are extremely interested in expressing your thoughts through film, you should definitely look into this class! Motion Picture Production (MSCH-P360) is a great opportunity to create meaningful art and expand your views of visual representation.
