Binary Opposition, Criticism, Gender, Sex, and the Male Gaze

Today in class two specific topics caught my attention. First, the topic of binary opposition and how it influences western thought. It’s a complicated relationship where one concept is dominant, much like the concept of gender in America. Our discussion of male and female in American society supports the idea of binary opposition. Gender norms consider men to be the present, dominant force in society while the women are historically absent from the public. The notion of presence and absence influences how we think. This rings true today because men are still considered the dominant sex in today’s society. Sexism is more prevalent than racism in the United States. Masculine and feminine has been constructed in our culture. They have been constructed because we have coined what makes a man masculine and what makes a woman feminine. We decide that being powerful, strong, independent, and aggressive is considered masculine. And, passive, nurturing, dependent, sensitive, and vulnerable associated with being feminine. These classifications stem from centuries ago and still remain. Gender norms are still present today, although, to a lesser degree since the rise of feminism and the upcoming successful roles women are exemplifying and obtaining today.

On the other hand, the topic of criticism intrigued me as well. More specifically, the example discussed with Richard Gere and Marilyn Monroe. When people criticize they are filling in the gap (an act) on a mental level. We perform this in our everyday lives. The two pictures of the celebrities represent a criticism in terms of the gaze. Marilyn Monroe’s picture on the PowerPoint was sexualized. She knows men are looking at her therefore she is going to act in accordance and present herself in a way that captures male’s attention. She is looking straight forward with a devious smile and a sexualized look that grabs the onlooker’s attention. She knows she is beautiful and is a highly regarded sex symbol and therefore is posing for the camera. The concept of the male gaze comes into play with this. Men observe and scrutinize women’s bodies and view them as sexual objects. Men look at women and women know they are being looked at and realize that they are seen as sexual objects by men. Monroe exudes sex in every way, tantalizing onlookers.

On the other hand, there was a different gaze associated with Richard Gere. The picture shows an extremely good looking man in his twenties with a sculpted body and unfazed look on his face. The reversal male gaze was associated with the picture of him in his twenties with his shirt off with a nonchalant expression on his face. We are looking at him and his sexuality but not in same way as we do Monroe. Obviously heterosexual men are not drawn towards a half-dressed Gere, therefore the male gaze does not play a role in this situation. However, people are still mentally criticizing and judging him to some extent. Unlike Monroe, he is not acting in accordance to what people perceive of him. He is still seen as a sex object but not nearly in the same fashion as Monroe. These two seductive pictures satisfy two completely different audiences and two different gazes are part of the criticism that is geared towards him and her.