Sex Sells

Below are my notes on the 'male gaze' Lecture which was about men looking at women in an 'alluring' way. The Lecture seemed to me to make men seem very seedy and pathetic but people will look if you dress in a way which makes them want to. Early examples like the birth of venus the goddess of sex/love she poses covering her body mostly, but leaving some uncovered. This is still the same today with victoria secrets catalogues and adverts with many scantily clad women. This is done (nowadays) because Sex sells every time and is a easy way to sell products and or services. 

I think this can very much relate to my field in games and film. We see women in games nowadays with massive breasts and nothing on and this is because a lot of the gamers out there are blokes and making the protagonist (such as lara croft) really attractive will make them like the game more than if she want. Sadly though i don't believe Lara Croft was made for a female audiences. I think she was made this way becasuse sex sells, everytime. 

 

Look at her great big personality 

In films as well producers and directors take advantage of using attractive women to portray the roles required. Theres nothing wrong with that everyone loves seeing hot people in films and these days beauty is more of a born-with talent which you grow into. Perfect example of this is using Angelina Jolie for Lara croft, she's stunning, so thats half the reason she got the job, she's a very talented actor as well but if she wasn't as hot as she is, theres no way she would have been in the film 

John Berger

According to usage and conventions which are at last being questioned but have by no means overcome. Men act women appear men look at women. Women watchthemselves being looked at 

Hans memling vanity, 1485

Alexander cabanel birth of Venus , 1863

Sophie Dahl, opium. 

Titians, Venus of Urbino 1538

Manet, Olympia 1863

Manet, bar at the folies bergeres 1882

Mirror is a metaphor for the false social perception or Parisian life at the time. 

Jeff wall. Picture for women 1979 

 Coward, R 1984

The camera in contemporary media has been put to use as an extension of the male gaze at women on the street.

Coward R, the profusion of images which characterises contemporary society could be seen as an obsessive distancing of women

Cinemas the perfect voyeurist environment, you can look and no one sees you looking 

Men usually drive the story, Lara croft an exception, but still sexually objectified. 

Artemisia gentileschi

Judith beheading Holofernes 1620

Women marginalised within the masculine discourses of history

Cindy Sherman, untitled film still #6

1977-79

Barbara Kruger 

Your gaze hits the side of my face 1981

Sarah Lucas. Eating a banana 

Sarah Lucas fried eggs

Tracey emin money photo 2001

Reality television is the peak of voyeurism, people being watched (big brother) are aware and play the fool, so to speak so the audience will like them.

looking is not indifferent there can never be any question of just looking