Hi everyone,
Today I have decided to write my own article based on Laura Mulvey idea on the 'Male Gaze'. I decided to look at this from various different perspectives of women and how the media represents them:
Patriarchal Gaze
The idea that women are presented as objects before who they actually are.
Sport:
The idea of equality is slowly making it’s way through society, however is it gone completely where it should have? The Olympics is a huge sports event that gathers the whole world together and since 1900 has allowed women to compete in sports events, and the number of events allowed is now equal to the men. The media that covers the Olympics should provide equal statement’s regardless of their sex, especially when it comes from the BBC, which is a huge British organisation funded by the tax payer. Therefore, they need to stay unbiased and equal at all times, but can this status of equality that the BBC holds stay like that throughout events, like the Olympics that have not allowed women in the past.
Sport is an activity that has now provided equality throughout, therefore the thought of sexism occurring is gone, but unbelievably the media still can’t help themselves to make a sexist comment towards female athletes. A comment was made at the Olympics by BBC reporter Colin Murray, stating: “The stamina of Mo, the speed of Bolt, the leap of Rutherford and the bottom of Jess Ennis”. Even though the comment maybe minor, it still has a big impact on the female body itself and how females watching the Olympics view there own body. This can also affect the way that young girls perceive their body, as the Olympics is an event watched by the whole family. Does Murray know that Jessica Ennis-Hill is a gold medallists and an inspiration for all young women?
Pregnancy:
Pregnancy is a glorious and wonderful time in a woman’s life where you are bringing a child into the world, but the media has made the nine month process as if it’s a fashion competition between celebrities for the best looking baby bump. This is shown through the article that Vanity Fair has published showing that they voted Kate Middleton at the top of the list for ‘best dressed bump’. Since when was what you wear when your pregnant a competition. This is especially comes across in the Daily Mails article entitled the “bump off”, where they compare pictures of Kim Kardashian and Kate Middleton throughout their pregnancy stages and what they where wearing. This is an invasion on their person style, people just can’t expect someone like Kim Kardashian to be more ‘modest’ like Kate Middleton because she is now becoming mother. Pregnancy is beautiful and whatever you wear shouldn’t take away from the glorious gift that the mother is providing - the gift of life.
Hope you enjoyed reading!
See you soon!
