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Have a dull barometric pressure headach throbbing in the background,coupled with gastric-reflux, caused by god only knows what. In the continuous battle between me and my digestive system, the digestive system is winning. Same with the weather.
After my regrettable albeit interesting discussion online about the objectification of men and women on tv, I watched the third episode of S3 Mad Men - for those following the show, this is the episode that opens with Anne Margaret singing the title song of Bye Bye Birdie in the film version of the Broadway musical. Also fitting, since I just read Http://www.robwillreview.com (I think that is the correct link) review of the current revival of the same musical on lj. He posts the reviews on his lj blog and on his review blog. He didn't like it - not surprised, John Stamos is no Dick Van Dyke (who played Albert on Broadway and in the film version) and Gina Gerson is no Chita Rivera (who played it in the original Broadway version - can't remember if she did in the film, it may have been another famous hispanic singer and dancer...). They really need to get song and dance people for those roles.
At any rate - MAD MEN - a tv series about ad men on madison avenue during the 1960s, in a scene between Elizabeth Moss's Peggy and John Hamm's Don Draper - deftly tackles the topic of objectification as well as male/female roles and male power or the male gaze in a way that I almost want to post as a vid on my lj. Because I'm not sure I can make the point better than it does. Also, depressingly enough, very little has changed between now and then in the ad world - except that now the female gaze is given a bit more priority than before.
Back then, the female gaze was well close to non-existent in media. Men ruled the roost so to speak. ( Vague Spoilers for Season 3, Episode 3 of Mad Men )
What I found disturbing and somewhat interesting in my recent discussion on the topic - is the number of women out there who appear to not be bothered by the male gaze, but are all upset about the female one. A lot of women are upset about how James Marsters was treated on Buffy. Odd. Considering he really only appeared naked in about three episodes (Wrecked, Gone, and As You Were. Dead Things doesn't count - since both Gellar and Marsters showed skin.) He had no shirt on in five episodes in S7 (Beneath You, Never Leave Me, Bring on the Night, Showtime, and Dirty Girls). That's really nothing. And one episode of Angel S5 (Hellbound).
Yet, I don't see complaints about the attire Buffy is shown in on the packaging of the S1 DVD's - considering the actress was 18 at the time, and her character was 16. Nor complaints about how women are portrayed in recent films, not to mention the annual Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Issue that comes out every year. Heck to get her career jump-started, Charisma Carpenter appeared in Playboy. Something neither James Marsters nor David Boreanze had to do.
Are women that oblivious to the male gaze and its effects? The Sopranos on HBO, airing around the same time as Buffy, had naked women in most of the episodes, the men more or less fully clothed. It was mainstream and higher in the ratings. And look at commericials - how many do you see with attractive men? OR how about stepping into a restaurant, Hooters comes to mind. At work - I remember being at a construction site and under the glass on one of the meeting tables in the workroom was a newpaper ad of an Irish bar, with the perky little waitress, and her short short skirt, and boobs hanging out. And when the film Star Trek came out - I remember post after post talking about the wonders of Uhruha and her mini-skirt, as if it was a statement of empowerment??? This is a film in which women were either mothers, shown briefly, or a naked girl in the sack with Kirk. Urhura the female lead - was shown as a sex symbol, played by a former model. Granted Kirk is hot in the film as is Spock, but it is clearly a "male" film. Transformers - the same thing, Megan Fox struts her stuff. I mention these films because they are the blockbusters of the summer.
When women do make it to film - they are shown in traditional roles (Julia and Julie) or
as sex objects (Transformers, Public Enemies, Star Trek). Or they barely show up at all (Terminator Salvation, District 9,) or they are the object of desire, pursued but not quite gotten (500 Days of Summer). If they attempt to take on the male role, they are mocked (The Proposal, All About Steve). I haven't been to the movies that much this summer and is it any wonder?
TV is a bit better - it at least is commenting on it through series such as Dollhouse and Mad Men. Or it provides women with strong roles - such as Brothers and Sisters, Damages (one of the few that has a female anti-hero), Torchwood:Children of Earth (the only sci-fi series I've seen with multiple roles for women and no-stereotypical ones), or Glee.
Granted it still has the predominately male fare - such as Supernatural. But Supernatural in its way also comments on it. Supernatural is pure noir. It is true horror noir, complete with the doomed heroes, and the doomed dark universe. In noir man doesn't have a chance. Women are either saviors or demons, parts of his subconscious, not real outside of the male's hopes and dreams. Noir fascinates me because it puts me inside the perspective of male gaze, the male mind or rather the white male mind. Most noir is film by the group in power, for some reason or other. And most of it is bleak. Almost misanthropic or apologetic. Self-abasing. The noir hero hates himself, is self-loathing. The world he inhabits pointless, and hopeless. And women a light in the tunnel, but more often than not a coming train. Supernatural also fascinates me - because it hits my brother kink - or brother issues kink. I watch it solely for the relationship between the brothers, and well Mischa Collins Castiel (who for some reason or other turns me on). Is it sexist? Yes. Is it at times misogynistic? Yes. But it is also misanthropic. That is noir. It is to a degree - the point of noir. Blade Runner being an excellent example - the Director's cut, not the original. Also to give Supernatural credit - the women are powerful - either powerful Angels, or powerful demons. They are not weak. And it hits on the nose the male fear of female power. Of gender roles.
( personal experiences regarding the male gaze and sexism )
My granny once said before you judge someone try walking a mile in their mocassins...it's not as easy as it sounds. But I wonder sometimes, what world we would live in if every guy experienced one day of the discomfort that James Marsters complains of on the Buffy set? Would that change things? Would they realize that is how we feel? If every guy who was made uncomfortable by those scenes or how the male characters were objectified in Sex in the City or in Buffy, thought that is how women feel all the time. Imagine feeling that way every day you go to work? Every place you travel? Imagine what it would feel like.
[Not edited due to lateness of the hour and I have to go to bed.]
After my regrettable albeit interesting discussion online about the objectification of men and women on tv, I watched the third episode of S3 Mad Men - for those following the show, this is the episode that opens with Anne Margaret singing the title song of Bye Bye Birdie in the film version of the Broadway musical. Also fitting, since I just read Http://www.robwillreview.com (I think that is the correct link) review of the current revival of the same musical on lj. He posts the reviews on his lj blog and on his review blog. He didn't like it - not surprised, John Stamos is no Dick Van Dyke (who played Albert on Broadway and in the film version) and Gina Gerson is no Chita Rivera (who played it in the original Broadway version - can't remember if she did in the film, it may have been another famous hispanic singer and dancer...). They really need to get song and dance people for those roles.
At any rate - MAD MEN - a tv series about ad men on madison avenue during the 1960s, in a scene between Elizabeth Moss's Peggy and John Hamm's Don Draper - deftly tackles the topic of objectification as well as male/female roles and male power or the male gaze in a way that I almost want to post as a vid on my lj. Because I'm not sure I can make the point better than it does. Also, depressingly enough, very little has changed between now and then in the ad world - except that now the female gaze is given a bit more priority than before.
Back then, the female gaze was well close to non-existent in media. Men ruled the roost so to speak. ( Vague Spoilers for Season 3, Episode 3 of Mad Men )
What I found disturbing and somewhat interesting in my recent discussion on the topic - is the number of women out there who appear to not be bothered by the male gaze, but are all upset about the female one. A lot of women are upset about how James Marsters was treated on Buffy. Odd. Considering he really only appeared naked in about three episodes (Wrecked, Gone, and As You Were. Dead Things doesn't count - since both Gellar and Marsters showed skin.) He had no shirt on in five episodes in S7 (Beneath You, Never Leave Me, Bring on the Night, Showtime, and Dirty Girls). That's really nothing. And one episode of Angel S5 (Hellbound).
Yet, I don't see complaints about the attire Buffy is shown in on the packaging of the S1 DVD's - considering the actress was 18 at the time, and her character was 16. Nor complaints about how women are portrayed in recent films, not to mention the annual Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Issue that comes out every year. Heck to get her career jump-started, Charisma Carpenter appeared in Playboy. Something neither James Marsters nor David Boreanze had to do.
Are women that oblivious to the male gaze and its effects? The Sopranos on HBO, airing around the same time as Buffy, had naked women in most of the episodes, the men more or less fully clothed. It was mainstream and higher in the ratings. And look at commericials - how many do you see with attractive men? OR how about stepping into a restaurant, Hooters comes to mind. At work - I remember being at a construction site and under the glass on one of the meeting tables in the workroom was a newpaper ad of an Irish bar, with the perky little waitress, and her short short skirt, and boobs hanging out. And when the film Star Trek came out - I remember post after post talking about the wonders of Uhruha and her mini-skirt, as if it was a statement of empowerment??? This is a film in which women were either mothers, shown briefly, or a naked girl in the sack with Kirk. Urhura the female lead - was shown as a sex symbol, played by a former model. Granted Kirk is hot in the film as is Spock, but it is clearly a "male" film. Transformers - the same thing, Megan Fox struts her stuff. I mention these films because they are the blockbusters of the summer.
When women do make it to film - they are shown in traditional roles (Julia and Julie) or
as sex objects (Transformers, Public Enemies, Star Trek). Or they barely show up at all (Terminator Salvation, District 9,) or they are the object of desire, pursued but not quite gotten (500 Days of Summer). If they attempt to take on the male role, they are mocked (The Proposal, All About Steve). I haven't been to the movies that much this summer and is it any wonder?
TV is a bit better - it at least is commenting on it through series such as Dollhouse and Mad Men. Or it provides women with strong roles - such as Brothers and Sisters, Damages (one of the few that has a female anti-hero), Torchwood:Children of Earth (the only sci-fi series I've seen with multiple roles for women and no-stereotypical ones), or Glee.
Granted it still has the predominately male fare - such as Supernatural. But Supernatural in its way also comments on it. Supernatural is pure noir. It is true horror noir, complete with the doomed heroes, and the doomed dark universe. In noir man doesn't have a chance. Women are either saviors or demons, parts of his subconscious, not real outside of the male's hopes and dreams. Noir fascinates me because it puts me inside the perspective of male gaze, the male mind or rather the white male mind. Most noir is film by the group in power, for some reason or other. And most of it is bleak. Almost misanthropic or apologetic. Self-abasing. The noir hero hates himself, is self-loathing. The world he inhabits pointless, and hopeless. And women a light in the tunnel, but more often than not a coming train. Supernatural also fascinates me - because it hits my brother kink - or brother issues kink. I watch it solely for the relationship between the brothers, and well Mischa Collins Castiel (who for some reason or other turns me on). Is it sexist? Yes. Is it at times misogynistic? Yes. But it is also misanthropic. That is noir. It is to a degree - the point of noir. Blade Runner being an excellent example - the Director's cut, not the original. Also to give Supernatural credit - the women are powerful - either powerful Angels, or powerful demons. They are not weak. And it hits on the nose the male fear of female power. Of gender roles.
( personal experiences regarding the male gaze and sexism )
My granny once said before you judge someone try walking a mile in their mocassins...it's not as easy as it sounds. But I wonder sometimes, what world we would live in if every guy experienced one day of the discomfort that James Marsters complains of on the Buffy set? Would that change things? Would they realize that is how we feel? If every guy who was made uncomfortable by those scenes or how the male characters were objectified in Sex in the City or in Buffy, thought that is how women feel all the time. Imagine feeling that way every day you go to work? Every place you travel? Imagine what it would feel like.
[Not edited due to lateness of the hour and I have to go to bed.]
