Intersectionality and the Oppositional Gaze
This week, to further the conversation about sexism in cinema, we read The Oppositional Gaze by bell hooks, who introduces and reinforces the importance of intersectionality when talking about inclusivity in film. Hooks, a black woman, breaks down the differences between white and black female representation in film, how feminism is leaving black women out, and how she draws her own power from that which has been historically used against women like her.
The mainstream cinema psychology that Laura Mulvey described in last week’s reading is only effective when the viewer can identify with the characters they are watching. When discussing it in terms of men and women alone, men identify with the male protagonist and women identify with the female love interest - but these tropes, until recently, were exclusive to white characters and actors. Even in the sexism of that structure, both white male and female characters were idealized. While we may understand now how oppressive the objectification of women in those roles were, white women were still raised to want to satisfy them. But that is not a universal truth for all women, as black women weren’t idealized at all. Black characters in cinema - not much different than in classical paintings from the 1800s like J.A.D. Ingres’ Odalisque with a Slave we discussed the first week - were used only to enhance and enforce the whiteness (and therefore pleasantness) of the white stars. Despite this, even decades after Mulvey deconstructed sexism in film, there were still no feminists discussing how race influences the conversation.
The mainstream cinema psychology that Laura Mulvey described in last week’s reading is only effective when the viewer can identify with the characters they are watching. When discussing it in terms of men and women alone, men identify with the male protagonist and women identify with the female love interest - but these tropes, until recently, were exclusive to white characters and actors. Even in the sexism of that structure, both white male and female characters were idealized. While we may understand now how oppressive the objectification of women in those roles were, white women were still raised to want to satisfy them. But that is not a universal truth for all women, as black women weren’t idealized at all. Black characters in cinema - not much different than in classical paintings from the 1800s like J.A.D. Ingres’ Odalisque with a Slave we discussed the first week - were used only to enhance and enforce the whiteness (and therefore pleasantness) of the white stars. Despite this, even decades after Mulvey deconstructed sexism in film, there were still no feminists discussing how race influences the conversation.
 |
| Hattie McDaniel as Scarlet O'Hara's house slave in Gone With The Wind, 1940 https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190530-rom-mammy-to-ma-hollywoods-favourite-racist-stereotype |
Similarly, when black men started gaining traction as mainstream filmmakers of black movies, they immediately resorted to the same sexist structure that Hitchcock loved - just replaced the white male protagonist and white female sex object with black ones. This is why the concept of intersectionality is so important and why black women’s voices are unique and necessary to the conversation of inclusivity. Hooks is pointing out here that while black women belong to the black community and the feminine community, they’re being let down by both.
When it comes to enjoying cinema as a black woman, many simply don’t, and some choose to ignore their blackness long enough to enjoy an escape into the privilege of white spectatorship. But hooks chooses and encourages black women to enjoy cinema through the opportunity to critique, question, and resist it. The oppositional gaze - or desire to look at something you’re not supposed to with the intent to cause change - in this context, means critically consuming media that was not made for you, and not falling for the psychology Mulvey described. This allows her to feel as though she’s reclaiming some of the power that the lack of appropriate representation has stolen from her and her community.
This was a very impactful reading for me, as I am a white female artist that is very passionate about my feminine experience and creates a lot of art about sexism in the patriarchy. Obviously, this makes sense for me, as it is my art around my own experiences. But I do think this has opened my eyes to all the different ways that women can experience sexism based on all the other ways they are perceived by society. As an artist, it is both a personal and professional matter to be able to understand, relate to, and connect with as many different types of people as possible. For me, it always felt fairly obvious who I was creating art for, but this perspective helps me to be more intentional and conscious of who I am including, and therefore excluding, as subjects and audiences of my work.
Works Cited
Hooks, Bell. "The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators," In Black Looks: Race and Representation, 115-31. Boston: South End Press, 1992.
Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” 381-89.
When it comes to enjoying cinema as a black woman, many simply don’t, and some choose to ignore their blackness long enough to enjoy an escape into the privilege of white spectatorship. But hooks chooses and encourages black women to enjoy cinema through the opportunity to critique, question, and resist it. The oppositional gaze - or desire to look at something you’re not supposed to with the intent to cause change - in this context, means critically consuming media that was not made for you, and not falling for the psychology Mulvey described. This allows her to feel as though she’s reclaiming some of the power that the lack of appropriate representation has stolen from her and her community.
This was a very impactful reading for me, as I am a white female artist that is very passionate about my feminine experience and creates a lot of art about sexism in the patriarchy. Obviously, this makes sense for me, as it is my art around my own experiences. But I do think this has opened my eyes to all the different ways that women can experience sexism based on all the other ways they are perceived by society. As an artist, it is both a personal and professional matter to be able to understand, relate to, and connect with as many different types of people as possible. For me, it always felt fairly obvious who I was creating art for, but this perspective helps me to be more intentional and conscious of who I am including, and therefore excluding, as subjects and audiences of my work.
Works Cited
Hooks, Bell. "The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators," In Black Looks: Race and Representation, 115-31. Boston: South End Press, 1992.
Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” 381-89.
I really enjoyed reading your blog! I feel you do a well job in summarizing and explaining our weeks reading with this blog and by simplifying the words behind Bell Hooks while also informing us of who she is and what she talked about in a generalized group. I really like how you discuss that there is a difference with black and white women when viewing films. The way you discuss the concept between the two is welly done especially with referring to last weeks reading as well and how it doesn't seem to be considered for all the females in film (the black women). Also I love that you said you want to expand your art to reach out for more of a diverse audience.
ReplyDelete