This article is mental and makes me feel simultaneously sick and fucked off. It offers a lot in terms of how the male gaze became so quickly ingrained into not only culture but then society as not only the default but also the prerogative of men as a fun hobby or pass time. In the same way that contemporary dress codes are set to oppress women and girls so as not to be a distraction to men and boys (who apparently cannot control themselves) here the priority of any woman daring to exist out and about in the world must be one of decoration, titilation and objectification for any male she may come across or merely pass by.
“Part of a strategy to reach young people, one promotion for Diet Pepsi offered students different buttons for men and women that celebrated their roles as watcher and watched. Men, the ad made clear, should enjoy women’s bodies, while women should watch their figures and invite men’s attention.”
Inviting male attention doesn’t feel like something that needs much encouragement really.
This is one of many things I have been reading about lately that is helping me ask the questions of why Rape Culture exists and why we don’t talk about one if its major contributing factors enough – porn – when trying to examine it. Also it is interesting to me that whilst we see this phenom of “Girl Watching” as quite retro and outdated we seem to have not progressed away from it but rather leaned into it and are now not only watching but grabbing, groping, filming, shoutning and assaulting as well.
I also wonder if the medium of “Girl Watching Guides” and pamphlets etc could be something utilised in reverse tho, I like the idea of making zines or something that breakdown all the concepts and ideas I’ve been talking about in the sex ed workshops.