4 ms·
This is a prime example of how the Male Gaze* systematically expresses a power imbalance. By using this image as an illustration of Sexy, Sexy becomes the objec
by marquis 15y ago
This is a prime example of how the Male Gaze* systematically expresses a power imbalance. By using this image as an illustration of Sexy, Sexy becomes the objectified. In this context there has been debate after debate about why women are not comfortable entering male spaces (particularly of late coding environments and google+). While there remains a particular imbalance it is harmful to the cause of trying to rectify this by further objectifying the subject of the imbalance. Now, in Facebook where I have equal male/female participants in my stream I can see far worse than this, but Facebook has managed to grow a balanced community, and the comments on an image like this, if posted by someone I know, would be far more relevant to the person's personality and placed in a context. In this large, open space that is currently Google+, an image like this serves only to remind the minority that they are the minority. I have since uncircled Tom, as the comments posted remind me that my time is wasted in participating in such a dialogue.
* http://google.com/?q=male+gaze http://google.com/?q=male+gaze
- dpark 15y agoThe "male gaze"? Every time I look at a woman I'm objectifying and expressing power imbalance? You've got to be kidding. If Tom's job were to try to correct the male/female imbalance of Google+, I would agree that the image is inappropriate. But that's not his job. It's neither his job nor his responsibility to curate his posts to try to never offend the easily-offended. As for why women are reluctant to join Google+, I think it's got very little to do with the fact that it's "male-dominated" and a lot to do with the fact that most of them simply don't care about it. Their friends aren't there. The people who are there are 99% geeks. As it is now, there's simply little value to Google+ fr them.
- thomasgerbe 15y agoWhy do women perform against their own interests?
- marquis 15y agoWould I read this to mean specifically in this case, why would this woman pose showing off surgically-enhanced breasts, knowing that she is being objectified? If that's what you mean it's not something I can answer (and wouldn't presume) just because I'm also a woman. We all do things against our self-interest for complicated reasons but at the end of the day don't we all just want to find some love and acceptance?
- dpark 15y agoJust out of curiosity, why are you so certain that this woman has breast implants?