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Old 09-08-2011, 09:52 AM   #86
Saya
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,548
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissCheyenne View Post
I kinda get what you mean. I understand that a lot of beauty ideals ARE driven by men, for example, a lot of fashion designers are in fact men but I am curious as to whether it's actually men who translate those ideals into mainstream society or if it is in fact women who drive that translation.
"Male gaze" and patriarchy doesn't really mean that men are to blame for these standards, it means society is patriarchal and even women buy into that. Male gaze particularly refers to the assumption that heterosexual men are watching.

Like, when women say other women look like sluts. The assumption is she's trying to gain attention from men, cheaply and unfairly, and she'll probably get unwanted male attention (sexual assault) and deserve it. The female body is already sexualized by patriarchal standards, and we treat it as something you can misuse and have it backfire on you, rather than recognize that its a double standard.
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