I went to see the Sarah Lucas exhibition whilst it was on in Leeds. Sarah Lucas's art make comment on the the Male gaze in todays society but in a light hearted comical way, but which is lased with meaning. This was really good to reflect back on seeing as it is a good example of how to turn Theory into Practice, showing that is can be quirky or comical, and doesn't have to be wordy and heave just because it is contextual theory.
Beyonce - Documentry
This documentary about Beyonce by Beyonce was really interesting to watch, to see if it gives any clarity on who the real Beyonce is.
In the filmed studio documentary bits, she is very natural look, looking like a normal everyday women. Is this the real Beyonce or is this just how she wants to be seen.
She starts the documentary talking about how she was to commercially successful too young and wanted to sing songs that she wants to sing, about things she's wants to sing about. Her aim is independence. Beyonce talks about emotions and comes across as being 'truthful' but then again in terms of the gaze the fact that Beyonce has created a documentary about her personal life could be seen a being quite narcissistic and the fact that she is a celebrity a world wide pop star and is able to put herself on a pedestal on stage, how do we know that this is Beyonce for real. This could just be a clever marketing tool and be her putting herself across 'as the real bey' however she choses. Beyonce or whoever is editing the video is in the power, they can portray Beyonce however they choose.
'Im not going try be cool, forget being cool I'm a be honest' Beyonce - life is but a dream
The above statement is made by Beyonce in the documentary, she wants her music to be honest, she wants to sing about whatever she wants to sing about love, sadness and however she wants to sing it. This is very independent talking, she is very keen to break the mould and stereo types of doing whats cool, and wants to be true to herself, but in a contrast the image that she portrays in her music does the very opposite the image is not honest, and it is to please the desire of men. So why does Beyonce need to do this when she feels to pationatly about being truthful in her music, why can't she be truthful in her image too. could it be because of fear and power, Rosalind Coward writes,
'Phtotography, film and television offer themselves as a transparent recordings of reality, but it is in these media where the definitions are tightest, where the female body is most carefully scripted with prevailing ideals. Women internalise the damage created by these media' Rosalind Coward - The look pg 39
this extract talks about how women in the media control the ideals of what women look like, thus having power over women as they all will look to these women in the media and idealise them, as men do but for reasons being that they want to be them they want to have that perfect look. Maybe having that power over women and men for such a reason as your body is not a healthy way to be, it would make you more aware you are under scrutiny and judgement about your body so would possibly make that person more body conscious and look after their body more / exert the power by showing off their body more.
Beyonce talks about how compared to when she started out the media has gone wild. She talks about from the moment you wake up you see pictures from the media.
'When I first started out there was no internet, no people taking pictures of you and putting your personal life, or exploiting your personal life as entertainment. I think people are so brainwashed, you get up in the morning you click on the computer you see all these pictures and its all you think of is the picture and the image that you see all day every day, and you don't see the human form and I think that when Nina Simone put out music you loved her voice, that what she wanted you to love, that was her instrument. but you didn't get brainwashed by her day to day life and what her child is wearing and who dating, you know all the things that really, its not your business, you know and it shouldn't influence the way you listen to the voice and the art, but it does' Beyonce - life is but a dream.
The above quote from Beyonce is very interesting she makes the point that you see the image of the person in the media and thats how you see them, just an image you don't see them as human beings. And this is to do with the way people are portrayed, if celebrities make themselves overtly sexual and make themselves into a piece of meat, they will suffer the male gaze and the female gaze, and people will not see them as a human or think that they could have another side as this is the side they they choose to portray and this is the image that get the attention. I think its a really interesting point about Nina Simone, about how people loved her for her voice, and that is due to the way women represented themselves back then. Beyonce has two sides to her image, but due to the other side of Beyonce being a very sexualised and encoring and welcoming the male gaze.
This documenty has been really interesting to watch, it shows Beyonce in many different ways, many differing contexts , stage beyonce , wife beyonce, mother beyonce, performing beyonce, media beyonce , business beyonce etc she is a women with many personas.
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