The Interview
34-24-36. 5’6”. Shiny black tresses caressed the curve of her neck, brushing lovingly against her shoulder, much like a lover would. The red waist-coat faithfully moulded her body, highlighting her assets beautifully. She wore a skirt that stopped just short of her knees – some silky material that shifted sensuously against her legs with each step she took forward…
"Please have a seat..."
"Thank you, Sir." Those husky tones could do a lot for a man’s imagination, not to mention the libido. As she sat down, her skirt shifted higher drawing the gaze down to her thighs. She shifted, her spine stiffened as she straightened in the chair.
"My Curriculum Vitae, Sir. As you can see I completed my Masters from…"
Her voice droned on in the background as his gaze drifted idly upwards taking in the nip of her waist and higher up, the proud tilt of her chin to the kohl-lined deep brown eyes that were sparkling indignantly with fire. If looks could, he would have burnt at the spot. He leaned back in his chair and smiled.
"She would do. Oh yes, she would do alright..."
(Inspired by John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” – an influential book, in which he talks about the male gaze. He argues (successfully) that “men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.” Women continue to be “depicted in a different way to men - because the "ideal" spectator is always assumed to be male and the image of the woman is designed to flatter him” Berger was speaking with art in mind, yet his arguments are highly applicable in a quotidian situation – aren’t we as women, constantly aware of the male gaze, perpetually modifying our appearance to please it?)
"Please have a seat..."
"Thank you, Sir." Those husky tones could do a lot for a man’s imagination, not to mention the libido. As she sat down, her skirt shifted higher drawing the gaze down to her thighs. She shifted, her spine stiffened as she straightened in the chair.
"My Curriculum Vitae, Sir. As you can see I completed my Masters from…"
Her voice droned on in the background as his gaze drifted idly upwards taking in the nip of her waist and higher up, the proud tilt of her chin to the kohl-lined deep brown eyes that were sparkling indignantly with fire. If looks could, he would have burnt at the spot. He leaned back in his chair and smiled.
"She would do. Oh yes, she would do alright..."
(Inspired by John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” – an influential book, in which he talks about the male gaze. He argues (successfully) that “men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.” Women continue to be “depicted in a different way to men - because the "ideal" spectator is always assumed to be male and the image of the woman is designed to flatter him” Berger was speaking with art in mind, yet his arguments are highly applicable in a quotidian situation – aren’t we as women, constantly aware of the male gaze, perpetually modifying our appearance to please it?)
Selected by G Shrivastava |
13:56 |
8 Comments:
by the looks of it she wud do more than alrite!!
Quite.
Oh la la !
Should have known it would elicite that reaction from men - and here I was indignant at the way female employees are treated in a corporate set-up even today...
Random thought - it would be interesting to have something of this sort, read out by a male and then a female, and see the reactions it creates...
Welcome aboard, gal.
Interesting piece. You remember commenting on my "I can drown in you". It was an exercise similar to yours. However, I got carried away by the humour!
Yes I quite agree, having this read in a male voice would have a completely different appeal.
Hi . . . a very provocative piece. I think also that it would be interesting to look at it from a male perspective.
In studies on gaze, the female subjects look into the camera more often than the male.
Perhaps it could be couched in the first
person from the male side. That would be like
looking into the camera. Third person is like
averting the gaze.
I feel that part of the best storytelling
is really to take the P.O.V. of the opposite gender,
something that you find in Tagore. Arthur Schnitzler's
Fraulein Else is a phenomenal work in this genre.
When men take on the female role in text, it is a matter of choice. But women feel forced to
take on a male role, like George Eliot, or the
mathematician Sophie Germain, who wrote extensively
to Gauss and others under the pen name Monsieur Leblanc.
Also your piece made me think of Marie Curie, the
beautiful outsider with a brilliant mind. How did
she feel when she was being interviewed for admission
to Sorbonne? Why is it harder for a good looking woman
to be taken seriously than a good looking man? Is
it because of the male gaze?
Hmm..I agree Khuto. I think female models tend to treat the camera lens as the male eye/gaze; they are trying to meet the male gaze and portray themselves according to what they see reflected in that gaze. Notice how these ads, cater to the male expectations, even when they are directed at men?
Kuddos to you Khuto for those comments! And thanks!
Gah..I meant "directed at women"
*embarrassed about typo!*
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