In episode 2 of John Berger’s, “Ways of Seeing” he expresses how women were depicted during the nude era of Western art. Women were painted in the nude to show vulnerability and submission to men. Their poses and gazes to the intended male viewer were meant to be seen as provocative to intrigue him. Women to this day still suffer with being objectified. We have these ridiculous expectations of what our bodies should look and what we have to offer a man. 

What really bothers me about the effects of superiority some men feel they have over women, is the catcalling. I know everyone has either seen or experienced this and it’s absolutely disgusting. There have been a few times I have walked around even with my daughter and men have made noises or said gross sexual things towards me. These men clearly saw me as an object, and it’s extremely insulting. The lack of respect these men have for women comes from a long line of stereotypes our history has placed on us. We’re meant to cook, clean and take care of your babies and look sexy doing it. Women haven’t been recognized for their intelligence, strength or any of their unique individual qualities until they demanded it. And still, some men haven’t changed their views on women. 

Below is a disturbing video of a woman walking through New York City for 10 hours experiencing a ton of sexual harassment from men. Catcalling is NOT a compliment.

John Berger argument in episode #2 “Ways of Seeing” was basically about how men see women or how they have seen them in the past. His discussion was specifically on historical nude paintings, and he made several good points. He stated that the purpose of drawing women “naked”  in the past is to amuse the male viewers, and this underestimates women for being just a tool to satisfy lust. This idea still exists in the present. Women still suffer from this stereotype that they have nothing to do in society except showing their bodies for men pleasure. So, they got abused and no one cares about these creatures because they are just “an object” for entertainment. Strangely, we still blame women and criticize their clothes of being the reason for why they got harassed. That is such futile thinking, and not right at all. If she wears naked clothes or not, that really makes no difference. It doesn’t matter what she is wearing. The basic problem is that she is persecuted in society, and it’s extremely important to put an end for this issue. Now, a national movement against sexual harassment is happening. It’s called the #MeToo movement. Many women broke their silence and shared stories on social media about molestation from men, and they put the hashtag #MeToo. Well, I think it’s a good step for people to know that women have rights like anyone, and we should not infringe their rights because they are “women” and “weak”. 

Recently I have watched John Berger’s video called “Ways of seeing” Episode II. This video is about depicting women in naked position in art and its acceptation by the society. The society of the past centuries would accept this kind of pictures with hesitation. But the modern society accepts these pictures normally.I want to speak about this situation in my respond. Since the exile of Adam and Eve from the Edem garden humankind has changed completely. If in the past centuries watching or displaying naked women had been a veto or kind of a taboo, now it is not. Nowadays the image of a naked woman can be received as a normal situation. People can look at these women without sense of embarrassment and evaluate their beauty. Nakedness is perceived as a fruit of beauty. The modern society has different stereotypes about naked women. They admit them as independent, powerful and dominant women. Women also are not afraid of showing and exhibiting their body. Moreover, they are not frightened of displaying their orientation. We know many women with lesbian and transsexual orientation and we act normally to them, because our society has admitted these changes.The beauty of a woman is like a Pandora’s box: the more you show it, the more controversial it is. Some admit it normally, some react to it as a result of a strange behavior. But everyone has his or her own opinion. So the answer for being naked or not to be lies in deep places of your soul                                                                                            

Nowadays women are adding a more empowered role in society. The woman is no longer seen only as an object reflected on a canvas, nor as a housewife. Now women have more value and go out to demand their rights. Although, it is true there are movements such as #metoo that are responsible for seeing for the welfare of people who suffered some kind of discrimination or sexual abuse, there are also movements that support all types of people regardless of their gender or sexual affiliation. While it is true that the empowerment of women began approximately during World War II, today women are stronger and come together to make their voices heard.

In Chapter 2, Ways of Seeing by John Berger, he demonstrates how women were seen in ancient times, how painters embodied in their canvases bodies of naked women in order to demonstrate inferiority to men. That is why I consider that over time the woman has managed to get ahead in the same way has made her rights be respected and in turn respect herself.

One movement that catch my attention is the LGBTQ movement, because they take care of each other , they also encourage to fight for them rights . here is some pictures of them representing what they love, and what they still fighting for.

By the pass of the time people are able to decide what they want to do with their bodies, sexuality based on what they think and  the more important on how they feel. At this time, most of men and women stop taking care about what others say, they just want to feel free and to love each other as how they really are.

Since I was a child, I have been raised to be modest, to not show “too much skin.” Skirts should not go passed your fingertips, and shirts must have sleeves or else “You would be a distraction”. A distraction to who? To Boys, To Men. Ironic since our most revered historical Paintings are almost entirely based upon nude women. Berger discusses the idea that nude oil paintings despite their beauty all stem around the male gaze showing the perception of women at that time period.

Women lounging about in her everyday life, posed ready in waiting with a longing seductive gaze toward the viewer who was meant to be presumably a man. Berger makes a distinction between nakedness and Nudity that might clarify this idea further “To Be Nude is to be seen as a work of art, to be Naked is to simply be without clothes.”  To summarize, Nude is intended to be seen as an object by a spectator, left to be judged. These Paintings were a representation of that era’s societal view against women.

Women of today are progressive; we have more rights and a voice. However, we still are battling to gain respect from the male gaze. Society still sexualize women ,some blatantly, some without realizing, making judgments from the clothes she chooses to wear, assuming the amount of clothing she wear equals the level of availability she has.

Women have been trying to fight against these ideals and one way this is being done is through Slut Walk. It is a March where women gather to raise awareness to society against blaming women’s clothing,professions and prior consensual relationships, as an excuse for sexual assault,and to effectively end rape culture. The attire worn is typical of what society deems too revealing such as exposed navels , low cut shirts , shorts , mini skirts , bras or pasties . Their minimal clothing is to combat the stereotype that women’s bodies and what they wear justifies the verbal physical sexual and societal abuse they would receive when wearing revealing clothing . What a person wears should not be a way to excuse the assaulter and blame the victim, and just cause you wear revealing clothes does not mean you should be thought of as less than a person.

Throughout the years, women’s image has been depicted in many different ways. In episode two of ways of seeing, John Berger explains how in the Western art, the nude figure was used to express female beauty and its forms, but also, nude portraits were made with the purpose to appeal to men’s sexuality. Berger’s central argument was that nudity objectifies women. He mentions that nakedness does not define a woman as she is; instead it just shows their submission to others.

This can be compared to the current situation in society, where women are more acknowledged for the way they look than for their values and what they have to offer. The #MeToomovement is a movement that was created to help and support those who have been victims of sexual harrassment or sexual assault. Many american celebrities were encouraged by this movement to speak their truth and consequently a high number of other victims followed and told their personal stories. All this was done hoping to spread awareness  of how many women are being sexually neglected on their daily lives by the media, in their jobs or even their own family.

Women should start being respected  and acknowledged by their unique qualities and not for their  physical appearance.