Blog a response to Pariah, from the perspective that hooks articulates as the oppositional gaze. Think about how you might view the film from this perspective: it’s a critical and deliberate one, so anyone can engage in it–even if it’s not your own personal experience. Think about the oppositional gaze as a viewing strategy that is both resistant and creative.
Try to start off with hook’s discussion of the oppositional gaze as a challenge to oppressive forms of erasure and discursive violence, and as a way to create spaces for self-representation and the formation of black female subjectivity.
How does the film resist dominant forms of knowledge about black women, and what does it create instead?
Please note the the lower cases in bell hooks’s name are deliberate.
Rewatching this movie, after reading Hooks’ essay, The Opposition Gaze, I saw a completely new side to the film. The essay goes into detail about how black women are never the object of the audience’s gaze. Hooks talks about how black women have basically been excluded from being seen as strong leading characters, therefore black female spectators may stay away from Hollywood cinema in protest or rejection. The oppositional gaze that these black women have is resentment that their true person is never depicted in a pleasing way. The essay caught my attention when talking about how some people stray from Hollywood cinema to be able to see other types of people receive the audience’s gaze. People look to other types of films and other filmmakers who have not fallen into the mainstream trap. After rewatching Pariah, I realized this is one of those movies. This movie is inspiring and thought provoking. It opened my mind to things I hadn’t thought of because I had never experienced them. Also, I had never seen them in a film because it isn’t a storyline of mainstream America. I can’t even imagine being kicked out of my house because my parents don’t accept who I am. Pariah is a coming of age story that can be watched by everyone. I did realize that I couldn’t really put myself in Aleke’s shoes. I still enjoyed the film, but after rewatching I realized I never found myself jealous of the characters or wishing to be one of the characters, like I might when watching a Hollywood film. Pariah embraces the oppositional gaze and turns it around on
What stood out to me most about Hooks’s essay is the statement that “there is power in looking.” The gaze is explored to be one of power and control, yet can yield extensive punishment. I interpreted that the movie Pariah functions as reversing the oppositional gaze itself. Defined as a look that aims to challenge reality, the inverse or rejection of the oppositional gaze can be used to characterize the entire film. As the film forces people to look at things that are not mainstream or popularly produced in the cinematic industry, viewers are forced to “stare” at controversial topics and create awareness of such topics. The directors and producers of the film are given power to focus the gaze on the “other” and fully document black struggles without any attempts to promote white supremacy. This movie allows what is referred to as the “repressed gaze”, in which we are given the opportunity to direct our gaze to something that is not usually in our view points. The movie takes the inverse of typical hollywood form, in which there is recognition of homosexual black women and confirms the ideology of the status quo of such people. On the other hand, the representation of black women and families in this movie is that of working class and inherent struggle, to which viewing pain can result. As I was enlightened by the film, I was not able to connect to any of the characters or the occurrences. Thus, an inverse of typical hollywood form was created, to which as a white female I was “othered” and forced to watch a portrayal that had no direct connection to me or my life.
Arielle,
Your last comment raises an interesting question: how do we judge whether there is a “direct connections” to our personal experiences? I’d venture to say that there are if you are someone who came of age in the US, went to an American high school, were raised in a nuclear family, and understand yourself primarily as an individual with personal hopes, dreams, and desires that are central to your sense of self, then there’s a lot of direct connection.
With the oppositional gaze in mind, it is obvious that Pariah is all about that gaze. The point of the movie is to show the oppositional gaze through a story of the total opposite of the gaze itself. The main character being a black female is totally off from the usual white male. Through the oppositional gaze, we are shown that there is nothing wrong with who Alike is. Her freedom of expression drives the point home that despite all of the resistance she faces because of her sexuality, she still finds the courage to fight back in her own creative way. Her words are her form of speaking her story and creating her own self-representation. An interesting point that I noticed while watching Pariah for the second time was that there were no important characters who were white. This takes away any comparisons that might happen if a white person were to interact with the main character in any way. The notion of neutrality in the oppositional gaze seems to be fed to us in the movie by not having any important white characters. In this way, we see the scenes with a neutral mind, and the oppositional gaze becomes easier to grasp in a way.
As stated by the previous bloggers the movie was very different this second time around. I found Hooks essay quite interesting and pretty awesome when I connected it to Pariah. I definitely like that, although not to popular, black independent films like Pariah are slowly making their way into mainstream film. I strongly believe that its only a matter of time in which films that present this oppositional gaze will be apart of what is “normal.” I also found quite interesting that not only the film defies mainstream norms but also the main character herself! I almost felt like this coming of age story was a reflection of the arising of the oppositional gaze if that makes sense. Like Aleke black independent films found a medium to present their true colors. One thing I liked was how the movie articulated black identity. I felt that it wasn’t as exaggerated as other films I’ve seen. As a coming of age story I love how Pariah shed light to real situations not always presented in mainstream film and TV.
Re-watching Pariah with the idea of the oppositional gaze in mind, some interesting observations were raised. In the oppositional gaze, people are resisting oppressive modes of knowledge (stereotypes). I would argue that Pariah is exposing these stereotypes. The cast is African American in a working middle class situation. The problems that Lee has to overcome are not problems that the average person has to deal with. Does the idea of Lee being black and having to overcome these problems correlate? The filmmakers force the audience to view things that aren’t typical in mainstream Hollywood films. For example, the very first thing that the viewer of the movie sees is the strip club and the obscene language of the song playing in the background. In Hook’s essay, she talks about how the black woman is never the object of the gaze. I would say that in the film Pariah, there are only black women to gaze at. Perhaps the situation that the women in this film are in aren’t desirable, but nonetheless they are what the audience is forced into watching. The portrayals in the film were very realistic, it didn’t feel like the scenes were too exaggerated. Because of this I believe the film would appeal to many audiences, not only those that are interested in independent films.
Like many of the other bloggers, I had a completely new experience when I watched Pariah with the oppositional gaze in mind. After tuesday’s discussion, I realized that Pariah presents the oppositional gaze loud and clear. The filmmakers use the oppositional gaze to reveal Aleka true personality and characteristics. Pariah draws a connection between the way black people are portrayed in mass media and the black women construct themselves as subjects of daily life. Event though Eleka has to overcome adversities that are not normal in terms of a straight white person’s life, I personally believe that the film successfully presents said issues in such a way that they become the norm. As stated in the article, the women in Pariah, “Have their own reality, their own history, and their own gaze”. The disruption in typical mass media representation of a “coming of age” film, forces the viewer to engage and look at the film differently. The aspect of the movie that I enjoyed most is that there was no noticeable sense of racial hierarchy. As a result, I was able to focus on the representations of the black women in the movie. Unlike most “Hollywood” films I thought that the filmmakers’ representation of black women and “the coming of age” process of Eleka was portrayed with authenticity. While entertaining, Pariah functions as a bridge between mass media and the resistance of the negation Black representation. Consequently, Pariah’s breakthrough into mainstream films successfully publicizes an authentic view of Black representation and life to the mass audience.
After watching Pariah the second time, I found it somehow much more interesting since I could connect the movie to this oppositional gaze that we talk about in class. Unlike the first time I watched it, I realized that this movie is fully based on a perspective of this oppositional gaze of the black race. This is shown through Alike’s point of view of being a black lesbian. This movie differs from other mainstream movies in mass media because it focuses on the black race compared to the white. Just like how Hooks explained it in the essay, mainstream movies are used to maintain the supremacy of the white, and the fact that this movie is nothing like a mainstream movie, is very appealing and interesting for me. The phrase of “there is always power in looking at something” made the second viewing also very interesting due to the fact that every time people look at other people, I always feel as if there is some kind of authority and meaning behind it. I feel that this movie is special in many ways, just because it gives the viewers a new point of view (that oppositional gaze) that they rarely see in mainstream movies. Not only that, but it also allows the viewers to become more open minded to how movies has much more varieties now, especially seen from how that gaze is not only to a white race, but also to a black race.
When finishing the second viewing of Pariah and reading the oppositional gaze on a two pass system, a few things were brought to light that I did not realize at first. Primarily the that black women stare in resent of the mainstream cinemas, seemed to go hand in hand with Pariah. It seems as though the entire movie was created for the main goal of rebellion against orthodox films. In the essay, Hooks explains that mainstream movies are made to encourage white supremacy while this movie is a slap to the face of mainstream writers as it follows a typical movie setting and plot line with a protagonist and her family, yet injects a black lesbian instead of a white heterosexual male. Like many other bloggers I agree with the notion that Pariah completely embodies the idea of the oppositional gaze. Furthermore it is interesting that the tactic of simply breaking the unwritten rule of not staring is what resentful movie watchers do when they believe that they are not being represented precisely. Without question the gaze used by white males can be even more effectively be used by all other demographics that consider themselves deprived of movie representation.
Watching this movie again made me look at the film in a completely different light. Although it is hard to identify with Lee’s exact situation, it is something prevalent and relatable in many aspects. In my opinion I believe Lee creates her own oppositional gaze, and her being gay also challenges the ways in which women are represented. The oppositional gaze can be known as a look of defiance over the oppressor, and that look contains much power. I think that is exactly what Lee does. For example, when she finally stands up to her parents and admits that she is gay it is not done in a negative way. She proudly accepts who she is and even tells her mother that there is nothing wrong with her. By Lee opposing and resisting the order, she develops the gaze. I also noticed the way in which women are objectified in the film, especially in the scenes in the clubs. This does also not portray the entirety of what it means to be female, as seen by the different women, some who are more masculine than others. I believe that also is a kind of oppositional gaze.
I would have to agree with everyone that after watching the Pariah a second time while keeping the oppositional gaze in mind I had a had a completely different overall experience. It made the movie seem like a different movie. I now have a new understanding and respect for Pariah. It breaks away from mainstream film which we all know is hard. In interesting point that I read in the oppositional gaze was about the lack of reality to how Black people actually live their lives and to how movies portray their lives. In Pariah you actually get a sense of who they really are. You get a sense of their life as if it was all real. There are some parts of the essay we read that contradicts the movie, Pariah. For example women are not objects to be gazed at. In what scene of the movie are we not looking at women. The scene when the two girls are making love on the bed is that not gazing? Maybe I’m a little confused on the idea of the essay and the connection to the movie. For once the character isn’t a white male and instead a Black female. Even better; a Black lesbian. Pariah couldn’t break farther away from the mainstream ideas of film. Although this creates a smaller population of viewers that will identify with the main character it finally gives birth to a new genre. One that has been long overdue. Even without a white male main character I still found myself able to identify with Alike. I understood the struggles of family image, parental constraint, and not fitting in all the time. Those are pretty universal images.
After re watching Pariah and reading through the blog posts I have to agree with Arielle’s comment form Hook’s essay saying, “There is power in looking.” As covered in the “Oppositional Gaze” and elaborated on in class, a look can be a powerful thing. The way we look at someone can give them a sense of what we think of them whether it is filled with curiosity, hate, love, or concern. In Hook’s essay it talked about blacks avoiding looking at whites for fear of punishment and training themselves to not look and later, practicing “looking” by watching movies. Re watching Pariah made me realize how much “looking” there is going on. Watching the different gazes going on when Aleke is with her parents was the most interesting to me because I feel like there is so much going on in her head. She does not feel accepted by them and does not want to hide her true self any longer. As the movie goes on Aleke uses her eyes to show her independent and free self. When one character stares, glances, or just looks at another, there is so much more there than just a look. They are showing their hate, love, and friendship through these gazes. They train themselves to look in different ways to mask or reveal what they really feel.
Watching Pariah and rereading the oppositional gaze essay for the second time made me realize that naturally I watch movies with the oppositional gaze subconsciously. Growing up I’ve always noticed the lack of black representation in mainstream movies. Now this time I focused on the oppositional gaze and saw everything Hook discussed in the essay being portrayed in the film. In mainstream movies, writers would never develop a movie that hosts an all black cast and black protagonist. Hook expresses that mainstream movies help continue the view of white supremacy, but now black independent films are beginning to grow and gain mainstream light. Pariah is a film that not just gives has a black protagonist but has a female black protagonist, something that is rarely seen in film. African American Women are under represented and rarely given lead roles in a film unless your name is Halle Berry. This movie encompasses the oppositional gaze and objectifies women which can be scene in certain scenes in the clubs. The film forces the viewer to see through the eyes of Alike, a homosexual black female, instead of the typical white protagonist.
After watching this movie for second time and keeping bell hooks’ “The Oppositional Gaze” in mind, I definitely noticed different things from my first viewing and I agree with what most of the other students in the class have to say about it. The vast majority of the cast being African American definitely undermined the promotion of white supremacy in mainstream film. I believe that by excluding caucasian people from the movie, the skin color of Alike is no longer relevant to the storyline; her skin color is just a trait and does not define her.
I think it’s interesting to note that this film falls into the category of the “other” based on the fact that Alike is a black lesbian woman and not a white heterosexual man. The film follows a linear story arc with coherent dialogue and themes everyone can relate to (family relations, sexuality, freedom of expression, etc.) It could fit in with any Hollywood narrative, but the fact that it’s marketed for a fringe audience and not the mass media takes away that possibility.
To be honest, I did not see that much of a difference in the film after reading Hook’s essay. This was due to the fact that I already had her idea of the oppositional gaze in mind after watching the film for the first time. But seeing as it was her perspective on this concept, I guess you could say that I saw it through her eyes slightly more so this time around. The movie always stood out to me as an opposition to the traditional viewpoint, because it was from the perspective of a person who is a race, gender, and sexual orientation contrary to the “social norm” and the typical perspective of a main character in a movie. Upon re-watching it however, I did notice how in-depth they go when trying to explain and exemplify the struggles of this woman, and used her to represent blacks, lesbians, and females in society and the common struggles that they go through. But in a way, the movie takes this gaze that this repressed woman has and then uses it to gaze upon the people who are considered to be more “normal” than she is. But the most empowering thing throughout the movie is seeing this girl shed these conceived notions of how she should be and truly embrace her own path. She sees into the oppositional gaze and realizes that she must embrace her own path, because she sees the flaws in those that judge her because she begins using the gaze on them.
The oppositional gaze helps create another level of experience when watching Pariah. As a viewer who has no personal relations to any of the situations, I still watched the movie with the oppositional gaze in mind and found myself sympathetic and engaged in Alike’s struggles. The gaze shows the viewers that Alike is just another normal teenager who tries to find herself in this world. While most movies use a predominantly Caucasian cast, this movie is different from the rest in that they use an all-black cast. In the mainstream media, there are always stereotypes presented about blacks, ones that are not presented in this movie. In this way, Pariah gives the viewers a realistic glimpse into this world. The situations were not exaggerated or overplayed in any way and gave an authentic look at realistic situations, ones that are not often seen in the mainstream media.
After reading bell hooks’s essay and watching the film Pariah for the second time, I saw the film in a new light. I don’t think I would have ever paid attention to the oppositional gaze of the film if we hadn’t discussed it in class. The message that hooks emphasizes in her essay about black women needing to fight back to the way that stereotypes were portrayed in film is really done so in the movie Pariah. This movie totally goes against traditional representations of black women. I would say this film can be compared to the Independent Black Cinema that hooks discusses in her essay. It is the response to the incorrect representation of black women. This is done so through the protagonist character Alike showing her own self representation and going against societal norms. This movie gives viewers an inside into a side of a black family that is unusually seen. Alike becomes the subject of the gaze rather than the object. She represents the fight back against stereotypes and creates a different kind of oppositional gaze. This film is thought provoking and unlike any film I’ve ever seen. At first I wasn’t a huge fan, but looking at the deeper meaning through the oppositional gaze, I admire it so much more and see more of a purpose behind it.
Even though I have now read Hook’s essay, seeing Pariah for the second time did not give me any sort of new perspective because I was already aware of the oppositional gaze. I just did not know that this was the term for what the creators of the film were trying to accomplish. Pariah is shown through the lens of Alike, who is a black, lesbian female. A vast majority of films are shown from the point of view of a white, usually male, protagonist. People did not make films from the perspective of black females because it did not favor white supremacy and the simple fact that only a small group of people would be interested in seeing it. That is an explanation for why the film did not even make a million dollars in the box office. However, I now think of this film as more rebellious which makes me respect it more. I knew the film was supposed to support black women, but now I realize that its purpose is to also go against white people for misrepresenting black women in films throughout history. The distributors of the film tried to make the film look like any other Hollywood film, the only difference being the skin color and sexual orientation of the main protagonist. However, this difference is a big enough reason for many people to not see the film at all. The film is too far from the social norm.
Upon watching the Movie, The Pariah with knowledge of the opposition gaze; I came to the realization that this movie is far different than other films I normally watch. For one, the oppositional gaze in this movie is apparent because Alike does not have the normal confidence that a main character would seem to possess in film. Perhaps she is so timid because she is always questioning herself, or she is simply afraid of what society will say about her each and every move. This movie uses the oppositional gaze in abundance, as there are many scenes where the viewer is forced to look at women such as in the strip club or the sex scenes.