Chapter 16: Representation of Women in the Arts and Media
1. Women as Objects in Early Western Art
Presenter: Zairen Sinaya
In earlier centuries, women rarely became painters or creators. Instead, they served as
muses or subjects—portrayed mainly for their physical beauty and men’s pleasure. A major
example is Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) and his painting 'The Judgment of Paris.' The
story, from Greek mythology, shows Paris, a mortal man, choosing the most beautiful
goddess—Aphrodite, Hera, or Athena. Each goddess had to undress to be judged,
symbolizing how women were valued for appearance, not wisdom or power. Rubens
painted their nudity for male pleasure, making them objects of viewing.
Definitions:
Nakedness – Being unclothed and natural, representing oneself.
Nudity – Displaying one’s body for others’ eyes or judgment (John Berger, art critic).
2. The Male Gaze
Presenter: Jhon Walter Guibani
In 1975, feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey introduced the term 'male gaze' in her essay
'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.' She used the Freudian term 'scopophilia,' meaning
pleasure in looking at others as objects. Mulvey explained that in a world ordered by sexual
imbalance, men are active viewers who control how women are seen, while women are
passive, displayed for visual and erotic enjoyment.
Definitions:
Male Gaze – The way visual arts and media present women from a male,
heterosexual perspective, as objects of male pleasure.
Scopophilia – The pleasure of looking at others as objects.
3. Challenging the Gaze
Presenter: Rafael Tutor
French painter Édouard Manet (1832–1883) challenged traditional portrayals of women
through works like 'Olympia' and 'Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe.' These paintings showed women
confidently confronting viewers, reversing traditional power dynamics. This challenged
how women were idealized and objectified in classical art.
4. Women in Advertising
Presenter: Jirec Jhon Orias
Objectification extended into modern advertising. Women’s bodies are used to sell products
like cars, alcohol, and cigarettes. Ads send messages that women must be sexy to be
accepted and that beauty equals worth. These ideals are socially constructed, not natural,
and promote insecurity to drive product sales.
5. Women in Film
Presenter: Jhonylu Monterola
Research by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film (2015) shows only
33% of speaking roles and 34% of lead characters are women. Women are more likely to be
shown in revealing clothes (31%) and partly nude (31%) compared to men (9%). Only 5%
of film directors were women (2011), meaning films often reflect male perspectives.
Fast Fact: The Bechdel-Wallace Test (1985) by Alison Bechdel and Liz Wallace measures
female representation in films. A movie passes if: (1) Two or more women appear, (2) They
talk to each other, (3) About something other than a man.
6. Sexualization and Mental Health
Presenter:Jed Quindao
The American Psychological Association (APA) found that women are more often sexualized
than men and portrayed as decorations or body parts. Sexualization means valuing a person
mainly for sex appeal or appearance. Self-objectification leads to poor focus, low self-
esteem, eating disorders, and depression.
7. Beauty as a Weapon Against Women
Presenter: John Paul Ochea
Writer Naomi Wolf (1990) in 'The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against
Women' introduced the Beauty Myth — the belief in one universal standard of beauty that
all women must achieve. Wolf argued this myth is a capitalist and patriarchal tool to control
women, keeping them focused on appearance rather than empowerment.
Definitions:
Beauty Myth – The belief that a woman’s value depends on how closely she fits
society’s unrealistic beauty standards.
8. Conclusion
Presenter: Jericho Rodriguez
From Rubens’ goddesses to modern ads and films, women have long been seen rather than
heard. Awareness of how art and media shape self-image allows society to challenge
objectification, redefine beauty, and promote gender equality.