Transcript The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators

The Oppositional Gaze:
Black Female Spectators
Bell Hooks,
Feminism and Tradition in Aesthetics
Prepared By: Dr. Kay Picart, Chantel Bottoms and
Justine Phelps
Aims of Class
To present the “oppositional gaze” of black
female spectators as a means of
resistance and as an agency of change.
 To review the history of black female
representation in film and television (or
lack thereof).
 To discuss the denial of the “oppositional
gaze” from feminist film theory.

Key Terms
 Gaze
 Oppositional
Gaze
 Phallocentric
Gaze
Guide Questions
What sexual differences between white
women and black women have occupied
the movie screen over the years?
 What stereotyped images of black females
exist in film today?
 How does the white male critic’s inability
to identify with the characters of
predominately black films compare to the
experience of Miss Pauline?
