0:00:06.735,0:00:08.890
It’s often said that cinema,

0:00:09.009,0:00:12.799
by it's very nature, is voyeuristic,

0:00:13.012,0:00:16.262
because film offers the audience a window

0:00:16.352,0:00:19.442
into the hidden lives of others.

0:00:20.837,0:00:22.647
Watching people’s stories on the big

0:00:22.737,0:00:25.347
and small screen can indeed be

0:00:25.431,0:00:28.290
fascinating and exhilarating.

0:00:29.709,0:00:32.159
But the act of looking can also feel

0:00:32.249,0:00:38.289
uncomfortable, invasive, even violating.

0:00:39.279,0:00:42.309
Underpinning these uncomfortable moments

0:00:42.488,0:00:45.158
we can find some alarming messages

0:00:45.248,0:00:47.629
about the role of consent.

0:00:48.559,0:00:51.240
To explain, let’s start here

0:00:51.525,0:00:54.602
in the normal bedroom of a normal boy

0:00:54.732,0:00:57.748
doing normal boy stuff.

0:00:58.898,0:01:00.298
Normal stuff

0:01:00.408,0:01:03.126
like spying on the girl next door.

0:01:04.117,0:01:06.018
Popular culture is filled

0:01:06.118,0:01:08.370
with scenes like this one

0:01:09.765,0:01:11.582
Scenes in which one character,

0:01:11.682,0:01:12.842
usually a man

0:01:12.922,0:01:14.570
spies on another character,

0:01:14.650,0:01:15.960
usually a woman

0:01:16.060,0:01:19.499
without that person’s knowledge or consent

0:01:20.905,0:01:23.075
To be clear, we're talking about secret

0:01:23.165,0:01:24.730
surveillance of a person

0:01:24.832,0:01:26.612
while they're alone

0:01:26.724,0:01:28.994
in various states of undress

0:01:29.094,0:01:31.524
or engaged in sexual activity.

0:01:32.421,0:01:34.051
This is invasive looking

0:01:34.124,0:01:35.524
that violates a person's

0:01:35.604,0:01:38.525
reasonable expectation of privacy.

0:01:39.201,0:01:40.841
In a staggering number of movies

0:01:40.931,0:01:43.866
and tv shows, this type of spying

0:01:43.966,0:01:46.106
isn't done by the villain.

0:01:46.855,0:01:48.396
It is instead perpetrated

0:01:48.496,0:01:49.946
by "nice guy" characters.

0:01:50.026,0:01:51.809
"Slow down, baby"

0:01:52.259,0:01:54.249
These are straight men, who are otherwise

0:01:54.329,0:01:56.575
presented as decent.

0:01:56.919,0:01:58.364
Or, at the very least,

0:01:58.460,0:02:00.012
mostly harmless.

0:02:00.104,0:02:01.629
"Hey! Hey!"

0:02:04.002,0:02:06.126
This media patern is so prevasive,

0:02:06.229,0:02:08.287
I thought it needed a name.

0:02:08.370,0:02:10.162
"He's a peeping Tom!"

0:02:10.263,0:02:13.108
So I call it "The harmless peeping Tom".

0:02:13.203,0:02:14.847
"You know, it occurs to me,

0:02:14.937,0:02:16.731
that you can see right into Donna's house

0:02:16.811,0:02:17.716
from my driveway."

0:02:17.806,0:02:18.886
"You don't say"

0:02:18.956,0:02:20.036
(off-screen laughter)

0:02:20.136,0:02:22.036
All of the boys on "That 70s Show"

0:02:22.126,0:02:24.339
for instance, casually participate

0:02:24.409,0:02:25.787
in spying behavior.

0:02:25.887,0:02:28.266
"No, Anette! Not the robe!"

0:02:28.366,0:02:29.328
(off-screen laughter)

0:02:29.418,0:02:30.083
"Quick, somebody yell

0:02:30.153,0:02:32.060
'pillow fight' in a girl voice"

0:02:32.166,0:02:33.430
But the character of Fez

0:02:33.510,0:02:35.410
is the quintessential example

0:02:35.493,0:02:36.823
of a harmless peeping Tom.

0:02:36.893,0:02:39.187
(off-screen laughter)[br]- "Oh my god, Fez!"

0:02:39.867,0:02:41.322
"Nice honkers!"

0:02:41.422,0:02:42.377
(off-screen laughter)

0:02:42.480,0:02:43.909
"Get out of here!"

0:02:44.623,0:02:45.417
"Fez?"

0:02:45.502,0:02:47.324
There's a years long running gag

0:02:47.414,0:02:49.765
about how he's always spying on women.

0:02:49.845,0:02:52.129
Often hiding in their bedroom closets.

0:02:52.219,0:02:54.237
"Oh my god, did you see anything?"

0:02:54.347,0:02:55.557
"Not much, you should really think

0:02:55.607,0:02:56.801
about a nightlight."

0:02:56.912,0:02:59.623
And yet this pattern of intrusive behavior

0:02:59.934,0:03:01.435
is just considered a minor

0:03:01.525,0:03:02.543
nuisance on the show.

0:03:02.613,0:03:03.345
"Ouch"

0:03:03.415,0:03:04.135
"You okay?"

0:03:04.185,0:03:04.717
(camera click)

0:03:04.784,0:03:05.524
"Fez!"

0:03:05.614,0:03:06.853
(off-screen laughter)

0:03:07.673,0:03:09.153
"With this, you can see

0:03:09.223,0:03:10.531
through a lady's clothes"

0:03:10.621,0:03:11.680
(off-screen laughter)

0:03:13.186,0:03:15.235
"Okay, Jackie, prepare to be ogled"

0:03:16.575,0:03:17.774
Fez even ends up

0:03:17.774,0:03:19.057
in a romantic relationship

0:03:19.057,0:03:20.299
with one of the women

0:03:20.299,0:03:21.129
he's spied on.

0:03:21.129,0:03:24.809
Over 8 seasons of prime time television.

0:03:25.959,0:03:28.654
Scenes in which boys secretly spy on girls

0:03:28.777,0:03:30.296
were a staple of so called

0:03:30.296,0:03:31.628
"teen sex comedies".

0:03:31.731,0:03:34.828
In the late 1970s and early 80s.

0:03:35.721,0:03:38.731
But the media pattern didn't begin or end

0:03:38.821,0:03:41.489
with Animal House, Porky's

0:03:41.924,0:03:43.599
or Revenge of the Nerds.

0:03:43.809,0:03:45.399
"Oh! Yeah!"

0:03:46.345,0:03:48.520
Alfred Hitchcock was famously obsessed

0:03:48.600,0:03:49.918
with voyeurism.

0:03:49.996,0:03:51.685
And included peeping scenes

0:03:51.775,0:03:54.616
in several of his most notable films.

0:03:56.529,0:03:58.069
Since then, we've seen

0:03:58.169,0:04:00.097
Harmless Peeping Toms pop up

0:04:00.177,0:04:02.287
in practically every genre.

0:04:02.997,0:04:06.567
From action movies to horror films.

0:04:07.307,0:04:08.997
From romantic dramas

0:04:09.097,0:04:11.047
to science fiction adventures.

0:04:13.467,0:04:15.777
And it's not uncommon for video games

0:04:15.847,0:04:18.422
to present players with interactive

0:04:18.502,0:04:20.418
peeping opportunities.

0:04:21.292,0:04:22.392
"Look at this, come here"

0:04:22.452,0:04:24.572
"There's a naked woman across the street"

0:04:24.902,0:04:25.602
"Where?"

0:04:26.500,0:04:27.720
"Second floor from the top

0:04:27.750,0:04:28.920
see the window on the left"

0:04:28.960,0:04:29.729
"Wow"

0:04:29.782,0:04:32.006
The trope has also been a mainstay

0:04:32.042,0:04:33.759
on TV sitcoms.

0:04:33.853,0:04:36.552
"Oh my God, that's Rachel naked!"

0:04:36.894,0:04:38.554
Usually as a one-off gag

0:04:38.554,0:04:39.934
in a handful of episodes.

0:04:40.014,0:04:41.224
"Would you have opened the door

0:04:41.224,0:04:42.234
if you knew it was me?"

0:04:42.284,0:04:43.275
"Not since I found out

0:04:43.275,0:04:44.246
the teddy bear you gave me

0:04:44.246,0:04:45.816
had a webcam in it!"

0:04:46.932,0:04:48.212
While we may typically think

0:04:48.212,0:04:50.313
of peeping Toms as a stranger

0:04:50.313,0:04:51.876
hiding in the bushes,

0:04:52.393,0:04:55.133
spying can take many different forms.

0:04:55.234,0:04:56.844
"Did I miss anything?"

0:04:56.904,0:04:57.897
"Oh my God"

0:04:57.924,0:04:58.724
"Oh!"

0:04:58.773,0:05:01.074
"Oh, thank you, God, for this wonderful,

0:05:01.074,0:05:01.924
wonderful day"

0:05:02.234,0:05:04.514
Occasionally, spying is presented

0:05:04.584,0:05:06.374
as a part of man's job.

0:05:06.974,0:05:08.792
Like a cop on a stakeout.

0:05:09.059,0:05:10.389
"Oh, wow, oh yeah"

0:05:10.474,0:05:12.244
But in many of those scenarios,

0:05:12.314,0:05:13.774
the Harmless Peeping Tom trope

0:05:13.844,0:05:14.844
still applies.

0:05:14.924,0:05:17.064
"To protect and to serve"

0:05:17.164,0:05:21.354
"Ooh, ooh, ohh, I love my job so much, oh"

0:05:21.464,0:05:23.386
In espionage themed media,

0:05:23.476,0:05:24.806
the guy might have access

0:05:24.886,0:05:26.926
to high-tech spying gadgets.

0:05:27.006,0:05:28.606
"Nine different enhanced visions modes

0:05:28.706,0:05:30.633
every little boy's dream:

0:05:30.967,0:05:33.328
the penetrating mode"

0:05:33.928,0:05:35.828
"And would you look at that"

0:05:35.888,0:05:37.148
In superhero stories

0:05:37.228,0:05:38.978
or supernatural plot lines

0:05:39.068,0:05:41.118
the guy's powers may be used

0:05:41.188,0:05:42.568
as a way to gain access

0:05:42.658,0:05:43.970
to a woman's body.

0:05:44.140,0:05:45.205
(woman screams)

0:05:45.335,0:05:48.004
"And He saw, that it was good"

0:05:48.254,0:05:50.074
Superman, for example

0:05:50.164,0:05:52.464
is often upheld as a paragon of good

0:05:52.464,0:05:53.804
decent manhood

0:05:54.254,0:05:56.624
and yet even he steals a quick peek

0:05:56.624,0:05:58.304
from time to time.

0:06:00.472,0:06:01.924
Harmless Peeping Toms

0:06:01.924,0:06:03.894
aren't always the hero.

0:06:03.974,0:06:06.404
But, they're not the villain either.

0:06:06.494,0:06:08.364
"I wind up seeing a lot more of Ava

0:06:08.434,0:06:10.208
than I bargained for"

0:06:10.484,0:06:12.549
Even if the protagonist has, let's say

0:06:12.659,0:06:14.383
questionable morals

0:06:14.503,0:06:15.504
or is involved

0:06:15.604,0:06:17.514
in other criminal activities

0:06:17.604,0:06:20.424
the spying itself isn't framed as a strike

0:06:20.514,0:06:22.444
against his character.

0:06:22.908,0:06:23.858
And critically

0:06:23.948,0:06:25.079
the audience is still meant

0:06:25.139,0:06:28.588
to indentify with HIM as he's peeping.

0:06:29.151,0:06:30.091
"What?"

0:06:31.145,0:06:32.214
It's not unusual

0:06:32.324,0:06:34.394
for invasions of privacy

0:06:34.494,0:06:36.746
to be framed as endearing.

0:06:37.167,0:06:37.877
"Excuse me?"

0:06:37.947,0:06:38.641
"Oh!"

0:06:39.088,0:06:40.160
"I think you're in my bath..."

0:06:40.240,0:06:41.581
"Close your eyes!"

0:06:41.654,0:06:43.294
or just the innocuous behavior

0:06:43.364,0:06:45.293
of a guy with a crush.

0:06:47.818,0:06:49.712
Even when peeping is called out

0:06:49.792,0:06:53.382
as pathetic, annoying or a little creepy

0:06:53.482,0:06:54.643
"It was an accident."

0:06:54.753,0:06:56.058
"You're an asshole!"

0:06:56.157,0:06:58.453
his actions are, more often than not,

0:06:58.543,0:07:01.100
quickly forgiven and forgotten.

0:07:03.176,0:07:04.575
A good way to illustrate the deeper

0:07:04.645,0:07:07.027
problem here can be found in the

0:07:07.127,0:07:09.025
"no peeking" plot cliché.

0:07:09.123,0:07:09.981
"How did you see it?

0:07:10.041,0:07:11.591
You said you wouldn't look!"

0:07:11.748,0:07:13.906
"Sorry, as I told you the hero

0:07:13.996,0:07:15.456
always peeks."

0:07:15.856,0:07:17.871
The set up is a familar one: a woman

0:07:17.941,0:07:20.025
needs to change clothes for some reason.

0:07:20.085,0:07:22.547
But her guy friend is standing right there

0:07:22.617,0:07:23.821
"You're not bothering me."

0:07:23.911,0:07:26.497
So naturally she asks him to turn around

0:07:26.587,0:07:28.833
or close his eyes while she undresses.

0:07:28.923,0:07:30.361
"Would you please turn around?"

0:07:30.451,0:07:31.271
"Why?"

0:07:32.006,0:07:33.336
"Just turn around."

0:07:34.404,0:07:35.106
"Just look,

0:07:35.106,0:07:36.537
look over there for a second."

0:07:36.537,0:07:37.254
"Yeah."

0:07:37.254,0:07:38.600
"Just turn around and look at the

0:07:38.600,0:07:40.150
waterfalls Skippy all right, please?"

0:07:40.150,0:07:40.730
"Fine."

0:07:40.770,0:07:42.315
"Stay in guard, no peeking."

0:07:42.425,0:07:45.096
Does our protagonist respects her wishes?

0:07:45.391,0:07:46.914
Of course not.

0:07:47.087,0:07:47.920
"Don't look!"

0:07:47.990,0:07:50.091
"I said your eyes have to go over there!"

0:07:50.287,0:07:53.395
Most of the time, he peeks anyway

0:07:53.496,0:07:54.988
"Turn around!"

0:07:55.989,0:07:56.961
"Now!"

0:07:57.978,0:07:59.243
"Turn around."

0:07:59.427,0:08:02.400
and there are rarely any consequences

0:08:02.500,0:08:04.658
for violating her trust.

0:08:05.646,0:08:07.478
In fact his trangression

0:08:07.558,0:08:10.138
is likely to be rewarded.

0:08:12.586,0:08:14.451
Now sometimes the women character will

0:08:14.541,0:08:17.445
explicitely ask not to be looked at,

0:08:18.317,0:08:20.746
while in other examples it's just implied

0:08:20.876,0:08:23.192
that the guy shouldn't be staring.

0:08:23.575,0:08:26.015
It's incredibly rare to see a man who,

0:08:26.094,0:08:29.313
given the opportunity, doesn't peek.

0:08:32.599,0:08:33.621
"Don't look."

0:08:34.803,0:08:35.413
"Okay."

0:08:35.472,0:08:41.603
If it’s a romantic story, the transgression is[br]often presented as a sign that he’s attracted to her.

0:08:43.137,0:08:44.380
In reality though,

0:08:44.480,0:08:49.876
if a man demonstrates a deliberate disregard for consent or women’s boundaries

0:08:49.993,0:08:53.610
that should be a major major red flag.

0:08:54.971,0:08:56.881
"Drop dead, dirtbag."

0:08:59.322,0:09:05.652
Even though Invasive spying is often considered[br]just a nuisance crime by law enforcement,

0:09:05.737,0:09:10.639
being spied-on isn’t a minor inconvenience for the victims

0:09:10.922,0:09:11.872
"Hello"

0:09:12.013,0:09:15.329
it can cause real lasting emotional harm.

0:09:15.438,0:09:16.751
"Someone there?"

0:09:17.189,0:09:18.992
"That's it, I can almost see it."

0:09:19.528,0:09:23.346
Sometimes peeping scenes are[br]filmed in a family-friendly way

0:09:23.426,0:09:24.706
"There she is."

0:09:24.797,0:09:28.628
while in other media it can be much more explicit.

0:09:29.756,0:09:31.573
In fact throughout this video essay

0:09:31.659,0:09:35.931
I’ve had to use a lot of creative editing techniques[br]and strategic blurring

0:09:36.032,0:09:38.279
just to make the footage appropriate for YouTube.

0:09:38.370,0:09:41.719
"Oh, you imp. You've got nudity in there!"

0:09:43.842,0:09:47.501
Despite what some conservative groups[br]would have you believe,

0:09:47.604,0:09:53.027
the problem here is not the depiction[br]of sex or nudity on-screen.

0:09:53.618,0:09:59.921
Depending on how it’s framed, sex and nudity can be represented in all kinds of ways.

0:10:00.138,0:10:01.215
"Should be fine."

0:10:02.189,0:10:04.840
The real issues with the[br]“Harmless” Peeping Tom trope

0:10:04.963,0:10:07.123
stems from the lack of consent

0:10:07.222,0:10:10.316
between the characters in the story

0:10:12.390,0:10:16.756
and how those violations[br]are framed as “no big deal.”

0:10:16.866,0:10:19.674
"Did you see me change [br]out of my clothes by the Jacuzzi?"

0:10:20.739,0:10:22.472
"I thought that you were catatonic."

0:10:24.616,0:10:30.505
There’s a common misconception that voyeurism is,[br]by definition, looking without permission.

0:10:31.095,0:10:33.138
But that is not true.

0:10:33.884,0:10:39.646
Voyeurism can, and I’d argue should, be a consensual act.

0:10:44.056,0:10:49.651
It is, of course, possible to film scenes,[br]even voyeuristic ones,

0:10:49.761,0:10:54.126
where characters look at each other[br]in consensual ways.

0:10:55.987,0:10:56.984
"Steve..."

0:10:59.037,0:11:02.090
But cinematic depictions of consensual gazing

0:11:02.167,0:11:08.535
are not anywhere near as prevalent as scenes[br]where permission has not been granted.

0:11:09.816,0:11:14.758
Up until this point, we’ve been discussing[br]the perspective of characters on-scene

0:11:14.900,0:11:19.267
but there’s another critical perspective[br]we haven’t yet considered.

0:11:19.869,0:11:23.299
And that is the perspective of the camera.

0:11:24.342,0:11:28.429
Let’s return for a moment to that[br]“normal” boys bedroom from earlier.

0:11:28.528,0:11:32.101
Although, it’s not a “normal” bedroom, is it?

0:11:32.384,0:11:34.552
It’s really a movie set.

0:11:34.669,0:11:37.567
And that’s not really a “normal” boy either,

0:11:37.661,0:11:40.884
that’s an actor working from a script.

0:11:40.977,0:11:46.204
In fact, everything we see here is[br]a deliberate choice by the filmmakers.

0:11:46.580,0:11:49.272
The woman is being put on display by the director

0:11:49.356,0:11:54.119
who is careful to position her body[br]so the protagonist can get a good look.

0:11:54.225,0:12:00.201
But the shots are also designed so[br]the audience gets to peek along with him.

0:12:00.723,0:12:02.003
"Mr. Bishop, do you mind if I take a look?"

0:12:02.088,0:12:02.788
"Carl..."

0:12:02.883,0:12:06.016
This then makes the viewer complicit.

0:12:06.146,0:12:11.734
We are made to vicariously participate[br]in the act of non-consensual looking.

0:12:11.837,0:12:13.707
"Really, 007?"

0:12:14.420,0:12:18.139
This is true, incidentally,[br]even when the character doing the peeping

0:12:18.237,0:12:20.846
is clearly meant to be a creep.

0:12:22.204,0:12:27.164
There’s another important conversation to be had[br]about what film theorist Laura Mulvey called

0:12:27.270,0:12:29.194
“the male gaze”

0:12:29.283,0:12:35.557
especially as it relates to how the camera moves[br]and frames women’s bodies in a sexualized way

0:12:35.657,0:12:39.214
independent of the protagonist’s point of view.

0:12:39.650,0:12:45.287
But for our purposes here,[br]we’re mostly focusing on the characters in the story.

0:12:45.705,0:12:50.423
The audience for movies is, of course,[br]made up of people of all genders,

0:12:50.538,0:12:54.587
but the male character’s perspective[br]is the one we are sharing

0:12:54.703,0:12:59.554
and therefore it’s his lurid excitement[br]we are meant to identify with.

0:13:01.176,0:13:06.448
Just to reiterate, narratively speaking,[br]these women don’t know they’re being watched

0:13:06.571,0:13:09.053
and therefore haven’t given consent.

0:13:13.341,0:13:15.266
Not to put too fine a point on it,

0:13:15.364,0:13:19.124
but the reason these scenes are[br]supposed to be titillating to the viewer

0:13:19.251,0:13:24.256
is precisely because the looking[br]is being done without permission.

0:13:25.130,0:13:28.190
"It's like we're seeing something[br]we're not supposed to be seeing

0:13:28.453,0:13:30.956
which is kind of why it makes it so f***ing hot."

0:13:31.813,0:13:36.051
All the actors involved in these productions have,[br]presumably,

0:13:36.147,0:13:40.189
agreed to be represented in the ways we see on-screen,

0:13:40.277,0:13:45.317
but fictional representations can still help[br]normalize non-consensual behavior.

0:13:45.410,0:13:46.776
"Good afternoon!"

0:13:47.921,0:13:51.232
It’s worth quickly noting[br]the particular type of actress

0:13:51.325,0:13:56.144
that filmmakers like to cast as the object of[br]men’s voyeuristic attention.

0:13:57.597,0:14:02.984
Usually she’s young, thin, white,[br]and conventionally attractive.

0:14:03.941,0:14:06.902
It’s such a well established pattern in Hollywood

0:14:06.991,0:14:11.161
that whenever the victim differs from[br]that very specific expectation,

0:14:11.401,0:14:12.521
"Gotcha!"

0:14:12.862,0:14:15.384
the scene is used as a gross-out punchline

0:14:15.499,0:14:17.764
"A man!"

0:14:19.215,0:14:21.318
or a transphobic joke.

0:14:21.860,0:14:24.260
"That dude looks like a lady."

0:14:24.792,0:14:27.405
"Hey, wow! Look in that window!"

0:14:27.535,0:14:31.857
Scenes where boys surreptitiously[br]spy on girls or women

0:14:31.979,0:14:35.699
are especially common in coming-of-age stories.

0:14:36.507,0:14:41.046
In these type of narratives spying is[br]often presented as a rite-of-passage,

0:14:41.170,0:14:43.605
"Holy Christ!"

0:14:43.712,0:14:48.175
as just an inevitable part of[br]young men’s sexual awakening.

0:14:53.484,0:14:55.573
The boys may be initially presented

0:14:55.702,0:15:00.252
as shy, awkward, or cowardly[br]where women are concerned.

0:15:01.011,0:15:06.438
And it’s through their peeping behavior[br]that they’re able to gain self-confidence.

0:15:08.625,0:15:11.089
According to the visual language of cinema,

0:15:11.195,0:15:15.791
spying on girls is a formative experience for boys,

0:15:15.956,0:15:20.862
so much so that it takes on an almost[br]spiritual significance.

0:15:21.141,0:15:24.914
In this way the transition[br]from boyhood into manhood

0:15:25.025,0:15:28.837
is built on a violation of women’s bodies.

0:15:29.866,0:15:34.455
"She was really deep in thought because[br]she left herself unguarded a few times,

0:15:35.381,0:15:41.450
and I got to see halfway up her thighs that[br]led up to the golden palace of the Himalayas."

0:15:41.940,0:15:45.912
Sometimes the boys are presented[br]as melancholy loners,

0:15:45.993,0:15:51.187
but in other scenarios peeping is[br]framed as a social activity.

0:15:52.412,0:15:54.856
" Her hands are moving down."[br]"I gotta see this!"

0:15:55.712,0:15:57.854
The act of objectifying women

0:15:59.201,0:16:02.545
then becomes a bonding experience for young men.

0:16:02.762,0:16:07.263
An experience that also reinforces their shared[br]sense of male dominance.

0:16:07.384,0:16:09.559
"Bag it and spank it, boys."

0:16:11.074,0:16:12.136
"Shit, get down!"

0:16:15.970,0:16:20.239
Now, don’t get me wrong,[br]sexual curiosity is completely normal,

0:16:20.344,0:16:22.929
however non-consensual behavior

0:16:23.016,0:16:27.313
should never be confused[br]for healthy sexual exploration.

0:16:28.173,0:16:32.423
The default should always be[br]an expectation of privacy.

0:16:32.575,0:16:33.747
"Dude, I'm changing."

0:16:33.884,0:16:34.944
"Ah, sorry!"

0:16:36.201,0:16:40.974
In John Berger’s 1972 TV series “Ways of Seeing”

0:16:41.074,0:16:44.523
he observes that the act of looking isn’t passive.

0:16:44.900,0:16:46.350
It’s active.

0:16:47.324,0:16:49.392
Men dream of women,

0:16:49.484,0:16:52.857
women dream of themselves being dreamt of.

0:16:53.373,0:16:55.052
Men look at women,

0:16:55.162,0:16:58.369
women watch themselves being looked at

0:16:58.962,0:17:03.550
I don’t want to deny the crucial part[br]that seeing plays in sexuality,

0:17:03.647,0:17:05.733
but there’s a great difference in being seen,

0:17:05.833,0:17:08.843
as oneself naked,[br]or being seen by another in that way,

0:17:08.943,0:17:11.613
and a body being put on display.

0:17:11.716,0:17:16.738
Berger was talking about society[br]as reflected in European oil paintings,

0:17:16.829,0:17:21.075
but the observation could just as[br]easily be applied to cinema.

0:17:22.465,0:17:25.405
The male characters are active and fully dressed,

0:17:25.503,0:17:27.925
while the women are passive and exposed,

0:17:28.012,0:17:33.152
unprepared to be seen,[br]and therefore framed as vulnerable.

0:17:34.500,0:17:40.192
This sets up an automatic power dynamic[br]wherein the man has the upper-hand.

0:17:42.166,0:17:45.065
The message these scenarios[br]send to women and girls

0:17:45.181,0:17:48.964
is that being spied on should be taken[br]as a compliment,

0:17:49.060,0:17:50.341
"So you were watching me."

0:17:51.538,0:17:54.214
"But for how long? Just tonight?"

0:17:54.567,0:17:57.371
"A week, two weeks since I moved in?"

0:17:57.481,0:18:02.016
because men’s sexual attention is[br]always supposed to be flattering,

0:18:02.126,0:18:05.414
regardless of whether or not[br]those feelings are reciprocated.

0:18:05.527,0:18:07.287
"That's either the creepiest

0:18:10.045,0:18:14.022
or the sweetest thing I have ever heard."

0:18:18.364,0:18:22.479
In her essay “Intrusions”[br]author Melissa Febos explains that

0:18:22.598,0:18:28.928
"Just as these productions encourage men to believe[br]that stalking and peeping are acceptable forms of courtship,

0:18:29.039,0:18:30.960
likely to resolve in a love match,

0:18:31.066,0:18:35.773
so do they prescribe to women[br]a desire to be the object of such behavior.”

0:18:36.773,0:18:38.520
"Think maybe I ought to pull this curtain.

0:18:38.520,0:18:40.832
There seems to someone staring[br]at you from across the court."

0:18:40.832,0:18:42.468
"Oh, no. Don't do that.

0:18:42.507,0:18:44.462
My girlfriend and I,[br]we never pull the curtain."

0:18:44.578,0:18:46.058
"We just have a ball with him."

0:18:46.197,0:18:48.776
In the movies and tv shows[br]we’ve been discussing

0:18:48.874,0:18:51.992
it’s not uncommon for the woman[br]who is being sped on

0:18:52.093,0:18:57.351
to indicate to the audience[br]that she secretly enjoys this violation.

0:18:58.700,0:19:02.003
The underlying implication is clear,

0:19:02.115,0:19:04.190
to be desired by men

0:19:04.286,0:19:06.768
is what gives women value.

0:19:06.855,0:19:08.499
"Well, I think you should call the police!"

0:19:08.609,0:19:11.198
"Oh, no! That would spoil everything."

0:19:11.268,0:19:13.430
"After all, he's been so patient,

0:19:13.430,0:19:14.808
it only seems fair.

0:19:15.518,0:19:16.871
That dangerous message is

0:19:16.967,0:19:21.118
compounded by another idea[br]baked into these scenes:

0:19:22.852,0:19:29.307
that when it comes to sexual desire, men and boys[br]“just can’t control themselves.”

0:19:31.383,0:19:35.462
As if men are compelled by[br]some invisible force of nature

0:19:35.555,0:19:38.422
to infringe upon women’s bodies.

0:19:38.725,0:19:41.207
The myth is not true, of course.

0:19:41.334,0:19:44.937
Men and boys can in fact control their urges.

0:19:45.053,0:19:46.113
"Hold up!"

0:19:47.540,0:19:50.574
Still, media reinforces the myth that

0:19:50.683,0:19:53.830
“men aren’t responsible for their own actions,”

0:19:53.926,0:19:56.986
occasionally by transforming the peeping tom

0:19:57.086,0:20:01.840
into a hapless victim[br]of the woman’s seductive trap.

0:20:02.154,0:20:05.664
Here’s Melissa Febos again[br]from her essay “Intrusions”

0:20:05.874,0:20:08.449
“It is also a narrative that exonerates men.

0:20:08.556,0:20:12.397
The more plausible it seems[br]that women are always performing,

0:20:12.497,0:20:15.321
the less indictable the watching.”

0:20:15.430,0:20:18.629
"Next thing you know, [br]she starts deliberately undressing

0:20:18.719,0:20:21.092
in front of the window, with the lights on."

0:20:21.099,0:20:22.819
"It's like she knew I was watching her."

0:20:23.686,0:20:26.093
It should be ludicrous on its face

0:20:26.186,0:20:30.590
to blame women for men’s illicit spying

0:20:30.819,0:20:34.009
but movies consistently leave us[br]with the impression

0:20:34.156,0:20:38.685
that it’s the woman’s fault[br]for allowing herself to be seen,

0:20:38.793,0:20:42.246
even when undressing[br]in the privacy of her own home.

0:20:43.011,0:20:45.496
"Oh, god. You saw me?"

0:20:45.575,0:20:49.213
"You weren't trying to entice me with your nakedness?"

0:20:49.592,0:20:50.803
"No, no!

0:20:50.926,0:20:55.274
And you actually thought I wanted[br]to have sex with you?"

0:20:58.580,0:21:00.918
Everything we’ve been discussing in this video

0:21:01.014,0:21:05.702
is part of a larger culture of male entitlement.

0:21:07.039,0:21:09.690
Too many men in our society have been taught

0:21:09.774,0:21:14.222
that women’s bodies should[br]always be available to them.

0:21:14.915,0:21:19.687
Available to be evaluated,[br]to be judged, to be compared,

0:21:19.789,0:21:24.811
and to be used as fuel in their personal fantasies.

0:21:25.753,0:21:28.896
"I believe I'm going to think about her[br]before I go to sleep tonight."

0:21:29.028,0:21:31.814
"Anybody thinks about her,[br]it's gonna be me."

0:21:32.150,0:21:33.771
By this twisted logic,

0:21:33.869,0:21:37.365
any woman who chooses not to put herself on display

0:21:37.484,0:21:41.441
is then taking away men’s “right to look.”

0:21:41.539,0:21:43.814
"Oh, come on.[br]Don't go in the other room!

0:21:43.902,0:21:44.802
Oh, man."

0:21:44.902,0:21:46.333
At the end of the day,

0:21:46.446,0:21:50.688
the “Harmless” Peeping Tom trope[br]is anything but harmless,

0:21:50.829,0:21:54.290
because it works to reinforce[br]that sense of entitlement

0:21:54.408,0:21:56.482
by telling us again and again that

0:21:56.602,0:22:00.676
“nice guys” deserve access to women’s bodies.

0:22:00.778,0:22:04.242
"Did you sneak a peek[br]at my goods?"

0:22:05.139,0:22:08.432
"I wouldn't be much of a hero if I did."

0:22:08.555,0:22:11.430
"Yeah, but it's okay if you peeked a little."

0:22:11.556,0:22:14.490
"You deserve a peek for [br]all the good stuff you do."

0:22:15.026,0:22:19.176
And that therefore[br]permission isn’t strictly necessary.

0:22:19.270,0:22:20.835
"Better view of my room that I thought."

0:22:20.929,0:22:22.444
"I've never seen you naked."

0:22:23.751,0:22:24.878
"It's too bad."

0:22:25.549,0:22:27.269
"I've got a great body."

0:22:27.749,0:22:30.266
"Turn around. Turn!"

0:22:31.106,0:22:33.436
"You're just a man,[br]like all the others."

0:22:34.404,0:22:40.369
In recent years we have seen a rise in[br]gender-flipped variations of the trope.

0:22:40.871,0:22:46.367
While these spying moments do invert[br]the expected subject/object dynamics,

0:22:46.905,0:22:51.878
simply switching-up the genders where[br]non-consensual behavior is concerned,

0:22:51.976,0:22:54.884
does not magically fix the problem.

0:22:56.432,0:22:59.429
Because it still reinforces that worldview

0:22:59.581,0:23:05.492
where respecting someone’s wishes in regards to[br]their own body isn’t important.

0:23:05.615,0:23:07.684
As the old saying goes,

0:23:07.845,0:23:11.216
two wrongs do not make a right.

0:23:12.856,0:23:17.793
Learning about consent as it relates to looking,[br]and not just touching, is essential,

0:23:17.897,0:23:19.436
"Oh, my god."

0:23:19.476,0:23:20.356
"What?"

0:23:20.436,0:23:22.916
especially given the reality of social media

0:23:22.987,0:23:27.182
and the growing problem of intimate images[br]shared without persimmon.

0:23:27.288,0:23:28.456
"I can have this?"

0:23:28.562,0:23:31.173
"Yes. It's for you."

0:23:31.625,0:23:35.372
"Because you're the only man[br]I ever want to gaze upon my body."

0:23:35.829,0:23:39.993
In today’s digital world,[br]the private photos or videos of women

0:23:40.089,0:23:43.147
can be a social currency among boys and men.

0:23:43.200,0:23:45.760
"A picture's worth a thousand words."

0:23:45.899,0:23:49.559
A currency that can grant a guy status[br]among his peers

0:23:49.634,0:23:50.344
"That's hot!"

0:23:50.359,0:23:54.736
by providing evidence of a woman’s submission[br]to his sexual desire.

0:23:54.854,0:23:55.956
"It's not looking good, Tom."

0:23:56.086,0:23:57.986
"I just sent it to one other guy, because

0:23:58.062,0:24:00.142
he didn't believe that I'd had sex with Ruby."

0:24:00.279,0:24:04.429
Again we see how the act of exposing women’s bodies,[br]without permission,

0:24:04.536,0:24:07.287
becomes a way for men to bond with each other

0:24:07.381,0:24:10.508
over their shared sense of male entertainment.

0:24:16.584,0:24:20.707
TV shows like Euphoria,[br]Sex Education, and Stargirl

0:24:20.818,0:24:25.460
have all attempted to address the issue[br]of unauthorized image sharing.

0:24:25.591,0:24:30.634
Unfortunately some TV writers[br]just can’t resist adding a big plot twist

0:24:30.731,0:24:33.780
wherein it turns out the culprit is a “mean girl”

0:24:33.893,0:24:37.307
rather than the far more common situation in real-life

0:24:37.401,0:24:41.188
where the culprit is a current or ex-romantic partner.

0:24:42.347,0:24:45.081
"Joseph Lyman showed us[br]the picture you gave him."

0:24:45.522,0:24:46.181
"What?"

0:24:46.277,0:24:48.358
"Oh, your nude self portrait.

0:24:48.479,0:24:49.619
He showed it to everyone."

0:24:49.689,0:24:50.955
"The whole town's seen it."

0:24:51.017,0:24:52.962
"The freaking mayor saw it."

0:24:54.411,0:24:56.225
The series Normal People

0:24:56.337,0:25:00.703
includes a scene of a guy showing off[br]a naked picture of his girlfriend.

0:25:00.808,0:25:05.370
Rather than being impressed,[br]the protagonist responds by saying it’s not okay.

0:25:05.486,0:25:06.732
"You do not think it's a bit f***ed up,

0:25:06.732,0:25:08.352
showing pictures of your girfriend like that?"

0:25:08.373,0:25:11.475
The moment is brief[br]but it is notable for two reasons:

0:25:11.589,0:25:13.182
first it’s a rare example of

0:25:13.304,0:25:17.792
a man calling out another guy[br]for non-consensual behavior,

0:25:17.905,0:25:24.041
and second because the producers chose[br]not to show that image to the audience.

0:25:24.522,0:25:28.263
Even in media about how it’s wrong to share private images

0:25:28.379,0:25:35.278
media makers will often ensure that the audience[br]gets a clear view of the photos or video in question.

0:25:35.386,0:25:38.032
The inclusion of these shots are unnecessary

0:25:38.130,0:25:43.387
and again make the viewers complicit[br]in non-consensual looking.

0:25:45.155,0:25:49.478
Just as peeping is never the fault of[br]the person who’s being spied on,

0:25:49.595,0:25:55.969
it’s also never the fault of the people whose[br]intimate images are distributed without their permission.

0:25:56.277,0:25:58.420
The blame should rest entirely

0:25:58.538,0:26:02.281
with those sharing or looking without consent.

0:26:02.400,0:26:04.378
"You never should've sent him those."

0:26:05.062,0:26:07.325
"He never should've shared them."

0:26:07.673,0:26:13.251
It’s still very rare to see male characters in media[br]who honor women’s privacy.

0:26:13.362,0:26:16.460
It’s even more rare to see men or boys intervening

0:26:16.559,0:26:20.647
to prevent their peers from non-consensual looking

0:26:21.542,0:26:24.802
but those are the types of representations[br]that we need.

0:26:24.913,0:26:26.393
"All right, closing."

0:26:26.505,0:26:31.075
If we are to build a culture of[br]affirmative and enthusiastic consent

0:26:31.178,0:26:35.488
it’s critical to understanding the ethics of looking.

0:26:38.815,0:26:40.318
I hope you enjoyed that video.

0:26:40.364,0:26:43.348
As you might imagine,[br]these long-form video essays

0:26:43.400,0:26:46.773
take an enormous amount of time[br]to write, edit, and produce.

0:26:47.313,0:26:49.453
So if you like this kind of media analysis

0:26:49.491,0:26:53.961
please consider going over to Patreon[br]and helping to support this project there.

0:26:54.061,0:26:57.537
I've also left a link to Paypal[br]in the description below.

0:26:57.771,0:26:59.935
There are no ads on any of this stuff

0:26:59.935,0:27:01.935
and there's no sponsorships either.

0:27:02.075,0:27:05.748
Everything is 100% funded[br]by viewers like you.

0:27:05.926,0:27:08.308
Now, we've also got some other[br]exciting news.

0:27:08.350,0:27:10.740
We have recently started a podcast

0:27:10.793,0:27:13.793
called Pop Culture[br]Detective: Audio Files

0:27:13.825,0:27:16.368
which is very similar[br]to the video essays

0:27:16.473,0:27:19.457
only with more voices[br]contributing to the analysis

0:27:19.592,0:27:21.602
in a slightly more casual format.

0:27:22.288,0:27:25.907
You can listen and subscribe[br]wherever you get your podcasts from

0:27:26.077,0:27:30.800
and I'll make to sure to leave some links[br]to that below as well, if you're interested.

0:27:30.910,0:27:33.702
Now of course, we have some other[br]video essays in the works.

0:27:33.821,0:27:35.291
So stay tuned for those.

0:27:35.391,0:27:40.217
And sincerely, thank you all so much[br]for continuing to support this channel.

0:27:40.296,0:27:44.100
It means the world to me, and none of it[br]would be possible without your support.