The Ethics of Looking And The "Harmless" Peeping Tom

It’s often said that cinema,

by it's very nature, is voyeuristic,

because film offers the audience a window

into the hidden lives of others.

Watching people’s stories on the big

and small screen can indeed be

fascinating and exhilarating.

But the act of looking can also feel

uncomfortable, invasive, even violating.

Underpinning these uncomfortable moments

we can find some alarming messages

about the role of consent.

To explain, let’s start here

in the normal bedroom of a normal boy

doing normal boy stuff. Normal stuff

like spying on the girl next door.

Popular culture is filled with scenes like this one

Scenes in which one character, usually a man

spies on another character, usually a woman

without that person’s knowledge or consent

To be clear, we're talking about secret

surveillance of a person

while they're alone

in various states of undress

or engaged in sexual activity