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.

This is invasive looking

that violates a person's

reasonable expectation of privacy.

In a staggering number of movies

and tv shows, this type of spying

isn't done by the villain.

It is instead perpetrated

by "nice guy" characters.

"Slow down, baby"

These are straight men, who are otherwise

presented as decent.

Or, at the very least,

mostly harmless.

"Hey! Hey!"

This media patern is so prevasive,

I thought it needed a name.

"He's a peeping Tom!"

So I call it "The harmless peeping Tom".

"You know, it occurs to me,

that you can see right into Donna's house

from my driveway."

"You don't say"

(off-screen laughter)

All of the boys on "That 70s Show"

for instance, casually participate

in spying behavior.

"No, Anette! Not the robe!"

(off-screen laughter)

"Quick, somebody yell

'pillow fight' in a girl voice"

But the character of Fez

is the quintessential example

of a harmless peeping Tom.

(off-screen laughter)
- "Oh my god, Fez!"

"Nice honkers!"

(off-screen laughter)

"Get out of here!"

"Fez?"

There's a years long running gag

about how he's always spying on women.

Often hiding in their bedroom closets.

"Oh my god, did you see anything?"

"Not much, you should really think

about a nightlight."

And yet this pattern of intrusive behavior

is just considered a minor

nuisance on the show.

"Ouch"

"You okay?"

(camera click)

"Fez!"

(off-screen laughter)

"With this, you can see

through a lady's clothes"

(off-screen laughter)

"Okay, Jackie, prepare to be ogled"

Fez even ends up

in a romantic relationship

with one of the women

he's spied on.

Over 8 seasons of prime time television.

Scenes in which boys secretly spy on girls

were a staple of so called

"teen sex comedies".

In the late 1970s and early 80s.

But the media pattern didn't begin or end

with Animal House, Porky's

or Revenge of the Nerds.

"Oh! Yeah!"

Alfred Hitchcock was famously obsessed

with voyeurism.

And included peeping scenes

in several of his most notable films.

Since then, we've seen

Harmless Peeping Toms pop up

in practically every genre.

From action movies to horror films.

From romantic dramas

to science fiction adventures.

And it's not uncommon for video games

to present players with interactive

peeping opportunities.

"Look at this, come here"

"There's a naked woman across the street"

"Where?"

"Second floor from the top

see the window on the left"

"Wow"

The trope has also been a mainstay

on TV sitcoms.

"Oh my God, that's Rachel naked!"

Usually as a one-off gag

in a handful of episodes.

"Would you have opened the door

if you knew it was me?"

"Not since I found out

the teddy bear you gave me

had a webcam in it!"

While we may typically think

of peeping Toms as a stranger

hiding in the bushes,

spying can take many different forms.

"Did I miss anything?"

"Oh my God"

"Oh!"

"Oh, thank you, God, for this wonderful,

wonderful day"

Occasionally, spying is presented

as a part of man's job.

Like a cop on a stakeout.

"Oh, wow, oh yeah"

But in many of those scenarios,

the Harmless Peeping Tom trope

still applies.

"To protect and to serve"

"Ooh, ooh, ohh, I love my job so much, oh"

In espionage themed media,

the guy might have access

to high-tech spying gadgets.

"Nine different enhanced visions modes

every little boy's dream:

the penetrating mode"

"And would you look at that"

In superhero stories

or supernatural plot lines

the guy's powers may be used

as a way to gain access

to a woman's body.

(woman screams)

"And He saw, that it was good"

Superman, for example

is often upheld as a paragon of good

decent manhood

and yet even he steals a quick peek

from time to time.

Harmless Peeping Toms

aren't always the hero.

But, they're not the villain either.

"I wind up seeing a lot more of Ava

than I bargained for"

Even if the protagonist has, let's say

questionable morals

or is involved

in other criminal activities

the spying itself isn't framed as a strike

against his character.

And critically

the audience is still meant

to indentify with him as he's peeping.

"What?"

It's not unusual

for invasions of privacy

to be framed as endearing.