The Invention of “the Male Gaze”

Plus: communal bathing; the latest “Mission: Impossible”; and the poet Kim Hyesoon’s animal obsessions. View in browser | Update your preferences Friday, July 14, 2023 In today’s newsletter, gazed and confused, and then: • Anthony Lane reviews the latest “Mission: Impossible” • The joys of communal bathing • The poet Kim Hyesoon’s animal obsessions The Invention of “the Male Gaze” In 1973, the film theorist Laura Mulvey used concepts from psychoanalysis to forge a feminist polemic and a lasting shorthand for gender dynamics onscreen. Illustration by David Vanadia Fifty years after it was first popularized, the concept of “the male gaze,” and the idea that it “projects its fantasy onto the female figure, which is styled accordingly,” has become a central critical trope. In that time, it has also expanded in scope to encompass all manner of seeing: we now speak of the female gaze, the white gaze, the straight gaze, even “the Disney villain gaze.” In a fascinating new essay, published as part of the Therapy Issue, Lauren Michele Jackson returns to the origins of the male gaze to propose fresh ideas about the shifting and uncertain power that is asserted by the viewer, and by those being viewed. “What too often gets elided from current gaze talk is the possibility of looking as an act of ambivalence,” she writes, adding that “no one’s viewpoint—or projection—is entirely secure.” Read the story Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » Dept. of Self-Care On and Off the Avenue Soak and the City New Yorkers don’t need wellness culture to sell them on the ancient art of communal bathing. By Rachel Syme The Therapy Issue: George Makari on psychiatry after the pandemic; Jia Tolentino on climate panic; cartoons from our archive; and more new pieces publishing all week. Explore the issue » Editor’s Picks Persons of Interest Kim Hyesoon’s Animal Obsessions The Korean poet, now in her fifth decade in the public eye, inhabits a world of knives and carcasses and dark orifices—a fantasia of feminine rage. By E. Tammy Kim Culture Desk How Far Can Amapiano Go? A new form of South African dance music is thriving. Its performers want the rest of the world to pay attention. By Kelefa Sanneh At the Movies The Current Cinema The Extravagant Treats of “Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One” In the series’ seventh film, Tom Cruise returns to perform stunts of outsized magnificence. By Anthony Lane The Front Row “Earth Mama” Reinvigorates the Closeup, the Beating Heart of the Cinema Savanah Leaf’s first feature film takes place at a crucial intersection of intimate life and public policy. By Richard Brody Fun & Games Dept. Crossword A Freudian Puzzle A special crossword for this week’s Therapy Issue. The theme: Sometimes . . . By Andy Kravis Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Will Nediger Blitt’s Kvetchbook Salvador Dalí’s Surreal Summer in the City What isn’t melting in this heat? By Barry Blitt Daily Shouts Pardon My French: A Guide to French Colloquialisms How to speak and think like a French person. By Zoé Albert Daily Cartoon Friday, July 14th By Adam Douglas Thompson P.S. “What is it about walking, in particular, that makes it so amenable to thinking and writing?” Ferris Jabr explores the science behind why taking a walk helps us clear our heads—and see things from a new perspective. Today’s newsletter was written by Ian Crouch. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.