David Baddiel and the Male Gaze

It was announced yesterday that David Baddiel – professional comic and opinion-haver – is to write a book about masculinity and The Male Gaze.

The Male Gaze was coined by film theorist Laura Mulvey in the 1970s. In her article for Screen she uses psychoanalysis to get to grips with the frustration of women by the way they are portrayed in film – as cinematic structures and tropes always prioritises and reveals male pleasure in looking. Woman as object is codified in cinema as erotic and silent. Mulvey provides a complex, nuanced analysis of the social and economic conditions of cinema.

Baddiel’s starting point, on the other hand, is to suggest men “can both objectify women’s bodies and respect their minds.” (This is a genuine quote from Baddiel).

Does Baddiel really understand the word objectify – “degrade to the status of a mere object”?

Because from where I’m standing, it looks like he is suggesting that it is o.k. to see women as objects if we also listen to them.

The book, as he is plugging it, seems to be… Poor men, sometimes have to listen to women, because they do words as well as bibbly bobbly boobies.

This is an actual quote from the interview.

‘Obviously women need to be CEOs and judges and politicians and prime ministers. Is it contradictory to also think, "I am interested in that woman physically"? Because I can’t help that interest. That’s part of being a heterosexual male.

‘It doesn’t mean that I see her only as a body. I actually am listening to her as well and think that she should be capable of everything that a man is capable of. The problem is that those two things feel contradictory and, yes, I guess that is what I would like to write about.’

He said this out-loud, to a reporter, and let him write it down…

It’s almost as if he wants a prize for “actually” listening to her…

So, I just have an incey-wincey request, David, please don’t.

There are plenty of people already writing about the struggle of masculinity (for example, the poet Carlos Andrez Gomez, making the point that masculinity and men are not all the same, and urges against the desensitising effects of toxic role models). I believe that struggle is real and vital.

But, I am also a comedian. I know I haven’t reached the heady heights of Baddiel, few women do. And I know why. I have just had to take a month’s break, because, well creepy, men.

Men who admit they haven’t always been professional in the workspaces of comedy, but they are working on themselves (which, of course, is much better than an apology and stepping aside for a while).

Men who think it is alright to say loudly as they arrive late for gigs – ‘oh, I don’t find women funny’. Men who get up and got to the bar when a woman is announced.

Men who think they can offer advice on the joke about blow-jobs, without thinking that maybe you’ve pushed it as far as you can to feel safe (ish).

Men who don’t tell sexist jokes, just an observation about their ex-girlfriends – who just happened to be crazy bitches.

Men who have pinned women against the wall, with a casual lean.

Men who walk past women to put an arm on their waist.

Men who will only book one woman at a time.

Men who follow you to the car-park.

Look, I don’t want to play victim here. I am 54 years old. I have met all kinds of men through comedy, mainly very lovely ones. My biggest issue with men is them noticing me at all. But I witness, observe and support women who this happens to.

And I took up comedy to have fun.

So, David, please don’t

Don’t provide us with your quasi-philosophical texts about men and their libidos. Don’t tell us about how pornography is liberatory. Don’t put out more words out there, which suggest that women’s bodies are just an object to be enjoyed.

Don’t provide more fuel to a culture that would rather we didn’t do words, and we were just our bibbly bobbly boobies.

If you've enjoyed what you have read, consider subscribing to my writing on Vocal. If you'd like to support my writing, you can do so by leaving a one-time tip. Thank you.