• Do representations of women today objectify them in the same or similar ways as what Berger argues about women depicted in Renaissance paintings? 

• Do women have control over their images in the media or are they still determined by the male gaze? 

• Does sexuality play the same role in images of women today as what Berger describes? 

John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” focuses on how things are perceived. He argues that the way we see things is greatly influenced by our own knowledge and beliefs. In episode 2, he explains how from the renaissance era onward, women in art were often depicted as being subservient to men. They were deemed as nothing more than a sight, with nudity and sexuality being the main focus of many paintings and photographs, women were objectified repeatedly in these pieces. This led to their own sense of being, getting replaced by the sense of being appreciated by others. Instead of women loving themselves for who they truly are, the way they were perceived caused them to chase a fabricated image designed by a male-targeted media. Berger says “To be naked, is to be one’s self. To be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for one’s self.”  What he means by this is that often women in art had no control in their image or how they were portrayed. I believe that’s still very true today. You can point it out in almost any magazine, movie, or even commercials, women are often sexualized to attract male viewers and to fulfill their desires. Although more recently women have been stepping up and empowering one another to get rid of this stigma, we are still a long way from it becoming reality. Modern media plays a huge part in this, from Instagram to Tik-Tok, females put content out based on what their audience (which often is made up of males) wants to see. Because of this, many women often follow suit and believe that how the media portrays women is exactly how they should portray themselves. I do think women are slowly regaining control of their own representation but, as of today, what Berger was focusing on is still very true. Women’s portrayal throughout our culture is still very male-driven.