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Lynch's male gaze

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(@downtaylor)
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Topic starter
 

I love Twin Peaks and I'm not claiming that Lynch is a misogynist, but what's going on with the women in this show?! 

 
Posted : 01/08/2017 3:22 pm
(@the-conversation-is-lively)
Posts: 154
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Posted by: Isabella Vagtholm

I love Twin Peaks and I'm not claiming that Lynch is a misogynist, but what's going on with the women in this show?! 

I know! I love Lynch but the stupid French woman was just crap. It even spoils Gordon Cole for me a bit! Uh. 

Nice avatar btw 😉

 
Posted : 01/08/2017 3:44 pm
(@badalamenti-fan)
Posts: 331
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Posted by: Isabella Vagtholm

I love Twin Peaks and I'm not claiming that Lynch is a misogynist, but what's going on with the women in this show?! 

 

We had a somewhat fruitful discussion about it here .  And here.

Briefly:  how can one critique the male gaze using the male gaze??

Maybe.... by casting yourself (the auteur director) in a role that makes you appear a grotesque caricature of a scopophile?  ...  Maybe...  Nah... probably not.

Honestly, I'm just glad nobody has been "sexy raped" in The Return.  

Yet. *crosses fingers*

 
Posted : 01/08/2017 3:50 pm
(@b-randy)
Posts: 2608
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Posted by: Badalamenti Fan

 

Honestly, I'm just glad nobody has been "sexy raped" in The Return.  

Yet. *crosses fingers*

Right?

 
Posted : 01/08/2017 4:37 pm
(@wow-brad-wow)
Posts: 70
Trusted Member
 
Posted by: Brandy Fisher
Posted by: Badalamenti Fan

 

Honestly, I'm just glad nobody has been "sexy raped" in The Return.  

Yet. *crosses fingers*

Right?

When Mr C killed Darya I was super creeped and worried there was going to be something there. The fact that she was in her underwear made me assume he was going to do more than just kill her. That scene alone had me worried about the Return. 

 
Posted : 01/08/2017 5:15 pm
(@samxtherapy)
Posts: 2250
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*looks at OP's avatar*

 

 
Posted : 01/08/2017 6:58 pm
elesea-honu, Caoimhín Shirey, Karen and 5 people reacted
(@b-randy)
Posts: 2608
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Indeed Deputy Sam.  Indeed.

 
Posted : 01/08/2017 7:04 pm
(@fumiko)
Posts: 316
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People should give the Gordon character some leeway.  The man has dedicated his life to investigating the absurd mysteries of the strange forces of existence.  So what if he can be distracted by a short skirt?   All men can. 

 
Posted : 02/08/2017 9:39 am
Myn0k reacted
(@ruskinowl)
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Posted by: SamXTherapy

*looks at OP's avatar*

 

Actually she is, I know that for a fact.

 
Posted : 02/08/2017 10:21 am
(@fumiko)
Posts: 316
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Posted by: Isabella Vagtholm

I love Twin Peaks and I'm not claiming that Lynch is a misogynist, but what's going on with the women in this show?! 

I don't know if this will suffice but if you subscribe to the sort of Carl Jungian theory of the way the male brain depicts and interacts with the female portion of our subconscious (Jung called it the "anima" for men), it generally comes in some rather typical forms.  Put plainly, while interaction with the anima goes through many stages over life, you could sort of summarize the way women appear in men's dreams in one of two forms;  motherly figures (often old women, or nurturing, caring figures there to guide you somewhere), and objects of sexual desire.  It sounds trite, but that's what is going on deep in our subconscious minds.  And I think even consciously we do this at the surface.  I'm not entirely sure that's precisely what Lynch is going for here; in fact I often have my doubts that it's an influence at all.  Some have noted that the Laura character, especially in FWWM, had a profound impact on women who have suffered physical abuse; particularly those from Japan for some reason.  So it's not just about putting scream-queen bimbos on screen and having them be hacked to pieces.  There's more depth going on.  And it's not like the men in the series are depicted in a particularly flattering light.  Bob, Mike, the Arm - pretty much every "bad" character in the series is a male.  You could make the simplistic argument of Laura = good, Bob = bad and go from there, but I think it would be shallow to do so.  

Getting back to the Jungian interpretation; one film that does a similar portrayal very effectively (and equally disturbingly) is A Clockwork Orange; which I think we've seen a slight homage to during the assault scene at the home of Johnny and Mrs. Horne.  That certainly reminded me of the "Singing in the Rain" scene in ACO.  Plus we had the scene where Albert curses about Gene Kelly and that very song a few episodes prior.  

So, in the sense that any artists' work will eventually reveal something about their subconscious, either intentionally or not, I guess I subscribe to the notion that Lynch and Frost's subconscious minds are working in exactly the way you'd expect them to, being boys and all. 

 
Posted : 02/08/2017 10:46 am
Caio Rocha reacted
(@roberto_bella)
Posts: 269
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Lynch's career has largely been about the male gaze. The voyeurism of "Blue Velvet" being an excellent example.

I think exploration of the 'male gaze' is totally valid artistically, though I would like to see it balanced off a bit more with some consideration for the 'female gaze,' even though Lynch is a male filmmaker.

How often do men end up objectified in their underwear in Lynch? Or especially when under threat of violence like Daria. I can't think of much 'sexualized violence' committed against men in Lynch's work. Or even 'homosexualized violence.' That probably makes him more susceptible to criticism on the male gaze front.

 
Posted : 02/08/2017 2:03 pm
(@ruskinowl)
Posts: 295
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It's also worth noting that his wife Jennifer made 'Boxing Helena'. What does that tell you!

 
Posted : 02/08/2017 4:03 pm
(@forstm)
Posts: 1
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Posted by: Ruskinowl

It's also worth noting that his wife Jennifer made 'Boxing Helena'. What does that tell you!

Wife...daughter....what is the difference, right?

 

 

 
Posted : 02/08/2017 4:26 pm
(@ruskinowl)
Posts: 295
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Posted by: Mitchell Forst
Posted by: Ruskinowl

It's also worth noting that his wife Jennifer made 'Boxing Helena'. What does that tell you!

Wife...daughter....what is the difference, right?

 

 

Haha yes, that's certainly a bit BOB'y/Laura'y/Leland'y!

 
Posted : 02/08/2017 4:41 pm
(@melville-pembrokehurst)
Posts: 69
Trusted Member
 

The fact that you have the avatar that you do means I can't take you seriously at all...

I'm sorry, but...

Come on...

The way I see it, Lynch is just showing that these things are common, but they just lurk beneath the surface. I don't think that he's glorifying it in any way and I don't entirely understand how people could think that but... *shrugs*

 
Posted : 02/08/2017 7:38 pm
Myn0k and Karen reacted
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