The Problem With āThe Oppressed Majorityā Video
Remember this widely spread short video "Oppressed Majority" by Eleonore Pourriat? I saw it all over social media when it was released, and it was praised by almost every outlet -- "more thought-provoking than laugh-inducing," and the following from the New Yorker quotes -- āTry Doubting Everyday Sexism After Watching This Video,ā reads the Huffington Postās headline. Upworthyās says āA French Film Showing Men What Being a Woman Feels Like Kinda Nails It.ā
But does it really? The director thought that just by switching the gender of the person oppressed/at risk (women) the actually [relatively] unoppressed (men) will be able to see from their perspective. Social media and feminists everywhere spread this video like wildfire, and when I finally clicked on it, I was unimpressed. I was glad that someone decided to take the concept and make something easily digestible (it's short) and that it got a considerable amount of social media attention and of course thousands of people talking about the issues in it. However, the video failed to make the waves it could have.
Why? Because the men watching it still cannot understand what it's like to be a woman.
Ok, well, first, the good parts -- the early scene when the leading man asks his friend why he is covered up so much (it indeed strikes the viewer as foolish when flipped on its head) and the following rape scene was quite scary. The settings, the acting, the language is all very good and realistic. Well, I don't really think the lead male is a very good actor as his lines are delivered stale and flat, emotionless and unaffected (especially after the attempted rape scene).
But overall, the women are not scary. The viewer may think that the women are being mean by minimalizing the man's complaints and his rape, but the viewer is still unable to feel afraid, or experience the claustrophobia a woman feels when she is alone or in a situation where many men are around. The ending falls a bit flat, especially concerning the man's final scene and his confrontation with his girlfriend. The language seems forced -- "It's like our brothers fought for nothing!" and it takes away from the realism.
Again, why does it fail to portray fear? First, it is because even though the story takes place in an imaginary world where the roles are flied, the viewer is still living in and grew up in a society where men do not deal with such fears, nor are they internalized. A common retort to the cat-calling argument is, "You should feel good! They're just complimenting you!" A male viewer watching this film would probably say, "He isn't that attractive. I would be happy to have been stared at and complimented by those girls!!" Even the "unattractive" homeless woman who cat-calls at him isn't very threatening -- she says rude, vulgar things, but she doesn't have a strong physical presence that unnerves the viewer enough to arouse discomfort. The rapist women also fail to intimidate, but I don't think it's the actors' fault.
It is that element that needed to be more pronounced. It is the underlying reason why women are uncomfortable with the looks and the stares, the unwarranted "compliments." Words can be ignored, but a physical attack might not. Cat-calls are scary because if the woman responds, it sounds like a "yes" to a sexual invitation or, at the very least, an uncomfortable conversation with a stranger. If she does not respond, the cat-caller might become angry and demand a response. If she responds negatively, the cat-caller might use verbal threats and possibly back them up with physical gestures. Just the verbal threats alone are enough. Whether the woman avoids or responds, the cat-calls come with a physical implication.
The video does not address that fear, that connection, well. Men today are almost trained to want that kind of attention from women. Are there not enough movies and music videos with men surrounded by women who are dancing, half-naked, and DTF all the time, no matter what the man looks like? Men think this is normal, even women do too, and such scenes are rarely flipped on their heads where a woman is surrounded by dancing, sexy, half-naked men groping them, DTF, and gladly, willingly being accessories and sexual toys. Have you ever seen a music video with a male singer and all male backup dancers? But Iām sure you've seen a female singer with female backup dancersā¦
In general, women are seen as soft, and even if they have a sharp tongue, men are rarely physically "threatened'. That's the whole reason why sexism/misogyny evolved in the first place! Men used strength to dominate. Men used dominance to rape, et cetera.
So how can men possibly understand how uncomfortable it is to be a woman in a man's world? They probably won't be able to feel it through this video. I think it's a good introductory lesson, but it lacks the punch to make a lasting impression.
This concept needs another attempt to work. It needs a new male lead. It needs to be a full-length film. The physical presence of the women needs to be more pronounced and scary.
Who can make it?
http://wifey.tv/video/this-is-what-everyday-sexism-feels-like-to-a-man/
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/real-everyday-sexism

















