The discussion is about how mainstream Hollywood perceives women on screen. Over the years, beauty, makeup, and idolization have been the main focus on screen. Prime examples of these iconic figures as Mulvey mentions are people like Marilyn Monroe. On screen she is portrayed as a sex symbol and is still a sex symbol. In her paper Laura Mulvey, goes in depth about cinema and techniques used to gain the audience’s attention. Little did we know that there is a psychological explanation behind these Hollywood films. It is almost used as a “political weapon” as Mulvey states as what is shown on screen. The patriarchal society has been structuring the film industry. It goes back to women having penis envy and men having the fear of castration.  What is seen onscreen is suppose to be pleasurable. Invoke erotica on screen which comes to define the term, scopophilia. This term in psychoanalytical theory is the pleasure of looking. By seeing the images on screen there is a pleasure that enforces the ego that controls behavior.  Often times we see characters on screen that are overly erotic. Often times women in the industry are often dramatized and are seen as giving the most pleasure on screen. The screen gives sexual simulation through sight and therefore the women are seen as sexual objects.  The problem that arises with this is that people see what’s on screen and there is this desire or want to be like what they see. There is fetishism that arises is this as well because fetish scopophilia focuses on the looks alone. For example, the camera zooms in on the women’s naked body on screen and that’s what’s being portrayed to the audience. It is a patriarchal industry because it is men deciding who should be on the screen and what is shown. The problem that arises is that we are watching portrayals of the industry and that’s what’s projected onto people. As the years go by people may notice that different portrayals of what it means to beautiful often changes. In the past people might think of westernized beauty standards. Now cinema is becoming more diverse and different portrayals of beauty is often seen onscreen. The human psyche is often looking for pleasure and Mulvey convey that pleasure can be through sight. It is through the psyche that we learn about people and what they like. Through cinema however the person behind the camera is controlling what we see. The audience is subject to the final product which is the film.

The immediate line that stands out in Foucault’s argument is “the right to make live and let die” (1441). Foucault’s argument is that as society continues to increase modernization there is greater development of power in biopolitics. As society continues to develop there are new obstacles that are brought to light. Biopolitics involve the ability to understand and sometimes decide who controls birth rates, mortality rates. This is significant because politics decides whether it is legal or illegal to get abortions for example. Biopolitics is sort of where the government is having control over people’s bodies. This is brought to life because in the past medical buildings and hygiene didn’t exist. Therefore, mortality rates were higher in the past compared to the present. Now there are medical and hygiene protocol in place. His argument says that biopolitics include mechanisms. These mechanisms introduced by biopolitics are, forecasts, statistical estimates, and overall measures. This means that through these estimates people can control who can live. An example of this is the pandemic.  The problem was controlled with estimates about daily reports of how many people had covid and passed away from covid. So biopolitics tracks these estimates based on actual findings and were able to prevent a high mortality rate. During covid, people were social distancing, wearing face masks, and sanitizing. People worldwide were put on lockdown. We couldn’t go outside. So biopolitics is similar as to what happens when there is discipline and lack of discipline. Someone who isn’t disciplined about their body wouldn’t know the after-health effects. Compared to someone that is disciplined about their body, can live a longer life.
The nineteenth century is talked about in Foucault’s argument. The idea of sovereignty. The king or queen had most power. The people listened to sovereign power. However, this could be dangerous because people are entitled to racial prejudice. Sovereign power controls who get to live and who dies. There is some sense of control because the wealthy people often get what they want because they have money. This leaves poor people to suffer because they are not wealthy. There is some racial prejudice because people of color are often poor whereas white people are wealthier. This is the sovereign power because they decide upon the individuals. They decide what people do. They control the rights of the minority. Most of the power is shared amongst wealthy people. People who make the laws and structures depend on that power. Then people must abide by the laws and decide how to live in their own body and mental health. This is biopolitics.

The formation of intellectuals by Antonio Gramsci says that “every social group coming into existence on the original terrain of an essential function in the world of economic production.”(930). This must mean that people are in social groups with certain economic backgrounds. Many economic powers are of businesses and a lot. Gramsci also mentions that the intellectuals in the feudal world and in the preceding classical world is a question to be examined separately. This means that intellectuals are being transformed into something more concerning infrastructure and businesses. In relation to the classical world which is full of art, literature, and classics. The global production relies on infrastructure and a lot of economic businesses. He also makes a point between non intellectuals and intellectuals. The argument of this distinction is that people who are more intellectual are more socially aware of what’s around them. They are mostly in social dynamics and have a lot of skills they learn from being an intellect. Compared to someone who is not an intellectual. This means that the advancement of certain subjects is needed to become an intellectual. The advancement of technology and other subjects increases the equilibrium of intellectuals and the purpose of this in society. It leads to an independent and dominant group. This is the leading terms of society. Intellectuals are becoming more in demand than other people. Society often sees this as beneficial.

Barthes mentions that the Eiffel Tower is a spectacle. It is meant to be looked at amongst all the business and people it is there and it must be seen. It is the universal symbol of Paris. Whenever someone thinks of France or Paris they automatically think of the Eiffel Tower. It is a hotspot for tourists all around the world and it is quite a hotspot for Parisians. People can look at the tower because that’s the first thing everyone will do. People will spectate it. People will admire it’s beauty and its architecture. They will admire it from the base. Barthes states that the tower is “an utterly useless monument” (Barthes 5). When someone is looking at the tower they might even start to think about the engineering process that has been involved in its construction. Or they might think of the science behind it’s structure and how it is able to withstand so much pressure in the atmosphere without a lot of damage. One might even think about its tremendous stance from the base upwards. The height of the tower is over a thousand feet high. One of the main arguments that Barthes mentions is that the Tower looks at Paris. He mentions that the tower overlooks not the nature but the city. From the tower or a balcony people can see the natural landscape of Paris. People can see the people being a part of the natural landscape. People can have an essence to the vibe of the city. The culture, the imagination that were once in books have come alive. The imagination that comes alive in The Hunchback of Notre Dame that perceives Paris as a Birdseye view. So everything is being seen not only the thousand foot Tower.   Being at the tower also encompasses the surrounding neighborhoods and their historical background. You can look at from the tower the places, the people, the realness that makes up the space. It is not only an account of imagination but it is also the richness of the atmosphere that takes us to a place that can only be observed once someone goes to Paris and experiences it for themselves. Barthes argues that once there people can shop, walk, eat, and explore the area. There are vendors there and people are constantly buying and selling items or material goods. So the significance of both looking at the tower and then observing from the tower is that you can experience what it means to be in that place. It is an experience that is more like a travel destination now. More like a tourist invitation. However one can dream. One can dream that the experience is like a fairytale or a lovers destination. After all, Paris is the city of love.

Nietzsche begins his essay, “On Truth and Lying in a Non-Moral Sense”, where he talks about the universe. He says, “ There was once a planet on which clever animals invented cognition.” (752). He is making up a metaphor to describe the knowledge that animals know of. Nietzsche talks about mankind. He talks about nature and mankind’s intellect. People only want to be admired and act out of their own selfishness. They are constantly dreaming of achieving. Mankind create the laws of nature. Nature exists without the power of mankind’s inventions. Nature exists without labeling or language. It is mankind that creates language. Based on the essay, “ What is more, human beings allow themselves to be lied to in dreams every night of their lives, without their moral sense ever seeking to prevent this happening” ( 753). Human beings are driven by their thoughts and dreams. It is what people aspire to dream will be the result of their actions. Nietzsche quotes, “And, besides, what is the status of those

conventions of language? Are they perhaps products of knowledge, of the sense of truth? Is there a perfect match between things and their designations? Is language the full and adequate expression of all realities?”( 754).  Language is made between people. The deception that Nietzsche points towards is that a rock is a named a rock. However a rock itself does not know that it is called a rock. People invent language to label what is natural. Language is almost deceiving because it is based off a man made system. Humans often corrupt the system.With labels of people. For example someone could be rich and someone could be poor. Language makes this distinction. Humans are smarter than animals because humanity is built on inventions, corruption and language and human power. Humans control the world they are often seen almost like animals. People create fundamentals and empires are constructed from mankind’s power, handwork and physical labor. Ancient Romans built a system where people could live. Power played a great role in the advancement of mankind in Ancient Rome, because manual labor was needed to build all sorts of water systems, public buildings and a thriving community and most importantly a system where people could live. The system that built people is often unfair. Only a small percentage of people can enjoy luxuries while the majority of people often have to sacrifice themselves to have a the lifestyle they want. Humans create laws much like a system in which animals live in nature. Animals create their own habitats and create a hierarchy. Likewise people are similar to animals because they create systems as well.