“The Confident Gaze”

In Sekhar Deshpande’s article, “The Confident Gaze,” it explains how National Geographic is a magazine that tries to appeal to the western eye as it portrays life in foreign parts of the world. It explores cultures and religions as well as individual people, mainly exploring their daily lives and the poverty they live in. Deshpande claims, “This power to transform the most repulsive results of human actions around the world into images that are digestible is what makes for the culture of the National Geographic” (par. 12). By this he is claiming that National Geographic is so famed, because it can turn almost any picture or circumstance into a beautiful and correctly represented way. It turns death into something beautiful. It turns life into something magical. Later on Deshpande claims, “It is as if the world needs to be posed in the appropriate way to the Western observer, he could not see it in its bare essentialities” (par. 13). He tries to explain that the photographs aren’t raw pieces of footage, but are rather thought out and posed. They are fabricated in a way to be acceptable to the eyes of the Western world and in a way to not offend but beautify other cultures. These photographs may not show entirely the foreign world, but they help broaden views about life that is foreign to our own. Some people may argue that posing and fabricating photographs to beautify cultures, takes away from the reality of the situations. I hold that it may take away from the complete reality but it helps broaden the Western worlds views in a way that is not to radical, yet just harsh enough to get the point across which is ultimately what the buyers want.

Deshpande

In the article "The Confident Gaze" by Shekhar Deshpande he talks about the subject of National Geographic and how they sanitize their photographs so they capture the eye of the reader. Deshpande explains how the magazine is such an accomplished piece then goes on to the darker side of it. He explains a photo taken in India as Deshpande puts it, "the section shows the Western white man resting on the side panels of the vehicle while three young women from the hills of the North serve as his 'props'."(par 5) What Deshpande seems to be doing here is he is seeing the photograph as prejudice. His article then explains that there is an innocent attractiveness of the photography from National Geographic. In Deshpande's words, "It attempts to sanitize and universalize the incomfortable as well as different elements of other cultures."(par 8) What he means is that National Geographic makes the rest of the world look like good to the Westerner's eye. They can make the worst things like the wall between Palestine and Israel look good for the white man's enjoyment. In Desphande's view, "Human suffering becomes worth a good image. The hunger with which the photographer's eye looks at the world consumes those images that are transferable into a nascent and yet techincally perfect photographs."(par 10) Deshpande's article goes on to explain how these images gives power to the magazine. When they are photographing something terrible they just beautify it for our eyes so it is as Deshpande says "digestible"(par 12). This makes the photographs dishonest and the content is warped. Deshpande states, "This power to transform the most repulsive results of human actions around the world into images that are digestible is what makes for the culture of National Geographic."(par. 12)

despande summary

The article “the Confident Gaze” by Shekhar Desphande,  he talks about National Geographic and their photography.  In the beginning of Desphande’s essay, he shows a picture of the front cover of a National Geographic magazine. The photograph shows a close up of a Indian child’s face. The child is painted red all over. The title states that this picture is used for “India turning fifty” Desphande claims, “it does not pretend to evade such situation. But while it covers or represents such issues or situation, it can sanitize an even beautify the blood and the gore of the conflict.” (par. 12). This states that although the pictures show real life struggles and conflicts, used for the readers information, the photograph can be so amazing to the point to where the reader is so amazed about the photograph that the reader forgets the meaning of the picture. Desphande also states that “it is as if that world  needs to be posed in the appropriate way to the Western observer” (par. 13). This also states that the picutures used in National Geographics about other places in the world other than the “westerns” (America), should look a certiant way. It should be looked as if America is better than the other places photographed. In conclusion of Despande’s article, We use National Geographic  to imform us about what is going on around the world, but the pictures tend to be giving us false information.

The Confidence Gaze Summary

Back in 1997, there was an issue of National Geographic where the main article was about the birthday of India's Independence entitled on the cover of that issue which was "India Turning Fifty." In the article, it portrayed very detailed pictures of what India was like in that time.

One person that goes by the name of Shekhar Deshpande made an article, more like an explanation on the photos taken in that article. What he talks about in his article called "The Confident Gaze" is how people like you and I, who live in America, are part of the "Western Eye." What this means is that our culture here of course different to the culture in India, we find ourselves to say we are doing fine and the world around us is doing fine as well. Obviously, prejudice exists in the Western World as well, described in Deshpande's artice, he is describing the photos in the article, what he describes sounds more like something that would be appealing to those in our culture. "The photograph from the album of their correspondent-photographer that begins the section shows the Western white man resting on the side panels of the vehicle while three young women from the hills of the North serve as his "props." The most "attractive" of these women is looking at the camera, with a posture that seeks approval, while the other two prefer to transfer to transfer their connection to the camera through their steady look at the more attractive and more confident companion" (Paragraph 5). To most, if not all, of the people who live in the Western Culture (i.e.America) find this photo described in the article quite appealing and rather entertained by the photo. We believe by the photo, we assume that if we ever intend on moving or traveling to there, we are to be within attractive women and living the life of luxury. For those who think realistically, or live in the Indian culture itself, that is not how life is over there in India, and thus people think differently of each others cultures. Whereas there is in fact a different angle that the photographers can use where Deshpande says that "Human suffering becomes worth a good image" (Paragraph 9). Shown on the cover of the magazine of that issue, it shows a child that has a look of fear and curiosity in it's eyes, as well as has the look like his face is eroding due to the poverty in that country. This does in fact have more of a realistic look towards their culture but can however be simply over-exaggerated. Deshpande also stated that the "Constructions of self-identity comes through a representation/images of the other" (Paragraph 14). Later on in the same paragraph he explains that by looking at these pictures of "The Third World" culture India is known for, Deshpande says that the pictures explain what we would have been what the pictures portray if we did not advance or evolve into a society or "civilization" so quickly.

The Confident Gaze Summary

Shekhar Deshpande wrote an article, "The Confident Gaze," about National Geographic and the Western culture. National Geographic has many magazines and is regarded to be a good substitute for not actually going to other countries. One issue of the magazine is for India's 50th anniversity of getting independence from England. The cover features a photograph of a child's face covered in a bright red color with a gripping gaze. Another photo is of a white man leaning against a car with three women in the background. Deshpande goes on to say how photographs can make the world seem like a happy place, especially for the western culture. Also, photos can make scenes of bloody conflict less repulsive. Deshpande states in his article,"Huma suffering becomes worth a good image." (Par 10) What he means is that for the western culture, a photo that displays human suffering can be a good photo, that doesn't mean the act that causes the suffering will make a good photo, just human suffering itself. He then says that those photos make the magazine so popular. However, the photos are not in its true form. Most of the photos are posed and the scenes are manipulated to make the image more likeable. This gives the idea that the world needs to be changed for the Western observer so he doesn't see what's really going on. Deshpande continues his article by explaining how National geographic uses its photos of primative cultures to give us a reference on what cold have been if we didn't progress, and the issue about India's 50th anneversity monitors its way towards westernization. Deshpande states, "But a simple equation "on our terms" would make this magazine blatantly ethnocentric." (Par 17) If the magazine were just about how India is becoming more like us, then it would be slightly narcissistic. However National Geographic deals with that by adding things that are seen a "Indian" in its pages. Also, India is covered by National Geographic more than most other countries, except Japan, so 50 pages is reasonable. It tell of the lifestyles of the people without telling of the problems that they have. Its almost like they focus on the good things and just skip the bad parts.

Summary: Deshpande

In this article of National Geographic, Deshpande discusses photographs and how they affect our lives. More spefically, how photographs can influence our lives. Westerners like to think that they are perfect, non prejudice people. In reality, everyone judges another culture just by what they have heard. You see something different and you immediatlely judge it, whether you mean to or not. By looking at photos however, you see the beauty in something that isn’t so beautiful and you don’t feel as bad. As Deshpande says, “issues [or] situations… [but at the same time] sanitize and even beautify the blood and the gore of the conflict” that the country is experiencing” (par. 12). We like to think that everything is fine when really it isn’t. We like to think that everything is beautiful when really it isn’t. Again, a quote from the article says, “human suffering becomes worth a good image” (para.10). When something looks beautiful, we forget about the harsh realities behind the image because it is easier to take something at face value than actually make a connection and realize how serious a situation is.

Recently I was introduced to the article, “The Confident Gaze,” by Shekhar Deshpande.  The article contributed a strong interpretation over the pictures National Geographic typically shares in their magazine.   Deshpande brought to my attention that “we forget that the photographs and contexts in which they are placed represent a very conscious effort by the editors to make the world a happy place and a happy place especially to the Western eye.”  Frequently photographs shown in the National Geographic are altered so it appeals to more people.  It seems as if the Western eye expects to see advancements in other countries around the world in order to be interested in a magazine.  Although done a number of times throughout each magazine, Deshpande shares a particular example from the “India Turning Fifty” article.  Deshpande states that “the poverty in India, long a favorable and often the only reference for Western audiences is transformed in the pages of the magazine into an observable commodity, polished with gleaming light and perfection of the position of the objects, their eternal “readiness:” at being photographed.”  Though the pictures may be real they are not natural.  A classmate of mine even pointed out that the cover of “India Turning Fifty” was very much posed.  The celebration that took place when this photograph was taken, is a joyful time, so it makes no since to show an isolated boy staring into the camera lens.  The photograph was able to capture the reader though, which is any magazines ultimate goal.