The Confident Gaze

The essay “The Confident Gaze” by Shekhar Deshpande raises some very critical points about the magazine National Geographic on both ends of the spectrum. The beginning of the essay is more pro-National Geographic, and as the essay unfolds it goes more into the anti-National Geographic. In the beginning Shekhar states, “It is a magazine of choice of teachers of history, anthropology and culture in general school. Middle class parents have regarded the investment in the subscription as necessary for the exposure that the magazine gives their children about the world.” (par 2.) Shekhar has many good things to say about the magazine that most Americans would agree with. This magazine brings good knowledge and interesting information that all of us are interested in. On the other hand its almost our only source of information about the other parts of the world. Meaning that they have quite a bit of control on what our outlook on the rest of the world is. Towards the end he states, “One of the clever ways in which National Geographic magazine constructs the image of the other, thereby providing an occasion for identity formation to its readers, is by representing a combination of the traditional and the modern or the Western.” National Geographic is many peoples only way to see the rest of the world, and they are using it to make us look glamorous and almost fear the rest of the world.

Deshpande

In Shekar Deshpande’s article “The Confident Gaze”, he speaks of National Geographic Magazine and the role they’ve played in exposing the world to western cultures. Deshpande pays particular attention to the fact that their pictures are very powerful and that we should be cautious with that power. He describes that “Middle class parents have regarded the investment in the subscription as necessary for the exposure that the magazine gives their children about the world” (par 2). Through this statement he shows us that the majority of Americans have come to trust and even rely on their pictures for information about the outside world. Making this even more clear, he goes on to say that their pictures “could appeal to the semi-literate as well as the literate by providing an entry into a field that needs to be taken with caution and respect for the ‘other’ world” (par 14). This power these pictures hold over people is something he is very clear about, and something he warns us about. Deshapnde cautions us that this influence can be misleading if not handled properly by providing us with a front cover picture National Geogrphic had on India’s 50th anniversary of independence. It held a dirty and small boy coated in red, looking at the screen in a longing and pitiful way. But despite this boys sad appearance, this occasion happens to be one that Indians hold much joy and happiness on. Deshapnde goes on to show us an extreme of a picture’s power by illustrating that they even have “the power to transform the most repulsive results of human actions around the world into images that are digestible” for average Americans (par 11). All in all, Deshpande teaches us two things: 1.) that pictures are wonderfully powerful tools, and 2.) that this power needs to be handled with caution and respect.

Deshpande Summary

Evan Coulter
The Confident Gaze
Summary

The essay, “the Confident Gaze” written by Shekhar Deshpande focues on how National Geographic takes pictures of different cultures and shows them to us in the way we like to see them and gives us the views from the American eye. In his essay he claims, “Human suffering becomes worth a good image.”(2) What he means by that is that people like to see stuff like that and they are interested in things of that context so if they can get those pictures then more people will start to read his magazine and become interested in the articles. I also think that is correct, if you give the reader what they want they will continue to read your magazine. Another claim from Deshpande. “While we admire the accomplishments of its photographers to bring us the rest of the world, we forget that the photographs and the 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 for the western eye. What he is saying is that even though we admire the photographers for getting us pictures from all over the world and all the different cultures, they change and edit them to make places seem happier and better than they actually are as to if you went there.

Dashpande

Tori Fleming
English 100L
Shekhar Dashpande Summary

Shekhar Dashpande’s article “the confident gaze” is about how national geographic takes pictures, but the pictures have nothing to do with the point of the story. A good example of this is when Deshpande makes the statement “while we admire the accomplishments of its photographers to bring us the rest of the world, we forget that the photographs and the 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 for the western eye”. He is trying to say that the pictures in national geographic with effort are made to appeal to the western eye. This strategy may work, but a lot of the photographs do not apply to what is really going on. The strategy as Dashpande describes it as is “one of the clever ways in which National Geographic magazine constructs the image of the other, thereby providing and occasion for identity formation to its readers, is by representing as combination of the traditional and the modern or the western”. National Geographic makes their pictures so that we the people in the western area can relate and it will appeal to us even though the picture has nothing to do with the main point.

Deshpande!

In the article "The Confident Gaze" written by Shekhar Deshpande analyzes promotional tactics used by National Geographic magazine, mainly focusing on their new magazine celebrating 50 years of India. Deshpande claims in his article that National Geographic "is quite sensitive to trouble spots and trouble contexts; it does not pretend to evade such situations. But while it covers or represents such issues or situations, it can sanitize and even the blood and gore of conflict"(2). In essence Deshpande is saying that National Geographic does not avoid suffering, but makes it disassociates it from its reader, keeping the reader in their comfort zone. Deshpande goes on to make a similar, bolder claim, saying “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.”(2) This is an extremely bold claim, Deshpande is directly accusing National Geographic of exploiting human suffering in a way so that Westerners can “enjoy” these photos, but not feel connected with the problems being presented. Deshpande’s ends his article by questioning whether India actually has catching up to do, as the National Geographic article implied, saying “but it has a lot of catching up to do if “catching up” has to mean something”. By this, Deshpande was saying that Westerners may believe that India needs to “catch up”, but India may not want to “catch up” to Western society, they may want to live differently, in the way they always have.

Deshpande: my summary

Deshpande discusses how National Geographic teaches Americans about the world and how we are supposed to view other cultures. National Geographic takes all their photos and findings and makes it digestible for the American eye. Deshpande first talks about the 50th anniversary of India and how India has grown since there separation from the English; He describes the influence National Geographic has on society because they were there in 1947. National Geographic has structure, stability and control over what they show the world. Deshpande describes the photography of National Geographic as “technically flawless or even adventurous, and it attempts to sanitize and universalize the uncomfortable as well as different elements of other cultures.” Deshpande is trying to say that National Geographic uses their photography to show their version of that culture to make it look flawless or adventurous to appeal to the viewers need. Any viewer of National Geographic looks through these pages because they know what to expect, the unexpected. National Geographic explores the dangerous route to ensure their readers/viewers are satisfied with what they’re getting, even if the image is hard to comprehend. As Deshpande says “the photographs are rich in their content, but entirely dishonest in their relationship to the environment or the context.” Deshpande describes National Geographic’s stance with their photographs as focusing on the dominant features of the picture the viewer is looking at and neglecting the truths that aren’t shown. I see how a picture of a strange young Indian boy shown in red make-up, malnourish and depressed looking can alter the ways we, the viewer, can assume this kids life is all about poverty and staying alive to help his people but that’s where National Geographic likes to smudge the facts of the picture. Americans understanding of other cultures is foreign to many of us. National Geographic takes the role of integrating Americans into other culture so we become tolerate or accepting of their beliefs, customs, and lifestyle.

Deshpande's Summary and Claims

In Shekhar Deshpande’s article “The Confiadent Gaze,” he references his whole article around National Geographic. His article in July of 1997 was about “India: Turning Fifty.” This article was celebrating 50 years since India’s independence. Many American’s go to National Geographic to view other cultures from the comfort of their own home. As Deshpande states, “[m]iddle class parents have regarded the investment in the subscriptions as necessary for the exposure that the magazine gives their children about the world.” National Geographic shows many pictures that are very beautiful, and picturesque, but are they in context? Deshpande shows us that many of the pictures in the magazine are meant to appease the “Western Eye.” When anyone state “western eye,” they mean American’s or America in general. This feel for being “somewhere else” is the incentive to buy the magazine. But the main culprit for the picturesque-ness is the editors. They are the people who know what sells, and how to sell it. We are sucked into wanting to see the “primitive” people of the world, and separating ourselves from them.

One of Deshpande’s claim that really stuck out to me was, “[h]uman suffering becomes worth a good image.” As National Geographic comes out with beautiful pictures, we need to be conscious about what context they are taken in. I believe that National Geographic editors take a picture and twist the meaning just so they can have a good picture. To me, this is very disturbing. I do not like the fact that people will mess with a beautiful culture, and make it more universal, and to make us more comfortable while looking at it.

Another claim that Deshpande makes is that “[c]onstructions of self-identity comes through a representation/images of the other.” I believe this is very true statement for me. In images I can relate to, I can see a visual of what I might have wanted to represent, but couldn’t find a picture to do so. I also like to draw images of what I think my personality is like. It is a representation of me for others to see. To me, that is the coolest part about pictures/images.