CONTEXT OF PRACTICE//PUBLICATION IDEAS//OUGD501

VOYEURISM:

After looking at the dictionary definition I wanted to explore the term voyeurism as most of the definitions refereed to it in sexual way which is what it was originally known as, however, I feel as time has gone on the meaning has progressed and developed within modern day culture.  This article highlighted my thoughts about the concept of Voyeurism developing:   This is the area of voyeurism I want to focus on, more about observing and watching rather than concentrating on the sexual element of it.  It would be interesting to compare the terms and look at how it has evolved.

Voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions usually considered to be of a private nature.

The principal characteristic of voyeurism is that the voyeur does not normally relate directly with the subject of his/her interest, who is often unaware of being observed. Voyeurism may involve the making of a secret photograph or video of the subject during an intimate activity. When the interest in a particular subject is obsessive, the behavior may be described as stalking.

However, in today's society the concept of voyeurism has evolved, especially in popular culture. Non-pornographic reality television programs such as Survivor and The Real World are prime examples of voyeurism, where viewers (the voyeur) are granted an intimate interaction with a subject group or individual. Although not necessarily "voyeurism" in its original definition, as individuals in these given situations are aware of their audience, the concept behind "reality TV" is to allow unscripted social interaction with limited outside interference or influence. As such, the term still maintains its sexual connotations.

The term comes from the French voyeur, "one who looks". A male voyeur is commonly labeled "Peeping Tom", a term which originates from the Lady Godiva legend. However, that term is usually applied to a male who observes somebody through their window, and not in a public place.

A voyeur may observe others without them being aware of it by a number of strategies. The voyeur may observe the subject from a distance, or use stealth to observe the subject with the use of peep-holes, two-way mirrors, hidden cameras, secret photography and other devices and strategies. Secret photography may involve the use of normal cameras, but with the photographer being concealed. Sometimes the camera itself is disguised or concealed. The use of telephoto lens enables the distance from the subject to provide concealment.

Although spy cameras small enough to fit inside a pocket-watch had existed since the 1880s, advances in miniaturization and electronics since the 1950s have greatly aided the ability to conceal miniature cameras, and the quality and affordability of tiny cameras (often called "spy cameras" or subminiature cameras) has now greatly increased. Some consumer digital cameras are now so small that in previous decades they would have qualified as "spy cameras", and digital cameras of eight megapixels or more are now being embedded in some mobile camera phones. The majority of mobile phones in use are camera phones.

Certain image capturing devices are capable of producing images through materials that are opaque to visible light, including clothing. These devices form images by using electromagnetic radiation outside the visible range. Infrared and terahertz-wave cameras are capable of creating images through clothing, though these images differ from what would be created with visible light.

VOYEURISM IN POPULAR CULTURE:

Photography
Some fine art photographers such as Richard Kern and Don Chase have displayed a fascination with the forms of secret voyeuristic photography.

Films
Voyeurism is a common plot device in both serious (e.g. Rear Window, Klute, Blue Velvet, Disturbia) and humorous (e.g. Porky's, Animal House,Semi-Pro, Gregory's Girl, American Pie) films. Voyeuristic photography has been a central element of the mis-en-scene of films such as Michael Powell's Peeping Tom, and Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup. The 2002 television movie Video Voyeur: The Susan Wilson Story is based on a true story about a woman who was secretly videotaped, and subsequently helped to get laws against voyeurism passed in parts of the United States.