"The Confident Gaze" summary

The National Geographic magazine has been a window for many people to be able to see other countries for many years. It is the 3rd largest subscription in the United States according to Skehar Deshpande. In his editorial featured on MEDIAWATCH Deshpande wrote an article called “The Confident Gaze”. In his article he talks about the edition featured in the National Geographic magazine in 1997 when India celebrated 50 years of independence. Deshpande discusses whether the Western culture are really being shown the correct information when it comes to educating themselves about other countries through the magazine or are they only showing elements of the culture and leaving out all of the most important parts? The National Geographic magazine uses mainly photographs to give the reader a look into other countries. The images that are featured about India gives the reader a sense of what goes on, but Deshpande feels that the images are dishonest and that they have been sanitized for people to able to deal with them. The images look vibrant, almost like a piece of art that someone can put out on their coffee table for people to gaze almost suggesting that western people need shielding about how life really is in India. Deshpande points out that what the readers are being shown are Indian lifestyles rather than regional conflicts. Deshpande himself writes “They have an urge to satisfy the curiosity of the viewer while defining it” (2). Basically what Deshpande is saying is that the National geographic magazine photographers are modifying the photographs that they take in India in order to appeal to the viewers. The photographers edited and manipulate the photographs so that the western culture will appreciate the photo as they may not want to see what really goes on behind the lens. Deshpande states “The idea of progress is always in terms of whether the others have taken steps to be Western” (3). In making this comment Deshpande argues that this implies that the western people are superior to the Indian people. If India does not adapt and live their life the same way western people live their life that they are doing it wrong. If the national geographic magazine is only showing the readers different country lifestyles then what are they really learning?