The term “male gaze” was first coined by film critic Laura Mulvey as a way of depicting and representing women as pleasurable sexual objects for male viewers from a masculine, heteronormative perspective in the visual arts and literature (Wikipedia). Foucault argues that the gaze is a tool of power that grants the gazer self-identified subjectivity while also regulating the thoughts, speech, and actions of the person being observed.
This reminds me of some statements made by apologist Shirey in the New National Debate about the ‘gender gaze’. “One of the biggest problems with why the male gaze at women is so damaging is the gaze. It’s not an aesthetic gaze, it’s not about seeing a very pretty girl on the subway. It’s a process that involves an act of aggression, one that involves sexual desire, and that’s why women are afraid of it. Put simply, “the male gaze is not an aesthetic gaze, it is the invisible violence of prejudice with sexual aggression”.
In life, if you wear very sexy clothes outside the house, the eyes of some boys will remain on the bare skin of women. For socio-cultural and personal reasons, some male chauvinists lack respect for women’s consciousness and may have this “robber baron logic” – women wearing less clothing is a sexual temptation and they look at it out of their animal instincts to appreciate it. However, the direct effect of this is that some women become less conscious and lose their own perspective. They judge their own worth from a male perspective and begin to self-criticise, reflect and discipline their own behaviour in order to live up to the standards set by men.
The ultimate goal of reflection on the male gaze is to enable us to face our true selves and reclaim sovereignty over our lives. Women must construct their own identity and appreciate others with respect, not a power-pressured gaze.
References：
[1].tekanji ,（2007）.FAQ: What is the “male gaze”? ，［online］Available at:
<clarifying-concepts | Finally, A Feminism 101 Blog (wordpress.com)> ［ Accessed 3 December 2023］.
[2].Male gaze From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
<男性凝视 – 维基百科，自由的百科全书 (wikipedia.org)> ［ Accessed 3 December 2023］.
Yes, I do agree with you that we should be firm in our aesthetic standards and not be swayed by the male gaze. We should portray ourselves according to our own preferences and values and not be swayed by the judgements of others. Self-confidence and self-esteem are key to facing the male gaze. We should believe in ourselves and trust ourselves to make our own choices and decisions. At the same time, we should respect ourselves and not devalue ourselves because of the judgements of others.
The female audience is always hypnotized by the male perspective of the film when they are not aware of it, and they receive the power from the film and television to become as beautiful and charming as the heroine. This means that they are subtly accepting beauty that conforms to the male gaze. Because such movies mislead women by sending the message that women need to be beautiful in order to gain power.I agree with you that women should not judge their worth through the eyes of men.Women need to build their own identity and regain self-confidence to get rid of this bondage