What is “The Male Gaze”?
The Male Gaze, a concept viewed by Laura Mulvey in “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”, touches on how women are represented in the industry from a masculine view. This concept can be viewed in Hollywood movies as an example because the industry is mainly controlled by men who want to make decisions that appeal to their interests and pleasure.
In the male gaze, women are viewed as objects which fulfil the desire of a man in a sexual way. Laura Mulvey expands on her essay, mentioning that Hollywood movies are produced to satisfy the masculine “scopophilia”, which is the sexual pleasure of looking. An example of scopophilia is how, in film, cameras tend to have shots of actresses’ bodies, with the primary objective of sexualising them, allowing the viewers to have the pleasure of looking.
This concept harms society, as it focuses on looks, which can affect mental health by reducing self-esteem levels. Also, male sexual desires take precedence over female empowerment, as in this industry, women are forced to play passive roles.
Examples of Male Gaze
The Male Gaze can be seen in the movies and other parts of the industry, such as manga & anime and video games.
MANGA & ANIME
A perfect example of male gaze can be seen in manga and anime. Some products exaggerate with drawings, such as unrealistic body proportions. In some manga & anime, female characters are drawn with excessive body proportions, compared to male characters with natural proportions. An example can be “One Piece”, as the creator Eiichiro Oda has drawn female characters with unnatural proportions compared to male characters.
VIDEOGAMES
Videogames are also an example of the male gaze. Grand Theft Auto is a franchise that sees female characters as strippers or submissive girlfriends. For instance, the roles of female characters in GTA shows how the male gaze is portrayed in this franchise, satisfying male audiences by focusing on physical characteristics. This indicates how the franchise objectifies female characters, which can cater to a male audience.
In conclusion, can the male gaze be challenged?
The Male Gaze can be challenged by having female characters as protagonists and giving them empowerment roles. This is because women can see themselves in positive and successful roles by eliminating stereotypes of the male perspective linked to the female character. This should apply to the whole entertainment industry.
Bibliography:
- Andy Simmons (2016) Explainer: what does the ‘male gaze’ mean, and what about a female gaze?. Available at: https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-the-male-gaze-mean-and-what-about-a-female-gaze-52486
- MasterClass (2022) What Is the Male Gaze? Criticisms of the Male Gaze in Media. Available at: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-the-male-gaze#3k09bUVI5domQrRI8VHP8a
- Media Studies (no date) The Male Gaze. Available at: https://media-studies.com/male-gaze/
- Sergiu Inizian (2021) Mulvey and Akerman: Challenging the Male Gaze. Available at: https://www.byarcadia.org/post/mulvey-and-akerman-challenging-the-male-gaze
